Shaheena Sikander Gandhi, an agate stone artist from Vadodara, Gujarat, has gifted Prime Minister Narendra Modi a distinctive artwork assembled entirely from naturally coloured agate stone chips, depicting the National Unity Day parade and the Statue of Unity. The presentation took place at Bharat Parv 2026 through the Central Cottage Industries initiative, marking a milestone in Gandhi's four-decade artistic journey.

The Artwork and Its Inspiration

The piece captures the full sweep of the National Unity Day parade alongside the Statue of Unity set against a natural landscape — rendered without a single drop of artificial colour. Gandhi said she was inspired directly by the rally held on National Unity Day. Modi appreciated the work and accepted it as a gift, a moment Gandhi described as deeply personal.

'Prime Minister Modi accepting my artwork as a gift was a very proud moment for me and my family. The painting that I gifted him depicted the entire National Unity Day parade. I was inspired by the rally held on National Unity Day,' she said.

A World-Record Nomination

Gandhi has been nominated for the Golden Book of World Records for creating what she describes as the first agate chips wall artwork in the world. According to her, the nomination came only after a verification process to confirm no one else had previously produced a similar art form. 'They checked whether anyone else had created this art form, and only after that was I given the award for being the first to create it,' she said.

Four Decades, 500+ Pieces

Gandhi has been practising agate stone art for nearly 40 years and has produced an estimated 500 to 600 pieces to date. Completion time varies with the size and intricacy of each work. Among her most elaborate pieces is a map of India in which every state is represented through its significant historical architecture — a work that took one year to complete. Her creations are priced between ₹5,000 and ₹5 lakh, depending on detail and scale.

Notably, this is not Gandhi's first encounter with the Prime Minister. During an earlier meeting, she had presented him with the large India-map artwork; Modi appreciated it but could not accept it at the time owing to its size. The Bharat Parv 2026 event gave her a second opportunity, and the National Unity Day piece was accepted.

A Self-Taught Craft Built on Patience

The technique demands patience and precision: designs are assembled from very small, naturally coloured stone chips, with no artificial pigments used. Gandhi says she received no formal training. 'By the grace of Allah, I did not learn this art from anywhere. I learnt it myself,' she said. Her home walls, lined with awards and recognitions from various institutions, reflect the recognition her self-taught craft has earned over the decades.

The photograph of Gandhi presenting the artwork to Modi was shared by the Prime Minister on social media platform X, bringing wider visibility to her work and, according to reports, prompting a fresh wave of public interest in the traditional art of agate stone craftsmanship from Gujarat.