PM Modi gifts Namoh 108 Lotus, Buddha sculpture and Banarasi Silk to Vietnam's President To Lam
Synopsis
PM Modi's gifts to Vietnamese President To Lam were not mere diplomatic courtesies — each item was a carefully engineered cultural statement. From a 108-petalled lotus bridging Vedic science and Buddhist spirituality, to Moradabad brasswork and Varanasi silk designed for the Vietnamese Ao dai, India's gift diplomacy has rarely been this layered.
Key Takeaways
PM Narendra Modi presented gifts to Vietnamese President To Lam on 7 May 2025 during a three-day state visit to India.
The Namoh 108 lotus , developed by NBRI Lucknow , features exactly 108 petals — a number sacred in Hinduism, Buddhism, and Jainism.
A brass Buddha sculpture in the Abhaya Mudra beneath a Bodhi tree canopy was crafted by artisans from Moradabad, Uttar Pradesh .
Banarasi silk with a tone-on-tone jacquard weave was gifted, designed to suit the traditional Vietnamese Ao dai .
Regional delicacies from Bihar and Maharashtra — including GI-tagged Silao Khaja, Mithila Makhana, and Ratnagiri Alphonso mangoes — were served during the visit.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday, 7 May presented a carefully curated collection of culturally significant gifts to visiting Vietnamese President To Lam in New Delhi, underscoring the deep civilisational and diplomatic ties between India and Vietnam. The selection — spanning a rare botanically engineered lotus, a handcrafted brass Buddha sculpture, and heritage silk from Varanasi — was designed to reflect India's spiritual, artistic, and artisanal traditions during President To Lam's three-day state visit.
The Namoh 108 Lotus: Science Meets Spirituality
Among the most distinctive offerings was the Namoh 108 lotus, a unique variety of India's national flower developed by the National Botanical Research Institute (NBRI) in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh. The flower was engineered to bear exactly 108 petals — a number considered sacred across Hinduism, Buddhism, and Jainism, associated with meditation malas, sacred sites across the Indian subcontinent, and Vedic cosmic calculations.
The name
Point of View
And the selection for President To Lam is a textbook example. Pairing a scientifically engineered lotus — rooted in shared Buddhist symbolism — with Moradabad brasswork and Varanasi silk tailored for the Vietnamese Ao dai signals cultural attentiveness, not generic protocol. With Vietnam a critical partner in India's Act East Policy and a counterweight to Chinese influence in Southeast Asia, these gestures carry strategic weight beyond aesthetics. The question is whether this cultural fluency translates into deeper defence, trade, and connectivity deliverables from the visit.
NationPress
28 Jun 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What gifts did PM Modi present to Vietnamese President To Lam?
PM Modi gifted the Namoh 108 lotus developed by NBRI Lucknow, a brass Buddha sculpture in the Abhaya Mudra crafted by Moradabad artisans, and a Banarasi silk fabric with a jacquard weave designed for the Vietnamese Ao dai. Regional Indian delicacies from Bihar and Maharashtra were also served during the visit.
What is the Namoh 108 lotus and why is it significant?
The Namoh 108 lotus is a specially engineered variety of India's national flower developed by the National Botanical Research Institute (NBRI) in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh. It bears exactly 108 petals, a number sacred in Hinduism, Buddhism, and Jainism, making it a symbol of spiritual completeness shared between India and Vietnam.
Why was a Buddha sculpture chosen as a diplomatic gift for Vietnam's President?
President To Lam had visited the Mahabodhi Temple in Bodh Gaya, Bihar, at the start of his India trip, making the brass Buddha sculpture — depicting the Abhaya Mudra beneath a Bodhi tree — a personally resonant and culturally appropriate gift. Vietnam has a significant Buddhist heritage, deepening the symbolic value of the gesture.
What Indian delicacies were served to Vietnamese President To Lam?
The hospitality menu featured GI-tagged specialities including Silao Khaja and Gaya Anarsa from Bihar, Mithila Makhana (fox nuts), Hajipur Malbhog Banana, Ratnagiri Alphonso mangoes from Maharashtra, and healthy millet bars. The selection highlighted India's regional culinary diversity.
Why is the Banarasi silk gifted to President To Lam significant?
The Varanasi silk fabric was woven with a tone-on-tone jacquard floral and vine pattern, specifically envisioned as suitable for crafting the traditional Vietnamese Ao dai dress. This design choice reflects an effort to blend Indian textile heritage with Vietnamese cultural aesthetics, going beyond a generic diplomatic offering.
