8th PM Mementos Auction Lists 16 Chhattisgarh Works
Sixteen Chhattisgarh mementos, led by Dhokra metal casting over 4,000 years old, are on offer in the 8th PM Mementos auction extended to 31 October 2026.

Why in News
On 7 October 2026 the Ministry of Culture detailed the 16 Chhattisgarh mementos in the 8th PM Mementos collection, whose live auction has been extended to 31 October 2026 with proceeds going to the Namami Gange Project.
A craft older than most of India’s written history has taken the lead in the latest round of the Prime Minister’s memento auction. The Ministry of Culture said on 7 October 2026 that 16 mementos from Chhattisgarh form part of the 8th PM Mementos collection, drawing together the State’s tribal heritage, its devotional traditions and its present-day cultural identity.
Dhokra at the centre
The collection is built around Dhokra, the lost-wax metal-casting craft whose history in India runs more than 4,000 years. Several Dhokra pieces show how far the technique can stretch, among them an Elephant Head Nandi, a Standing Nandi and a Madia-Madin Tribal Couple Bust. The tribal story continues in a ceremonial headgear made with a peacock-feather cluster, cowrie shells, metallic discs and brass bells.
Faith and landmarks
| Edition | 8th PM Mementos |
| Works from Chhattisgarh | 16 |
| Lead craft | Dhokra lost-wax metal casting, over 4,000 years old |
| Auction extended till | 31 October 2026 |
| Proceeds go to | Namami Gange Project |
Beyond tribal craft, the set reaches into the many strands of faith in the State. A Ramnami Samaj chanting stole, covered over with the words “Ram Ram” repeated again and again, stands for a distinctive form of devotion. Other pieces portray religious and cultural landmarks — Hatkeshwar Mahadev, Budeshwar Mahadev, Jai Maa Kudargadi and Madheshwar Mahadev.
The present-day pieces
Chhattisgarh as it is today also appears. There is a woodcut panel on the Mahtari Vandan Yojana, a memento marking the Rajat Jayanti of the Chhattisgarh Vidhan Sabha, and models of institutions in Nava Raipur. Read as a whole, the collection argues for continuity: traditions worked on over many generations keep appearing in new objects, carrying the State’s cultural memory forward.
How the auction works
The auction is live and has been extended until 31 October 2026. What it earns will go to the Namami Gange Project, the Government’s programme for cleaning and conserving the Ganga. Bids are placed online on the official PM Mementos e-Auction portal. The practice of auctioning gifts and mementos received by the Prime Minister has become a regular fixture, and each edition is drawn from a particular theme or region, which is why this round reads as a portrait of one State.
Important Facts
| Edition | 8th PM Mementos |
|---|---|
| Ministry | Ministry of Culture |
| Works from Chhattisgarh | 16 mementos |
| Lead craft | Dhokra, lost-wax metal casting, over 4,000 years old in India |
| Dhokra pieces | Elephant Head Nandi, Standing Nandi, Madia-Madin Tribal Couple Bust |
| Devotional item | Ramnami Samaj chanting stole inscribed with “Ram Ram” |
| Landmarks depicted | Hatkeshwar Mahadev, Budeshwar Mahadev, Jai Maa Kudargadi, Madheshwar Mahadev |
| Contemporary pieces | Mahtari Vandan Yojana woodcut panel, Rajat Jayanti of Chhattisgarh Vidhan Sabha, Nava Raipur institution models |
| Auction extended till | 31 October 2026 |
| Proceeds to | Namami Gange Project |
Exam Point of View
Remember the edition (8th PM Mementos), the count of 16 Chhattisgarh works, Dhokra as the lost-wax metal casting craft more than 4,000 years old, the Ramnami Samaj stole, the Mahtari Vandan Yojana panel, the Rajat Jayanti of the Chhattisgarh Vidhan Sabha, the auction deadline of 31 October 2026 and the Namami Gange Project as beneficiary.
Practice Questions
Which traditional craft of Chhattisgarh, with a history of more than 4,000 years in India, is at the centre of the 8th PM Mementos collection?
- A.Bidri work
- B.Dhokra metal casting
- C.Pattachitra painting
- D.Bidriware inlay
Show answer
Correct answer: B. Dhokra metal casting
Explanation
The correct answer is Dhokra metal casting. It is a lost-wax casting tradition whose history in the country runs back more than four thousand years, and several works in the collection show its range, among them an Elephant Head Nandi, a Standing Nandi and a bust of a Madia-Madin tribal couple. Option A refers to a metal craft associated with another region and was not the craft highlighted here. Option C is a scroll painting tradition of eastern India and does not feature in this description. Option D again names an inlay craft from elsewhere. For the examination, keep the rest of the collection in mind as well: a ceremonial headgear of peacock feathers, cowrie shells, metallic discs and brass bells, a Ramnami Samaj chanting stole inscribed with the words of devotion, depictions of landmarks such as Hatkeshwar Mahadev and Madheshwar Mahadev, and contemporary pieces on the Mahtari Vandan Yojana and the silver jubilee of the State legislature.
Proceeds from the PM Mementos auction will support which project?
- A.Namami Gange Project
- B.Swachh Bharat Mission
- C.Adopt a Heritage Project
- D.Project Tiger
Show answer
Correct answer: A. Namami Gange Project
Explanation
The correct answer is the Namami Gange Project. The auction of the mementos is live, has been extended to the end of October, and whatever it earns goes to that project, with bids placed online through the official memento e-auction portal. Option B names a sanitation mission that was not identified as the beneficiary. Option C is a heritage adoption scheme and is not the destination of these funds. Option D relates to wildlife conservation and is likewise not the named recipient. Alongside this, remember the scale and shape of the collection: sixteen works from a single State, built around a metal-casting tradition more than four thousand years old, with devotional, tribal and contemporary strands. The practice of auctioning gifts and mementos received by the Prime Minister recurs edition after edition, and each round is themed, which is why this one reads as a portrait of Chhattisgarh.
Which of the following contemporary subjects features in the Chhattisgarh collection of the 8th PM Mementos?
- A.A woodcut panel on the Mahtari Vandan Yojana
- B.A model of the new Parliament building
- C.A panel on the Jal Jeevan Mission
- D.A replica of the Statue of Unity
Show answer
Correct answer: A. A woodcut panel on the Mahtari Vandan Yojana
Explanation
The correct answer is a woodcut panel on the Mahtari Vandan Yojana. The collection places this piece alongside a memento marking the silver jubilee, or Rajat Jayanti, of the State legislative assembly and models representing institutions in the new capital area, so that the State’s present sits next to its older traditions. Option B is wrong because no model of the national legislature was listed among these works. Option C is wrong as well, since no panel on that water scheme was named. Option D is wrong because no replica of that monument appears in the description. The wider point the collection makes is one of continuity, with traditions shaped over generations still finding form in new objects. Note also the sixteen works in all, the lost-wax Dhokra craft older than four thousand years, the extension of bidding to the end of October and the use of the proceeds for cleaning the Ganga.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which craft leads the Chhattisgarh collection in the 8th PM Mementos?
Dhokra, the traditional lost-wax metal-casting craft with a history of more than 4,000 years in India, is at the heart of the collection. Its pieces include an Elephant Head Nandi, a Standing Nandi and a Madia-Madin Tribal Couple Bust.
Where do the proceeds of the PM Mementos auction go?
Proceeds from the auction support the Namami Gange Project. The auction is live and has been extended until 31 October 2026, with bids placed online through the official PM Mementos e-auction portal.
Which contemporary themes appear in the Chhattisgarh collection?
A woodcut panel depicting the Mahtari Vandan Yojana, a memento marking the Rajat Jayanti of the Chhattisgarh Vidhan Sabha, and models representing institutions in Nava Raipur reflect the State’s present alongside its older traditions.
Sources
- https://www.pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=2320249 (opens in a new tab) — Press Information Bureau
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