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PM Mementos e-Auction 2026 Puts Rajasthan Heritage on Show

The 8th PM Mementos e-Auction 2026, live until 2 October, carries 37 artefacts drawn from Rajasthan's folk deities, paintings, textiles and heritage sites.

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PM Mementos e-Auction 2026 Puts Rajasthan Heritage on Show

Why in News

The Ministry of Culture has highlighted a collection of 37 Rajasthan artefacts in the 8th PM Mementos e-Auction 2026, which is open until 2 October 2026 and covers the state's folk deities, paintings, textiles, heritage sites and sporting memorabilia.

The 8th edition of the PM Mementos e-Auction 2026, run by the Ministry of Culture, has put on display a collection of 37 artefacts that together sketch the art, faith, royal history and sporting record of Rajasthan. The auction stays open until 2 October 2026, and the full catalogue is on the portal pmmementos.gov.in.

Woodwork and royal themes

Among the pieces that stand out is a handcrafted Ambabari elephant with a howdah, carved in wood and covered in traditional patterns. A second wooden set shows an elephant procession with a royal howdah and the attendants who walk with it, recalling the ceremonial life of the state's courts.

Folk deities and devotional painting

  • A silver memento of Veer Tejaji Maharaj on horseback, and a silver-plated statue of the same folk deity carrying his spear with the snake motif.
  • Pichwai paintings of Shrinathji from Nathdwara, a Phad painting of Lakshmi and Narayan, and a Pattachitra-style work on Krishna Raas Leela.
  • Depictions of Kaila Mata of Karauli, Sundha Mata, Khema Baba of Baytu, Shri Kalyan Raiji Maharaj and the Brahma Temple at Pushkar.
  • A painting of Mangarh Dham in Banswara.

Faith across communities and textiles

The Ajmer Sharif Dargah appears twice, once as a hand-painted work and once as a framed picture; the catalogue notes how the painting captures the shrine's architecture and its long practice of welcoming people of every faith. Textile traditions come in through a decorated turban with a stone and feather brooch, a yellow pagdi worked in many colours, and several angavastras with gota borders.

Contemporary and sporting pieces

Edition8th PM Mementos e-Auction
Focus of this collectionRajasthan
Artefacts in the collection37
Open until2 October 2026
Portalpmmementos.gov.in

Alongside the older craft pieces sit memorabilia of recent years, among them framed newspaper editions on the Pran Pratishtha at the Ayodhya Ram Mandir, together with mementos marking sporting achievement. Taken as a whole, the mementos move from folk worship and devotional storytelling through painting, weaving, architecture and royal ceremony to the present day, which is what the Ministry of Culture means when it calls the set a portrait of the state's cultural identity. Buyers can look up the dates, the rules for taking part and every item in the catalogue on the official portal.

Important Facts

Event8th PM Mementos e-Auction 2026
MinistryMinistry of Culture
State in focusRajasthan
Artefacts in the collection37
Open until2 October 2026
Portalpmmementos.gov.in
Folk deity featuredVeer Tejaji Maharaj, on horseback with spear and snake motif
Painting stylesPichwai from Nathdwara, Phad, Pattachitra-style
Heritage sites shownAjmer Sharif Dargah, Brahma Temple at Pushkar, Mangarh Dham in Banswara

Exam Point of View

Remember the edition (8th), the year (2026), the last date (2 October 2026), the portal (pmmementos.gov.in), the ministry (Culture), the state in focus (Rajasthan) and the number of artefacts (37). Link the art forms to their places: Pichwai to Nathdwara, Phad painting to Rajasthan, the Brahma Temple to Pushkar, Kaila Mata to Karauli and Mangarh Dham to Banswara.

Practice Questions

Q1.NationalEasy

The collection highlighted in the PM Mementos e-Auction 2026 represents the art and heritage of which state?

  1. A.Gujarat
  2. B.Rajasthan
  3. C.Madhya Pradesh
  4. D.Odisha
Show answer

Correct answer: B. Rajasthan

Explanation

The correct answer is Rajasthan. The Ministry of Culture drew attention to a group of mementos in this year's auction that stand for the state's folk deities, devotional painting, textile craft, architectural heritage and sporting achievement, from the Ambabari elephant with its howdah to the silver figures of Veer Tejaji Maharaj. Gujarat is wrong because none of the pieces in this set is drawn from it. Madhya Pradesh is wrong as well: the temples and shrines named in the catalogue, such as the Brahma Temple at Pushkar and the Ajmer Sharif Dargah, all lie in Rajasthan. Odisha is a tempting choice because one artwork is done in the Pattachitra style, which is associated with that state, but the subject is Krishna Raas Leela within a Rajasthan collection, so the style alone does not change the answer.

Q2.NationalMedium

How many artefacts make up the Rajasthan collection in the PM Mementos e-Auction 2026?

  1. A.27 artefacts
  2. B.31 artefacts
  3. C.37 artefacts
  4. D.47 artefacts
Show answer

Correct answer: C. 37 artefacts

Explanation

The correct answer is 37 artefacts. That is the size of the Rajasthan set described by the Ministry of Culture, and the pieces are spread across woodwork, silver mementos of folk deities, devotional painting, textiles, framed views of heritage shrines and memorabilia of recent events and sporting achievement. The other three counts do not match the catalogue at all. Aspirants should hold the number together with the rest of the detail that goes with it: this is the eighth edition of the PM Mementos e-Auction, it stays open until the second day of October this year, and the full list of items along with the rules for taking part is placed on the official portal, pmmementos.gov.in, which the ministry named in its announcement.

Q3.NationalMedium

The Pichwai paintings of Shrinathji in the auction collection come from which town?

  1. A.Nathdwara
  2. B.Pushkar
  3. C.Karauli
  4. D.Banswara
Show answer

Correct answer: A. Nathdwara

Explanation

The correct answer is Nathdwara, the town linked with Pichwai painting, a form in which cloth hangings are made for the shrine of Shrinathji. The catalogue places these works beside a Phad painting of Lakshmi and Narayan and a Pattachitra-style picture of Krishna Raas Leela, all three being ways of telling a devotional story through art. Pushkar is wrong because it comes into the collection through the Brahma Temple, shown as part of the state's architectural heritage. Karauli is wrong because it appears with Kaila Mata, one of the revered deities represented in the set. Banswara is wrong because it is named for the painting of Mangarh Dham. Matching each art form or shrine to its town is the safest way to answer such questions.

Q4.NationalHard

Which edition of the PM Mementos e-Auction is running in 2026, and until when is it open?

  1. A.6th edition, until 30 September
  2. B.7th edition, until 5 October
  3. C.8th edition, until 2 October
  4. D.9th edition, until 10 October
Show answer

Correct answer: C. 8th edition, until 2 October

Explanation

The correct answer is the 8th edition, open until 2 October. The Ministry of Culture said this year's auction is the eighth in the series and that bidding stays live until the second day of October, with the dates, the way to take part and the whole catalogue placed on the portal pmmementos.gov.in. The other options change either the edition number or the closing date, and each is wrong for that reason alone. A safe way to remember the facts is to tie the edition to the state chosen for this catalogue, Rajasthan, and to the size of that set, which runs to a few dozen artefacts covering folk deities, painting, textiles, shrines and sporting memorabilia. Questions on this scheme usually ask for the edition, the ministry or the portal.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which edition of the PM Mementos e-Auction is being held in 2026?

The 8th edition. It is live until 2 October 2026 and the catalogue can be seen on the portal pmmementos.gov.in.

How many Rajasthan artefacts are in the collection highlighted by the Ministry of Culture?

37 artefacts, covering the state's folk deities, traditional paintings, textiles, architectural heritage and sporting achievements.

Which town is associated with the Pichwai paintings of Shrinathji in the collection?

Nathdwara in Rajasthan. The set also has a Phad painting of Lakshmi and Narayan and a Pattachitra-style work on Krishna Raas Leela.

Sources