Prime Minister Narendra Modi was presented with a beautiful painting depicting the iconic ghats of Varanasi by acclaimed Italian artist Giampaolo Tomassetti during his visit to Rome.
"A glimpse of Kashi in Rome," PM Modi wrote on social media platform X, while sharing a picture of himself with Tomassetti. The interaction happened during PM Modi's Italy visit, which is the final leg of his five-nation tour.
Tomassetti is an Italian artist who has been interested in Indian culture for more than 40 years. "His passion for Indian culture goes back over four decades," PM Modi wrote.
His journey began in the 1980s, when he started working as an illustrator for books based on Vedic culture. "From 2008 to 2013, he worked on 23 large paintings relating to the Mahabharat," the post read.
Tomassetti shared his excitement after meeting PM Modi and showing him a painting of Varanasi, one of India's holiest cities. The artist said the meeting was "one of the best experiences" of his life. He described PM Modi as warm and friendly.
"The experience was fantastic. It was one of the best experiences of my life. He (PM Modi) was very kind, he shook my hand and asked how long it took me to create this painting," Tomassetti told ANI.
Talking about the painting, the artist said it represents a "bridge" between an Italian artist's perspective and India's colourful culture. "This is the holy town of Varanasi. I love India, and my art is greatly influenced by Indian culture," he said.
PM Modi arrived in Rome on Tuesday night. He was warmly welcomed by Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni at the airport and later hosted a dinner for him. The two leaders then visited the famous Colosseum, one of Italy's most iconic historical monuments.
PM Modi shared pictures from the visit on social media and said he had a good discussion with Meloni on several important issues. "We exchanged perspectives on a wide range of subjects. Looking forward to our talks today, where we will continue the conversation on how to boost the India-Italy friendship," PM Modi said.
Earlier, Meloni also shared a picture with PM Modi on social media and wrote, “Welcome to Rome, my friend!"
Prior to his Rome visit, PM Modi was in Norway to attend the 3rd India-Nordic Summit alongside leaders from Denmark, Norway, Finland, Iceland and Sweden.
The summit focused on enhancing cooperation in areas such as green technology, climate action, trade, innovation and artificial intelligence.
