The Ministry of Culture has included Assam’s traditional arts and crafts in the eighth edition of the PM Mementos e-Auction 2026. The auction features objects that reflect Assam’s living cultural heritage, ranging from handlooms to metalwork, bamboo crafts and historical memorabilia tied to important figures and events in the State’s past.
Collectors, institutions and culture enthusiasts across India can bid for these mementos through an online portal. An accompanying exhibition at the National Gallery of Modern Art in New Delhi allows people to view these items before the auction.
What is being offered
The Assam collection forms part of 1,498 mementos presented to the Prime Minister on various occasions that are now being auctioned. Specific items from Assam include:
- Traditional Assamese handlooms such as Gamusas with red and gold motifs, and the iconic Japi with red and blue patterns
- Bamboo and cane crafts, including a handcrafted wall clock made from natural materials
- Brassware items such as handcrafted Xorais, traditional symbols of hospitality in Assamese culture
- Artworks rendered in traditional Ahom Kham style on Muga silk, depicting historical figures like Sati Sadhani, a 16th-century Queen of the Chutia Kingdom
- Sustainable craft products made from water hyacinth, including slippers, baskets and hats
- A wooden miniature replica of the Kamakhya Temple
The collection also includes mementos connected to historical personalities such as Bharat Ratna awardee Lokpriya Gopinath Bordoloi, Swargadeo Chaolung Sukapha and Mahapurush Srimanta Sankardeva, as well as commemorative pieces linked to the 1894 Patharughat Battle and important cultural institutions in Assam.
What this means for you
If you are a collector, museum curator, corporate or simply interested in Assamese heritage, you can participate in the online auction through the official portal pmmementos.gov.in. The auction provides a way to acquire authenticated cultural items and support artisans whose traditions these pieces represent.
The funds raised through the auction will be donated to the Namami Gange Programme, a national initiative for the conservation of the River Ganga. Before bidding, you can view the mementos at an exhibition held at the National Gallery of Modern Art in New Delhi to understand their artistic and cultural value.