Varanasi, Aug. 3 -- : Chief minister Yogi Adityanath presented Prime Minister Narendra Modi with a handcrafted Shivling set that incorporates a blend of three Geographical Indication (GI) certified crafts of Kashi - metal repousse, gulab meenakari, and metal casting - during his visit to Varanasi on Saturday. The artwork includes a Shivling in an 'argha' (ritual container), a five-hooded snake, Nandi (the bull), 'prasad' offerings, a 'kalash' filled with Ganga water, a trident (trishul), and sandalwood ash (chandan bhasm), said GI expert and Padma Shri awardee Dr Rajni Kant. The creation stands 18 inches tall and 15 inches wide, placed on a meenakari platform. The artwork was crafted over a week by three Kashi-based artisans and metal repousse artists - Anil Kasera and Raghunath Kasera, along with meenakari expert Arun Kumar Verma. "The creation is a testament to the rich craft heritage of Kashi and showcases the strength of India's GI ecosystem," Dr Rajni Kant said. On this occasion, Modi urged artisans and weavers to take India's indigenous crafts global through the mantra of "Swadeshi and Local to Global." He emphasised the legal significance of GI as a symbol of local identity and called for robust measures to protect and promote it....