Prime Minister Narendra Modi presented Swiss President Guy Parmelin with a selection of India’s finest cheeses and a walnut wood wall panel as part of Parmelin’s first State Visit to India, which began on Monday. The gifts were intended to showcase the country’s culinary and artistic traditions.
The cheese assortment includes three varieties that highlight India’s growing cheese‑making industry. Gulmarg, a French‑style Brie made from pasteurised cow’s milk, features a snowy‑white rind and earthy, mushroom‑like notes. Konark, a Tomme‑style cheese, offers a rustic texture with earthy, savoury flavours and a lemony finish; it earned Gold at the 2023 World Cheese Awards in Norway and Silver in Switzerland in 2025. Yeoor, a mountain‑style cheese inspired by Swiss Gruyère, is aged eight to nine months to develop nutty, sweet, and herbaceous tones, and its rose‑petal and fennel‑decorated rind gives it an Indian‑Alpine character.
The wall panel, crafted from premium Himalayan walnut wood, showcases Kashmir’s centuries‑old woodcarving heritage. Hand‑carved in deep relief, it depicts traditional landscapes, flora, human figures, horses, carriages, and village life, reflecting the region’s artistic traditions shaped by indigenous and Central Asian influences.
Modi also gifted a Kutchi Shawl and a Sadeli Box to President Parmelin’s wife, highlighting Gujarat’s weaving heritage. The Sadeli Box from Surat features intricate geometric patterns created by layering contrasting materials, while the Kutchi Shawl is a vibrant hand‑woven textile distinguished by geometric motifs and supplementary‑weft weaving.
President Parmelin arrived in India on a three‑day State Visit at the invitation of PM Modi. This visit marks Parmelin’s first State Visit to India and his second trip to the country this year, following his participation in the AI Impact Summit in February 2026.
IANS
