has presented the Russian edition of the Thirukkural, a famous ancient Tamil book written by poet-philosopher Thiruvalluvar, to President Vladimir Putin. The literary gift came as Modi met the Russian President in New Delhi for bilateral talks on the sidelines of the 18th BRICS Summit.
A picture shared by news agency ANI shows the moment when Modi gifted one of the most revered works of Tamil literature to the Russian President.
The Thirukkural, also known as Tirukkural, is a classical Tamil text attributed to the revered poet-saint Thiruvalluvar. It consists of 1,330 two-line couplets that offer guidance on ethical and righteous living, without being linked to any particular god, caste or creed.
The teachings in the text focus on three main themes: aram (virtue), porul (wealth and statecraft), and inbam (love). It is derived from the words Thiru (sacred/blessed) and Kural (a short two-line poetic form).
The Thirukkural is highly respected among Tamils and is often referred to as the “Tamil Veda”. Scholars also regard it as an important work of aphoristic literature.
Putin arrived in the national capital earlier in the day to attend the , scheduled for September 12 and 13. On arrival, the Russian President was welcomed by Union Minister of State for External Affairs Kirti Vardhan Singh.
Putin later held a bilateral meeting with Prime Minister Modi, which lasted for around 50 minutes. Putin was accompanied by a high-level delegation. It is his first in-person participation at a BRICS Summit outside Russia since the war in Ukraine began in February 2022.
The Ministry of External Affairs highlighted the “multifaceted and longstanding” bilateral ties between India and Russia.
In a post on X, MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said, “Warmly welcome President Vladimir Putin of Russia for the 18th BRICS Summit. He was received by MoS @KVSinghMPGonda at the airport. India and Russia share multifaceted and longstanding ties anchored in a Special and Privileged Strategic Partnership.”
India is hosting the BRICS Summit 2026 on September 12 and 13. The event will be held at Bharat Mandapam in Delhi. It comes at a crucial time when the world is grappling with the war in Iran and Ukraine.
The two-day BRICS summit hosted by India is expected to focus on boosting collective resilience in food, energy, health, disaster reduction and critical supply chains, with New Delhi positioning the bloc as an effective anchor to navigate a fragmented geopolitical environment.
(With inputs from agencies)
