Welcome, Ivanka! Telangana CM presents ethnic Gollabhama saree, Karimnagar silver filigree souvenirs to the ‘First Daughter’

The Telangana government went all out to accord a royal welcome to Ivanka Trump, who landed in Hyderabad in the wee hours of Tuesday. A retinue of officials from the State, Centre and the US Consulate received Ivanka as she walked out of the VIP arrival lounge of Shamshabad Airport at 3 am. “It was well past midnight and I was on the verge of collapsing by the time she landed.But Ivanka looked radiant and was full of energy.
Exuding enthusiasm, she expressed her excitement about her maiden Indian trip to take part in the Global Entrepreneurs Summit,” said Jayesh Ranjan, state Principal Secretary, Information Technology Industry and Commerce, who received Ivanka Trump, along with others.
A red carpet welcome
The welcome party included India’s Ambassador to the US Navtej Sarna, spokesperson of Minister of External Affairs Raveesh Kumar, US Ambassador to India Kenneth Juster, US Consul General in Hyderabad, Katherine Hadda and senior cops Anjani Kumar and Shikha Goyal. The airport was tightly secured with over 200 police personnel deployed for security.
Later in the afternoon, Ivanka Trump was welcomed with a rousing applause as she took to the stage to make the keynote address at the 8th GES that kicked off in Hyderabad amid much fanfare. Over 1500 business leaders from all over the world listened in rapt attention as Ivanka stressed on the need to bridge the gender gap in the world of business. She was accompanied by PM Modi, KCR and External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj on stage.
Ethnic Telangana souvenirs for Ivanka
“Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao presented Ivanka with traditional Gollabhama saree and specially ordered silver filigree souvenirs made by artisans of Silver Filigree of Karimnagar (SIFKA),” said Jayesh Ranjan. The Telangana government commissioned filigree articles worth `40 lakh two months ago informs Erroju Ashok, President of SIFKA. “Filigree has a 400-year-old history in Telangana and it was an honour to present our artwork to Ivanka. Around 120 families of artisans worked tirelessly to create the
mementos. We made silver replicas of Charminar and a swan weighing 2.5 kg and 1.5 kg respectively, costing `2-3 lakh each for Ivanka,” said Ashok adding, “For PM Modi, a special three-kg Kakatiya Thoranam (Kakatiya Dynasty Arch) and a traditional veena were made. Besides, over 40 other articles were crafted to be presented to other delegates.”
A royal banquet for the First Daughter of the US
Post her session at GES, a grand banquet awaited Ivanka Trump at Hyderabad's palace hotel, Falaknuma. “All our guests are driven to the Palace from the main gates in a horse-drawn carriage. We have made similar arrangements for Ivanka Trump and other dignitaries accompanying her. However, should she wish to drive down, that option is made available as well,” said a source.
The famous 101-seater dining table, touted to be the longest in the world, is where the banquet was hosted. The guest list included Chief Minister KCR, PM Modi, members of the US delegation, and a selected group of business honchos and politicians from the state and centre.
“On the menu was a grand multi-course meal, crafted around Hyderabad’s legendary Nizami cuisine. Signature Hyderabadi dishes were the main attractions in the carefully-curated menu that also featured continental delights," added the source.