India Gate, but make it chocolate. Belgium reveals gift that didn't reach PM Modi

The Belgian chocolate replica of India Gate that caught attention online came with a sweet diplomatic story: it was meant as a gift for Prime Minister Narendra Modi but broke on its way to India.The Belgian Embassy has now said Prime Minister Bart De Wever is determined to ensure another version reaches PM Modi “in one piece” next time.Sharing a photograph of the elaborate creation on X, the embassy revealed the story behind the chocolate monument.“The viral India Gate made of chocolate you were wondering about,” it wrote. The embassy said De Wever had hoped to present the Belgian creation to PM Modi during his visit to India, but it did not survive the journey.“Unfortunately, it broke! But the PM is determined that it finds its way to PM Modi and India, next time,” the post said.‘CHOCOLATE NOT EXCELLENT FOR DIPLOMATIC TRAVEL’De Wever first revealed the mishap during a joint press conference with PM Modi in New Delhi.“I had actually planned to present to Prime Minister Modi a fitting gift, a sculpture of India Gate entirely made out of the best Belgian chocolates,” he said.Unlike the real India Gate, which has stood for nearly a century, the chocolate version “didn’t even survive the journey to India," De Wever joked.“Chocolate is excellent for diplomacy, but not excellent for diplomatic travel, we noticed,” he said.The Belgian Prime Minister said a backup replica remained in Belgium and promised to deliver it safely to PM Modi.“One way or another, I will get it to Prime Minister Modi in one piece. That’s an ambition I leave India with today,” he said.#WATCH | Delhi: Prime Minister of Belgium, Bart De Wever, says, "I had actually planned to present to Prime Minister Modi a fitting gift — a sculpture of India Gate entirely made out of the best Belgian chocolates. But unlike the real India Gate, which has stood for almost a pic.twitter.com/tzY0lJK9GW— ANI (@ANI) September 3, 2026WHY BELGIUM CHOSE INDIA GATEDe Wever said India Gate was chosen because it symbolised the shared history of India and Belgium.The chocolate replica highlighted part of the monument’s inscription commemorating Indian soldiers who fought and died in Belgium’s Flanders Fields during the First World War.“More than a century ago, Indian soldiers travelled thousands of miles to fight on Belgian soil, and we have not forgotten this,” De Wever said.He said their courage and sacrifice remained part of the two countries’ shared history and served as a reminder that peace could never be taken for granted.- EndsPublished By: Aprameya RaoPublished On: Sep 5, 2026 22:25 IST