These days, it’s difficult to imagine Indian money without his picture. However, did you know that after our independence, someone other than Mahatma Gandhi was considered for our banknotes?
We identify Gandhi’s image with our money, much as the US dollar features George Washington or the Pakistani rupee features Muhammad Ali Jinnah. But it wasn’t the original goal for his photo. Symbols and pictures on a country’s currency frequently serve as visual narratives about its past and present.Many nations honor their national leaders with images on their currency. India is one of such nations that has honored Mahatma Gandhi. Surprisingly, however, Mahatma Gandhi’s image wasn’t the initial option for the currency notes after India got independence in 1947. To know the complete story, read out this article completely;
Gandhi jayanti special: Gandhi ji was not the 1st option in backnote of the Indian currency
The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) was tasked with designing India’s new currency upon independence. Many initially assumed that Mahatma Gandhi would be included on the notes since he was the Father of the Nation. But things didn’t work out that way. “The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) describes the selection process for the images on banknotes. According to the RBI website, “the changeover of currency management from colonial to independent India was a reasonably smooth affair.”August 14, 1947, at midnight marked the beginning of Indian independence from colonial rule. That being said, the Republic was founded on January 26, 1950. The Reserve Bank kept issuing the current notes throughout the interim.In 1949, the Indian government released the new Re. 1 note design. Selecting symbols for an independent India was necessary.There was initially a feeling that Mahatma Gandhi’s image should take the place of the King’s. Plans were created in that regard.
Gandhi jayanti special: story behind Gandhi’s face on the Indian currency
Ultimately, the Gandhi Portrait was replaced by the Lion Capital at Sarnath, as the general consensus was reached. It said, “The new note designs were mainly in keeping with previous trends.It was not until 1987 that Indian banknotes began to regularly carry the portrait of Mahatma Gandhi.
When the government, under the leadership of Rajiv Gandhi, unveiled this new high-value note, his face was featured on the Rs 500 note.This occurred nine years following the Janata Party government’s 1978 demonetisation. The RBI debuted the Mahatma Gandhi Series of notes in 1996, in the middle of the 1990s. Better security features including security threads and watermarks were included with these notes, and Gandhi’s picture was permanently incorporated into every denomination.
