The first banknotes to feature a picture of ‘Bapu’ was not released till 1969 on the occasion of Gandhi’s birth centenary. An image depicting Mahatma Gandhi seated with his Sevagram Ashram in the background, was the first to appear on Indian currency
Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi whom the entire world knows as Mahatma Gandhi, the father of our nation or ‘Bapu’ as he is fondly called by many, always comes to mind whenever we hold a currency note in our hands. Today, it is unimaginable that someone other than Gandhi could have ever been considered as the face which would become the hallmark of the Indian currency.
However, that was not always the case. In a remarkable story, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), which prints the country’s banknotes, reveals how Mahatma Gandhi came to adorn the Indian currency, and how he (surprisingly), was not the first choice for the honor.
How Mahatma Gandhi became the face of Indian currency?
Being the Father of the Nation, Mahatma Gandhi seems to be obvious choice for appearing on currency notes after India’s independence, but as RBI reveals, he was not the first choice. Here’s the story about how Mahatma Gandhi became the face of Indian currency and the other candidates who were considered along with or even ahead of him.
On its website, RBI notes how the transition of managing currency from colonial to independent India was a reasonably smooth affair and during the period from August 14, 1947 till 26th January, 1950 when India became a Republic, the Reserve Bank continued to issue extant notes.
“Midnight, August 14, 1947 heralded Indian independence from colonial rule. The Republic, however, was established on 26th January, 1950. During the interregnum, the Reserve Bank continued to issue the extant notes, The Government of India brought out the new design Re. 1 note in 1949. Symbols for independent India had to be chosen. At the outset, it was felt that the King’s portrait be replaced by a portrait of Mahatma Gandhi. Designs were prepared to that effect,” the RBI reveals.
“In the final analysis, the consensus moved to the choice of the Lion Capital at Sarnath in lieu of the Gandhi Portrait. The new
design of notes were largely along earlier lines.”
Who featured on currency notes before Mahatma Gandhi?
While many people have the wrong premise that Mahatma Gandhi’s picture always featured on Indian banknotes post independence, this is not the case. The first banknotes to feature a picture of ‘Bapu’ was not released till 1969 on the occasion of Gandhi’s birth centenary. An image depicting Gandhi seated with his Sevagram Ashram in the background, was the first to appear on Indian currency.
Prior to that, India’s currency notes depicted the country’s rich heritage and progress, showcasing images of the Hirakud Dam, the Aryabhatta satellite, Brihadeeswara Temple, and even the rich fauna found in India like the Bengal Tiger and the Deer.
The era of Mahatma Gandhi banknotes begins
Notably, akin to the demonetisation by Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s BJP government in 2016, BJP’s predecessor, the Janata Party, had also demonetised the Rs 500 notes during its rule in late 1970s. However, the move was reversed in 1987 by then Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi, who brought back the Rs 500 denomination back into circulation, which featured a portrait of Mahatma Gandhi.
As RBI’s history reveals, the apex bank launched the Mahatma Gandhi Series of banknotes in 1996 which featured advanced security features such as watermarks and security threads to tackle the menace of counterfeit currency. This was a turning point in the history India’s currency as Mahatma Gandhi became the face which featured on all currency notes issued by the Reserve Bank.
Who were the other candidates for currency notes?
Over the years, there have been demands from various quarters to replace Mahatma Gandhi’s picture on India’s currency with different groups proposing names of prominent figures like Jawaharlal Nehru, Subhash Chandra Bose, Sardar Patel, and others. There have even been calls from political parties to use the depictions of Hindu deities like Goddess Lakshmi and Lord Ganesha on banknotes.
However, Mahatma Gandhi remains and will remain the face of Indian currency for the foreseeable future, as recent events have taught us.