India’s banknotes do more than simply facilitate transactions — they are a canvas that reflects the nation’s journey, heritage, and values. Across the globe, currencies often celebrate influential figures, with George Washington gracing US dollars, Mohammad Ali Jinnah on Pakistan’s notes, and Mao Zedong in China. In India, Mahatma Gandhi’s face has become synonymous with its currency. Yet, few know that this wasn’t always the case.
Gandhi’s image was not the first choice for India’s newly minted currency post-independence. In fact, it was only after years of deliberation and debate that Mahatma Gandhi finally found his place on the country’s currency notes.
Read on to know how Gandhi went from a rejected option to the enduring symbol on Indian notes.
Read on to know how Gandhi went from a rejected option to the enduring symbol on Indian notes.
Journey of Gandhi’s image on currency notes
After India gained independence; it seemed natural that Gandhi, the Father of the Nation, would be chosen for currency notes. Surprisingly, he wasn’t the first choice. According to the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), the process of selecting visuals for the new notes was a smooth one, but Gandhi’s portrait was initially passed over.
In the immediate post-independence years, India continued to use notes featuring the British monarch. As the nation transitioned, symbols of independent India needed to be chosen. The RBI notes that there were designs featuring Gandhi prepared to replace the King’s portrait. However, the final consensus favoured the Lion Capital of Ashoka from Sarnath, which became the symbol of sovereign India on its currency.
For years after independence, India’s banknotes highlighted the country’s rich heritage and progress. The notes from the 1950s and 60s featured images of tigers, deer, the Hirakud Dam, the Aryabhatta satellite, and the Brihadeeswara Temple — symbols of India’s cultural heritage and its growing focus on industrial and technological development.
It was not until 1969, during the centenary celebrations of Gandhi’s birth, that his image first appeared on a currency note. This initial design depicted Gandhi seated, with his Sevagram Ashram in the background.
In 1987, the Rs 500 note was reintroduced by the Rajiv Gandhi government, featuring Gandhi’s portrait for the first time. By the mid-1990s, the Mahatma Gandhi Series was launched by the RBI, making Gandhi’s image a permanent feature on all denominations of Indian currency.
Calls for other figures on currency notes
In recent years, there have been suggestions from various quarters to feature other prominent Indian figures on currency notes. Leaders like Subhas Chandra Bose and Sardar Patel have been proposed as alternatives. Even deities such as Lakshmi and Ganesha were suggested as symbols of prosperity.
In 2016, when asked if the government would consider changing or adding images of other leaders on currency notes, then Minister of State for Finance Arjun Ram Meghwal stated that a committee formed under the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government had already decided there was no need to replace Gandhi’s image. The then Finance Minister Arun Jaitley added that decisions regarding currency design and circulation were taken by the government in consultation with the RBI.
There have also been demands to feature BR Ambedkar on currency notes. To commemorate his 125th birth anniversary, the government issued a Rs 125 commemorative coin and a Rs 10 circulation coin in 2015. The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) even proposed featuring Lakshmi and Ganesha on notes, which sparked a heated debate in 2022.
Gandhi’s inescapable influence
Two years ago, Mahatma Gandhi’s great-grandson, Tushar Gandhi, voiced his displeasure when Gandhi’s image was not included in the design of India’s digital rupee. In a tweet, he criticised the RBI and the government for overlooking the iconic leader.
Despite occasional debates about changing the image on currency notes, Gandhi’s presence remains a constant reminder of India’s values. As Martin Luther King Jr once said, “Gandhi was inevitable… Gandhi is inescapable.” His influence is evident not just in Indian currency, but in the ideals of peace, non-violence, and justice that continue to shape the nation today.
