TANJAVUR: As the country celebrates the millennium of the Chola-built Brihadeeswara Temple here, Rs 1,000 denomination bank notes featuring the Temple that came into circulation in 1954 are gaining currency among numismatics. The panoramic shot of the Brihadeeswara Temple, also known as the Big Temple, had first appeared on the Rs 1,000 notes on April 1, 1954.
The currency lost legal tender in 1975 when the then government of the day headed by Late Indira Gandhi demonetised all the Rs 1,000 notes to unearth black money. The temple, dedicated to Lord Shiva, was built in 1010 A.D. by Tamil King Raja Raja Chola, and cultural events got underway today in the city of Thanjavur to mark the millennium milestone.
While notes of other denominations with different forms of currency art are available off the web for as low as Rs 300 and up to Rs 2,000, the Rs 1,000 notes are being traded among numismatics by invitation. "A Kolkata based numismatic has brought out a bank note catalogue with valuations.
and the Rs 1,000 denomination note is quoting upwards of Rs 20,000 each," a city-based paper money collector said, on the condition of anonymity. The Reserve Bank of India had brought out five series of the Rs 1,000 notes, carrying the signature of its fourth governor Sir Benegal Rama Rau.
The notes were printed from Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai and Kanpur. While notes printed in Mumbai, denoted by the letter A, command a value 20 times more than the face value, those printed in the other four cities could fetch up to Rs 30,000, he said.
Also, gaining popularity among philatelists are postage stamps of Rs 2 denomination issued on January 5, 1995. The stamps feature the statue of Raja Raja Chola, the Chola king who commissioned the work on Brihadeeswara Temple.