ALAPPUZHA: Arvind Kumar Pai has taken his hobby to a different level. Across the world, while enthusiasts pursue interests such as collecting stamps (philately), coins (numismatics), and paper currency (notaphily), the 40-year-old has combined these passions with a creative twist that sets him apart.
A teacher at Cherthala Government Town School, Arvind has a fascination for one-rupee notes, specifically those whose serial numbers match the birth dates of state MLAs.
Over the years, he has collected one-rupee notes matching the birth details of all 140 current legislators. What began as a simple hobby gradually transformed into a mission that required meticulous effort, networking and persistence.
“I developed a deep interest in stamp collection as a school student,” he said. “This grew into a massive collection over time. Today, I own more than 2.5 lakh stamps from countries around the world. My engagement with philately helped me to build connections with fellow collectors from across India, enabling exchanges and trades that later supported my currency collection,” recounts Arvind, is also a booth level officer (BLO) in Cherthala.
The idea of collecting one-rupee notes took shape in 2015, the year when the Union government resumed printing the denomination after a gap of over 20 years. When the new series was reintroduced, Arvind secured his first note directly from the Reserve Bank of India’s Kerala office. What started as a general collection soon evolved into a more focused pursuit.
The second Pinarayi term inspired him to set out to match note serial numbers with the legislators’ birth dates. Within just five months, Arvind managed to complete the collection, although he had around 100 matching notes beforehand. The remaining ones were sourced through extensive efforts, including visits to cities like Mumbai and Delhi and contacts there.
Today, his collection has grown to over 1 lakh one-rupee notes. A dedicated room — filled wall-to-wall with neatly preserved notes and stamps — at his home serves as a testament to decades of dedication.
Arvind’s achievements have earned recognition in the Limca Book of Records. His philatelic accomplishments have been featured in the India Book of Records and the Asian Book of Records.