A $100 note that features the Independence Hall of Philadelphia, a five-pound note from the United Kingdom with a part of Westminster’s Abbey, and currency notes from Brazil and Argentina, both featuring the Iguazo National Park that lies on the border between the two countries.
These are among the many banknotes of G-20 member countries which would be showcased in a unique exhibition focusing on the UNESCO world heritage sites from their respective countries featured on them.
The exhibition “Banking on World Heritage” would feature five Indian currency notes – the ₹20, which carries the image of the Sun Temple at Konark, the ₹10, with Ellora caves, the ₹500, with Red Fort and two separate notes of ₹100, with Kanchanjunga mountains and Gujarat’s “Rani Ki Vav” stepwell.
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Two out of the five Indian currencies—the ₹100 note carrying the image of Kanchanjunga mountains and the ₹20 have been printed before the 2016 demonetisation exercise while the rest are post-2016.
The exhibition would be held at the Indira Gandhi National Centre for Arts from June 30 to July 9. The IGNCA is an autonomous body under the Culture Ministry. Each currency note would be exhibited on a four-feet canvas panel.
UNESCO has 1,150 world heritage sites and 25 per cent of these are featured on currency notes across the globe.
The G-20 comprises 19 countries -- Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Republic of Korea, Mexico, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Turkey, the United Kingdom and the United States – and the European Union.
The G-20 members represent around 85 per cent of the global GDP, over 75 per cent of the global trade, and about two-thirds of the world population.
Each of the G-20 countries have UNESCO world heritage sites from their countries on their currency notes.
“When we look at money, we only think of value in terms of its denominations, but each currency note also carries a bit of the cultural heritage of the country,” exhibition curator and independent researcher Rukmini Dahanukar told The Hindu.
The event would be inaugurated by Minister of State for External Affairs and Culture Meenakshi Lekhi and is expected to be attended by Ambassadors of various G-20 member nation.
To complement the exhibition, the Indira Gandhi National Centre for Arts is also organizing a panel discussion. The speakers include Sudhakar Kaza, former Managing Director of Bhartiya Reserve Bank Note Mudran Ltd, Prof Poonam Mahajan of NCAER, and Ashish Chandra Country Director, De La Rue India Private Limited.
