Money, by nature: How currency reflects identity, belief and ecology

Currency is often treated as a functional object that is passed from hand to hand Nature through Currency a show and tell workshop by Sarmaya Arts Foundation demonstrates how money can also be read as a quiet archive of place memory and imagination mdash one that reflects how societies understand identity belief and power while reflecting on the basics of natureSilver rupee or lsquoKyatrsquo of Burma during the reign of Mindon Min during Burmese ChulaSakarat Era 1853The workshop which runs alongside Sarmayarsquos ongoing exhibition Odyssey of the Rupee From India to the World invites participants to look closely at the natural motifs that appear on coins and banknotes across centuries Founder of Sarmaya Arts Foundation Paul Abraham explains how animals plants and landscapes served multiple purposes and that they could function as decorative flourishes markers of geography affirmations of faith or even assertions of authority1 dollar banknote of Bahamas 1968 Pics courtesySarmaya Arts FoundationHistorical examples from the Indian Subcontinent reveal how closely nature religion and rulership were intertwined ldquoIn the Kingdoms of Deccan Boar imagery often appeared on coins to signal Vaishnavite allegiance referring to Varaha an avatar of Vishnurdquo emphasised Abraham He also shared peculiar details about currency and motifs across the geography of India for example in South India Shaivite rulers chose Nandi the bull as a symbol of devotion Sikh royalty depicted the Ber leaf the Nawabs of Awadh favoured fish and Jaipurrsquos maharajas used branches or Jhar a tree native to Rajasthan vital for desert survival providing fodder and wood and holding deep cultural and religious significance to express religious identityOne rufiyaa banknote issued by the Republic of Maldives 19481960Even earlier the punchmarked coins of the Janapadas featured animals such as snakes turtles elephants horses and camels defining the ecological and cultural aspects during those daysTripura lion on the silver rupee issued by the Maharaj of Tripura Vira Vikrama Kishore Manikya 1926ldquoThrough these examples we encourage people to see currency as so much more than just a medium of exchange revealing how ideas of ecology identity and nationhood have long been embedded in everyday and regular objectsrdquo explained Abraham adding ldquoContext per say is extremely important in helping us understand symbols If I ask a group to define lsquoIndiannessrsquo with just one image one person may draw the flag another the face of Mahatma Gandhi yet another the Ashok Sthamb and so on and hence this proves that while theyrsquore all conveying the same idea each will associate a different kind of imagery with itrdquo During the course of this workshop conversations naturally emerge about why certain symbols resonate with certain things and what they reveal about personal identity as well as collective identityPaul AbrahamAbraham signs off summarising its relevance ldquoThis show reframes numismatics for audiences as a cultural and artistic lens Indian coins and banknotes chart over 2500 years of political economic and cultural change By learning to read them closely participants are invited not only to connect with the past but also to consider what currency might reveal about the futurerdquoON December 27 11 am to 1230 pmAT Sarmaya Arts Foundation Kala Ghoda FortCOST Rs 500