Coming soon, the Rs 100 ‘vav’ currency!

AHMEDABAD: As the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) on Thursday unveiled the new design of Rs 100 currency note, it was a moment of pride for Gujarat. The Unesco World Heritage Site of ‘Rani ki Vav’ at Patan will be featured on the currency note.
As per an RBI communiqué, the new Rs 100 denomination in the ‘Mahatma Gandhi (New) series’ will be issued shortly. “The new denomination has the motif of Rani ki Vav on the reverse, depicting the country’s cultural heritage.The base colour of the note is lavender,” it said.

Praful Thakkar, former IAS officer and city-based numismatist, said the currency note would be the first after Independence to feature a monument from Gujarat. “It is a matter of pride for us as statistics show Rs 100 notes are the most circulated currency. I am glad the heritage of Gujarat would now be known across the country,” he said.
The stepwell, built between 1063 and 1068 AD, bears testimony of Queen Udayamati’s love for her husband Bhimdev I, a Solanki-era king of Gujarat. The stepwell, having dimension of 64 metres length, 20 metres width and 27 metres height, is considered to be an ode to the entire Hindu pantheon as the exquisite galleries depict different forms of Lord Vishnu, Lord Shiva, Dashavatara and almost all the known gods and goddesses showcasing the pinnacle of Gujarat’s craftsmanship.
‘ Rani ki Vav’ 2nd site from state to get WHS tag
After Champaner-Pavagadh Archaeology Park, it was the second site of Gujarat to get World Heritage Site tag by Unesco. The stepwell had entered the tentative list of WHS in 1998 but it was only after the submission of dossier in 2012 that the site was put on agenda at 38th session of World Heritage Committee in Doha in 2014 where it was bestowed the status. Today, the site is one of the most visited monuments, and are protected by the ASI.