Registered with the Registrar of Newspapers for India under R.N.I 53640/91
Vol. XXX No. No. 16, December 16-31, 2020
Pavithra’s Perspective
The Note
I must have been eight or nine when I drew my first bank note.
Peering through the haze of memory I’m able to discern that it was a ten rupee note, borrowed from my mother (she had no idea why I asked for it, though, as I never shopped without her permission). Hours later, with the help of my trusty school kit of water-colours, I finished an exact replica of the note, cut it out, and returned both original and duplicate to my parents, who barely even glanced at the notes at first and put them aside, asking what business I had with money … upon which I had to convince them to look at them again. They did and were promptly and gratifyingly appreciative, my father going so far as to show it proudly to his colleagues. They couldn’t even distinguish between the real note and the fake one, they swore up and down (a piece of exaggeration I was happy to let slide by).
They did draw a line, however, when I wanted to display my work in school. My understanding of law was practically non-existent at that time, so the whole “replica” explanation flew over my head. So there it ended – but my love affair with trying to draw notes never quite did. Which is why I shifted from current currency, to those centuries past. This specimen, a Rs. 100 note, is a particular favourite as it not only belongs the period of one of my idols, Sir Thomas Munro, but also features his silhouette on top.
Description: 3.5” by 5” approximately
Medium: Black and White Micron Pens:
0.20mm and 0.35mm.
