PM Modi released Rs 125 commemorative coin to honour ISKCON founder

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will release a special commemorative coin on the occasion of the 125th birth anniversary of Srila Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada at 4.30 pm on Wednesday. The prime minister tweeted:

Who is Swami Prabhupada

Swami Prabhupada founded the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) commonly known as the “Hare Krishna movement”. Srila Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada was born Abhay Charan De on 1 September, 1896, to a pious Hindu family in Calcutta. While growing up, he was part of Mahatma Gandhi’s civil disobedience movement. However, later a meeting with a prominent scholar and religious leader, Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati, in 1922 changed him. Influenced by him, Abhay took the spiritual path and went on to introduce the English-speaking world to the teachings of Lord Krishna. He became a disciple of Srila Bhaktisiddhanta in 1933 and resolved to carry out his mentor’s request and thus ISKCON was born.

Commemorative coins

Commemorative coins are issued to mark and honour particular personalities and events. They have a distinctive design with reference to the occasion for which they were issued. Many coins of this category serve as collector’s items only, although some countries also issue commemorative coins for regular circulation. Vast numbers of thematic coins are continuously issued, highlighting ancient monuments or sites, historical personalities, fauna and flora, the culture and traditions of a country and much more.

A history of commemorative coins in India

The first commemorative coin series was issued back in 1964 in the honour of India’s first prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru. It was the same year when Nehru passed away.