VARANASI, Nov 3: Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Tuesday unveiled a Rs 250 commemorative coin honouring Carnatic music legend Muthuswamy Dikshithar on his 250th birth anniversary at Banaras Hindu University (BHU).
The programme was organised by the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT-BHU), according to an official statement.
Sitharaman paid tribute to the composer’s enduring influence on Indian classical music and the nation’s cultural heritage. She also engaged with students at IIT-BHU, explaining the fundamentals of classical music and discussing the distinctive characteristics of various musical instruments.
Earlier, the finance minister offered floral tributes at the statue of Pandit Madan Mohan Malaviya, the founder of BHU.
The event featured a musical performance by Dr Sumitra Vasudev, a Carnatic music researcher and exponent from Karnataka.
Muthuswamy Dikshithar, along with Tyagaraja and Syama Sastri, is regarded as one of the three pillars of Carnatic music. His compositions, predominantly written in Sanskrit, combine devotional themes, Indian philosophy and intricate classical musical elements.
The composer is believed to have created between 450 and 500 works, many of which remain an integral part of classical music performances. He spent a significant period in Varanasi, where he composed several pieces dedicated to temples and Hindu deities.
Utkarsh Srivastava of IIT-BHU’s public relations department said the commemorative coin was issued by the Reserve Bank of India.
Such coins are produced in limited quantities, often using precious metals, and are primarily intended for collectors rather than everyday transactions.
The government mint’s website listed the coin at Rs 6,985, with 238 pieces available as of Tuesday evening.