More butterflies... 

The Evolution of the One Paisa (and extinction)

This is inspired by a recent post by Satish (see blogroll) and another by Ramki (blogroll). Satish gave a link to an interesting post, an epitaph to the one paisa copper coin, and Ramki spoke about being shortchanged in shops in a post about the service sector in India - a problem possibly aggravated by the non availability of small denomination coins.
I have used this opportunity to present the evolution of the one paisa coin.
Starting from the pre-decimal system days of pice and annas when they were ornate and cast in copper to its final form as a drab aluminium coin after rising costs cut it to size before sending it into oblivion.
Maybe the cost of minting of low denomination coins alone should not be used to decide whether to continue with them or not. Isn't there a value when they help to pay the exact cost of a product. Do we not devalue money when we don't bother to pick up the 5 paisa, 10 paisa, 25 paisa or sometimes the Re 1 change. Many countries still do have their versions of the paisa - the cent and penny for example.

The aluminium one paisa. As it looked before it went out of circulation in the late 1960s or early 1970s. A very simple looking coin compared to its more ornate predecessors - see below. The square coin with rounded sides was about the size of a thumb nail. I can remember when we could buy two sweets `muttais' for one paisa. 

The `Ek Paisa' (one paisa). Till 1963 these were called the naya paisa to distinguish the shift to the decimal system of coinage in 1957. The two images are from the same coin - my mistake in scanning them in different sizes. These were a little over a centimetre in size. 

The Naya Paisa. `Naya' meaning new to mark the shift to the decimal system so people will not confuse it with the earlier pice. The coins were a little larger than a shirt button, about the size of a thumbnail. 

A First Day Cover brought out by the Department of Posts to commemorate the introduction of the decimal system in Indian coinage. 

The One Anna. 16 of these made up Re. 1. Tis was in the days before the decimal system came into being. 

Here is the popular `Ottai Kalana,' the one pice coin. This was before the days of the decimal system and was lesser in value than the 1 paisa of the decimal system. This coin is about 2 cm in diameter. 

The one pice coin. Four of these make one Anna. (They are two sides of the same coin, but I slipped up in scanning them so sorry about the different sizes.) 

At about the start of the previous century the lowest denomination was the 1/12th of an Anna, the `thambdi' or the 1 pies. 

STAMP OF CHENNAI - 2

Stamps of Chennai - 2: It should actually be stamps of places near Chennai, about 50 km to the east. The Department of Posts released a commemorative stamp on Commonwealth Day. This is a stylised image of the shore temple, maybe as it appeared years ago before the wall of boulders was raised between it and the sea to protect the structure. I've included below a photograph of the shore temples.

The Department of Posts also released a postcard with the images of the shore temple.  

Repeating shore temple post for Stamps of Chennai Series. I had always wanted to take this pic of the shore temple with the waves in the foreground, a duplication of the stylised version of the shore temples that we see in many drawings and in the stamp above. But the sea and waves were simply too far away from the temple and separated by a wall of boulders. Finally, when this image happened I had no reason to be happy. This picture was taken on December 27, 2004, the day after the tsunami.

STUNT CYCLIST AT THE DOORSTEP

A few days back I heard the familiar whirring, and sure enough the 75-year-old -- can't recall his name -- was right outside the house going through his bicycle routine. A tin can contraption tied to the cycle frame acts like a giant rattle to attract viewers.
I grabbed my camera and started clicking away. After the show, he came up to me and announced - `I do not drink, I have never smoked a cigarette in my life. I have married off four of my daughters and lead my own life independently.' I don't know why he felt he had to tell me that. I just managed to stop myself from apologising for having smoked while in college.
He puts in an appearance once in two or three months. Goes through a 5-minute routine, collects some money and cycles away.
As for the captions that go with the pics... I hope they don't fall flat.

(Check out other visitors we have had in archives - October and November 2005.)

A 75-year-old learns to cycle.

He first checked the balance.

Demonstrating a new and safe way to pedal... 

Practicing pedalling. This way you do not have to worry about falling off.

satisfied with the practice he decided to go for it

managed to clamber on 

getting into position 

He finally got the hang of it. 

The Varadaraja Perumal Temple in Kanchipuram, Tamil Nadu. These pictures were taken a few years back in black and white. Since I am still in the want-to-try-something-different mood, thought I would sepia tone them digitally. So here goes... Next week I will try to post some details of the great sculptures in this temple. 

The deity being taken out in a procession at the Varadaraja Perumal Temple. 

The Varadaraja Perumal Temple, Kanchipuram, Tamil Nadu. 

A mantapam in front of the Varadaraja Perumal Temple, Kanchipuram.  

STAMP OF CHENNAI

Just thought of trying something different - posting other than photographs. Starting a series - without committing myself to any frequency - that I will try to continue. Hope bloggers like the idea.

Stamp of Chennai - 1: A scanned image of the miniature sheet with an image of the more than 100-years-old Museum Theatre. This sheet and the stamps were released by the Depart of Posts in 2003 as a part of the 150th anniversary of the Museum. Some details from the information sheet: The first stamp is one of Shiva in Natesa form, a 12th century AD bronze from Thanjavur. The second stamp is a picture of the century-old Museum Theatre, a heritage building in semi-circular shape, and the third is a sculptured medallion (150 AD) from Amravati figures. The other figures on the sheet are a selection of exhibits from the museum.  

A close up view of the Museum Theatre.