This Kannada Rajyotsava day, I saw a video on Instagram that instantly piqued my interest. The video made a striking claim: four of the seven monuments featured on Indian rupee notes were built by Kannadigas!
This assertion by the video is remarkable, especially given that native Kannada speakers make up less than 4% of India's population. Also, when it comes to Indian history, Karnataka often flies under the radar. In the grand mosaic of Indian states, others like Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, and West Bengal often steal the spotlight, celebrated for their iconic heritage and vibrant cultures. Karnataka, meanwhile, tends to be overlooked and rarely mentioned in the same breath.
As both a Kannadiga and a history enthusiast, I had to dig deeper!
For those unfamiliar, the Reserve Bank of India currently circulates notes in seven denominations (shown below), each depicting a different monument on its reverse side. These monuments, scattered all across India, were picked because they are the crown jewles of the country's rich cultural and architectural diversity.
Hampi (₹50 note)
For any Indian, Hampi is the most recognizable architectural monument in Karnataka. The ₹50 note features the ruins of Vijayanagara in Hampi, the capital of the medieval Vijayanagara Empire, which once ruled over most of the Indian peninsula. At its peak, Vijayanagara was the second largest city in the world, known for its wealth and grandeur. Eventually, a coalition of Muslim sultanates attacked, sacking and burning the city, which has remained in ruins ever since.
I can very easily claim this for the Kannadigas. (Kannadigas - 1)
Ellora caves (₹20 note)
The Ellora Caves, located in Aurangabad, Maharashtra, form an incredible complex of rock-cut Hindu, Buddhist, and Jain temples. These caves exemplify the cultural harmony and mutual respect among Indian religions. Though worship at Ellora dates back centuries, most of the construction (including the awe-inspiring Kailashanatha Temple) took place during the reign of the Rashtrakutas. This illustrious Kannada dynasty ruled much of the Deccan, and under my namesake, Emperor Dhruva Dharavarsha, even captured Kannauj, once the capital of the legendary king Harshavardhana. (An instance of a southern Indian king conquering lands in northern India)
Since the ₹20 note features a part of the Kailashanatha Temple, I'm counting this one as another contribution of the Kannadigas. (Kannadigas - 2)
Konark sun temple (₹10 note)
The Konark Sun Temple is an enormous Hindu temple dedicated to the Sun god, designed in the form of a chariot with immense stone wheels and horses. Located in Puri, Odisha (quite a distance from Karnataka), I was initially skeptical when the Instagram video claimed this temple was built by Kannadigas. However, it turns out that this temple was commissioned by a king of the Eastern Ganga dynasty, which traces its roots back to the Kannada-speaking Ganga dynasty. This original Ganga dynasty ruled southern Karnataka, including the present-day Bangalore region, for centuries. If you, like me, are a Bangalorean or are interested in the history of Bangalore, I recommend looking up the Ganga dynasty.
By the time the Konark Sun Temple was constructed, the rulers of the Eastern Ganga dynasty had likely assimilated into the Odia culture, but their Karnataka origins are well established. So, I'm counting this one as well. (Kannadigas - 3)
Rani ki vav (₹100 note)
Rani ki Vav is an exquisitely carved stepwell in Gujarat, commissioned by a queen of the — wait for it — Chalukya dynasty! I was thrilled to read this, as Karnataka was home to not one but two great Deccan empires called the Chalukyas (The Chalukyas of Vatapi and the Chalukyas of Kalyani). The later Chalukya empire engaged in fierce, centuries-long rivalry with the powerful Tamil Cholas, proving that the Kannada-Tamil rivalry is anything but new!
However, while both major Chalukya empires of Karnataka once held territories in southern Gujarat, this is where the Instagram video got it wrong. The queen who built Rani ki Vav belonged to a smaller, separate Chalukya dynasty unrelated to the Kannada-speaking Chalukyas. So, I won't be counting this one as a Kannada monument. (Kannadigas - 3)
Sanchi stupa (₹200 note)
This Buddhist stupa was built by one of ancient India's most famous emperors, Ashoka the Great. During Ashoka's time, the Karnataka region was a distant backwater, fragmented into small fiefdoms far from the Mauryan Empire's powerful heartland. (For those interested, I have another blog post about Ashoka here.)
Since this monument isn't tied to the contributions of the Kannadigas, I won't change the tally. (Kannadigas - 3)
Red fort (₹500 note)
This was built by the Mughal emperor Shah Jahan in Delhi when he relocated his capital from Agra. With its distinct Islamic and Persian architectural influences, the fort bears no connection to Kannadiga architecture.
At this point, I began to doubt the claim that four of these monuments were built by Kannadigas. Even so, 3 out of 7 is impressive, but it's not quite 4 out of 7. (Kannadigas - 3)
Mangalyaan (₹2000 note)
Finally, on our most valuable note, we have the Mars Orbiter from India's Mars mission — Mangalyaan. A product of modern India's scientific progress and innovation, Mangalyaan isn't a monument in the traditional architectural sense like the others on this list. It however stands as a symbol of India's technological prowess and a source of pride for all Indians.
That said... the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), the agency behind Mangalyaan, is headquartered in Bangalore, Karnataka. So, technically speaking, I don't see why I shouldn't count as a Kannadiga contribution to India.😅 ಪರ್ವಾಗಿಲ್ವಲ್ಲ? (Kannadigas - 4)
Seeing the contributions of Kannada dynasties and culture stretch from Karnataka to distant lands, strengthens my pride in our shared heritage as Indians. In a country as vast and diverse as ours, each monument is a reminder of our unity — a mosaic of different languages, regions, and traditions, yet fundamentally Indian at its core.
As Karnataka’s state anthem so beautifully reminds us:
ಜಯ ಭಾರತ ಜನನಿಯ ತನುಜಾತೆ, ಜಯ ಹೇ ಕರ್ನಾಟಕ ಮಾತೆ!
Victory to you Mother Karnataka, The daughter of Mother India!
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