Q1.
Look at a 50 and a 100-rupee note. Can you identify the motifs depicting India’s cultural heritage on the reverse side of the notes? Find out more about them.
Answer
Both motifs are UNESCO World Heritage monuments, and both are printed on the reverse (back) of the note.
| Note | Motif on the reverse | Where it is | Who built it, and what to know |
|---|---|---|---|
| ₹50 | The Stone Chariot of Hampi | Hampi, Vijayanagara district, Karnataka | A shrine carved as a chariot in the Vittala temple complex, built under the Vijayanagara rulers in the 16th century. Hampi was the capital of the Vijayanagara Empire. |
| ₹100 | Rani ki Vav — “the Queen's Stepwell” | Patan, on the Saraswati river, Gujarat | An inverted, seven-storeyed stepwell built in the 11th century by Queen Udayamati in memory of King Bhima I of the Solanki dynasty; its walls carry more than 500 major sculptures. |
Other notes in the same series carry the same idea — the Sun Temple at Konark on the ₹10 note, the Ellora caves on the ₹20, the Sanchi Stupa on the ₹200, the Red Fort on the ₹500.
Why it happens: currency is the one printed object that reaches every person in the country. Putting monuments on the reverse turns everyday money into a small, portable lesson in India's cultural heritage.
Tip: hold your own ₹50 note beside Fig. 11.16 in the book. Read the words printed under the picture — the note names the monument for you.