Jakarta, IO – Lately, the Indonesian currency has become a hot topic of conversation among Indians, even Google Trends shows a surge in searches for the keyword ‘Indonesian currency.’
According to BBC Indonesia, this happened because New Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, during an interview with an Indian television station, asked the central government to put images of Hindu goddess Lakshmi and god Ganesha on Indian currency.
Arvind pointed out that 85 percent of Indonesia’s population is Muslim and only 2 percent are Hindu, but there is image of Ganesha in its currency. Arvind then asked a rhetorical question: if Indonesia, the most populous Muslim-majority country, can do it, why can’t India?
Arvind is also the head of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) which has been campaigning heavily in state of Gujarat – the stronghold of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) – ahead of the general election.
BBC Hindi found that Indonesia issued a Rp20,000 banknote with a picture of Ganesha in the 1998 edition. But the note is no longer in circulation. It depicts image of Ganesha and the former Education Minister Ki Hadjar Dewantara. On the other side, there is image of several children studying.
According to BBC News Indonesia journalist Astudestra Ajengrastri, the image of Ganesha is emblematic of the cultural diversity in Indonesia. “The theme of the banknotes issued in 1998 was education. Ganesha is considered the God of art, wisdom, education in Indonesia. The image is also widely used in educational institutions in Indonesia,” he pointed out.
Meanwhile, Ki Hadjar Dewantara is a national hero of Indonesia. He fought for the right to education during the independence struggle period. At that time, only children from the privileged family and of the colonial master were allowed to go to school.
There is also Rp50,000 banknotes depicting Hindu temples on the island of Bali, the only Hindu-majority province in Indonesia, that are still in circulation.
According to history, the Indonesian archipelago was once ruled by several Hindu and Buddhist dynasties between the 7th and 16th centuries.
Majapahit and Srivijaya were the largest kingdoms at that time and Hinduism was in its heyday. Today, folklore and symbols associated with Hinduism can be found in many artifacts and manuscripts.
For example, the symbol of Indonesia, the mythical bird of Garuda, is linked to Hindu mythology. According to the Hindu poem Ramcharitmanas, it is Garuda that helps Rama bring Sita back to Sri Lanka.
The image of Ganesha is also used as the logo of the Bandung Institute of Technology (ITB) -one of Indonesia’s most prestigious universities. The name of Indonesia’s flag carrier is also Garuda Airlines.
The Ramayana epic has also been performed frequently since 1961. Apart from Hindus, followers of other religions are also involved in playing the characters depicted in the story. (rr)