Lord Ganesha's picture printed on Indonesia's currency notes

By Lokmat English Desk | Published: August 25, 2020 10:09 AM2020-08-25T10:09:54+5:302020-08-25T10:09:54+5:30

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Did you know that only one country has Lord Ganesha's picture on their currency notes and it is not India.

A picture of Lord Ganesha is inscribed on the 20,000 rupiah note of Indonesia.

The only country on earth to have Lord Ganesha on a currency note is the largest Muslim populated country - Indonesia.

Indonesia is an Islamic country with a majority of people following the religion of Islam. About 87 per cent of the people are Muslim and 1.7 per cent are Hindus, but before Islam came to Indonesia, thousands of years ago, Hinduism was a very popular religion and there are several ancient temples located all around the country.

The picture of Lord Ganesha is engraved on the note beside an inscription of Ki Hajar Dewantara - a celebrated Indonesian independence activist

A picture of a classroom is printed behind the note. 87.2 per cent of the population in Indonesia consists of Muslims while 1.7 per cent is that of Hindus. As a result of this demographic, that Lord Ganesha's picture is inscribed on the note is surprising. However, the truth is that Indonesia has been under the influence of Hinduism since the first century. Certain aspects of Hinduism, in fact, continue to impact Indonesian culture even at present. The reason for the image of Lord Ganesha on the currency can be the association of the people with the Hinduism religion.