Nirmala Sitharaman Unveils ₹250 Coin Honouring Carnatic Music Legend Muthuswamy Dikshithar At IIT-BHU In Varanasi

Varanasi, Nov 3: Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Tuesday released a Rs 250 commemorative coin marking the 250th birth anniversary of Carnatic music maestro Muthuswamy Dikshithar at Banaras Hindu University (BHU) in Varanasi.

The event was organised by the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT-BHU), according to a statement issued here.

Sitharaman recalled Dikshithar's contribution to Indian classical music and the country's cultural heritage. She also interacted with students at IIT-BHU, taking on the role of a teacher to explain Indian classical music, musical instruments and their distinctive features, the statement said.

Sitharaman Pays Tribute To BHU Founder

Before the event, the finance minister paid floral tributes to the statue of Pandit Madan Mohan Malaviya, the founder of BHU.

Carnatic music researcher and exponent Dr Sumitra Vasudev from Karnataka gave a musical performance at the programme.

Dikshithar's Contribution To Carnatic Music

Dikshithar, Tyagaraja and Syama Sastri make up the trinity of Carnatic music. Dikshithar's compositions, largely in Sanskrit, are known for blending devotion, Indian philosophy and classical musical traditions. He is believed to have composed around 450–500 works, many of which continue to be performed at classical music concerts.

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Dikshithar spent a considerable period in Varanasi, where he composed several works dedicated to temples and Hindu deities.

Commemorative Coin Price And Availability

Utkarsh Srivastava of IIT-BHU's public relations department said the commemorative coin was issued by the Reserve Bank of India. Such coins are minted in limited quantities using precious metals and collected as memorabilia rather than used for regular transactions.

According to the government mint's website, the coin was available for purchase at Rs 6,985, with 238 pieces listed in stock on Tuesday evening.

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