Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi whom the entire world knows as Mahatma Gandhi the father of our nation or Bapu as he is fondly called by many always comes to mind whenever we hold a currency note in our hands. Today it is unimaginable that someone other than Gandhi could have ever been considered as the face which would become the hallmark of the Indian currency. However that was not always the case. In a remarkable story the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) which prints the countrys banknotes reveals how Mahatma Gandhi came to adorn the Indian currency and how he (surprisingly) was not the first choice for the honor. How Mahatma Gandhi became the face of Indian currency? Being the Father of the Nation Mahatma Gandhi seems to be obvious choice for appearing on currency notes after Indias independence but as RBI reveals he was not the first choice. Heres the story about how Mahatma Gandhi became the face of Indian currency and the other candidates who were considered along with or even ahead of him. On its website RBI notes how the transition of managing currency from colonial to independent India was a reasonably smooth affair and during the period from August 14 1947 till 26th January 1950 when India became a Republic the Reserve Bank continued to issue extant notes. Midnight August 14 1947 heralded Indian independence from colonial rule. The Republic however was established on 26th January 1950. During the interregnum the Reserve Bank continued to issue the extant notes The Government of India brought out the new design Re. 1 note in 1949. Symbols for independent India had to be chosen. At the outset it was felt that the Kings portrait be replaced by a portrait of Mahatma Gandhi. Designs were prepared to that effect the RBI reveals. In the final analysis the consensus moved to the choice of the Lion Capital at Sarnath in lieu of the Gandhi Portrait. The new design of notes were largely along earlier lines. Who featured on currency notes before Mahatma Gandhi? While many people have the wrong premise that Mahatma Gandhis picture always featured on Indian banknotes post independence this is not the case. The first banknotes to feature a picture of Bapu was not released till 1969 on the occasion of Gandhis birth centenary. An image depicting Gandhi seated with his Sevagram Ashram in the background was the first to appear on Indian currency. Prior to that Indias currency notes depicted the countrys rich heritage and progress showcasing images of the Hirakud Dam the Aryabhatta satellite Brihadeeswara Temple and even the rich fauna found in India like the Bengal Tiger and the Deer. The era of Mahatma Gandhi banknotes begins Notably akin to the demonetisation by Prime Minister Narendra Modis BJP government in 2016 BJPs predecessor  the Janata Party had also demonetised the Rs 500 notes during its rule in late 1970s. However the move was reversed in 1987 by then Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi who brought back the Rs 500 denomination back into circulation which featured a portrait of Mahatma Gandhi. As RBIs history reveals the apex bank launched the Mahatma Gandhi Series of banknotes in 1996 which featured advanced security features such as watermarks and security threads to tackle the menace of counterfeit currency. This was a turning point in the history Indias currency as Mahatma Gandhi became the face which featured on all currency notes issued by the Reserve Bank. Who were the other candidates for currency notes? Over the years there have been demands from various quarters to replace Mahatma Gandhis picture on Indias currency with different groups proposing names of prominent figures like Jawaharlal Nehru Subhash Chandra Bose Sardar Patel and others. There have even been calls from political parties to use the depictions of Hindu deities like Goddess Lakshmi and Lord Ganesha on banknotes. However Mahatma Gandhi remains and will remain the face of Indian currency for the foreseeable future as recent events have taught us.