A ₹250 commemorative coin honouring Carnatic composer Muthuswami Dikshitar was released in Varanasi on November 3 at a programme organised by IIT-BHU. Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman unveiled the coin during the ceremony at Swatantrata Bhavan.
The Statesman’s report says the event also included the release of Amar Guruguham Potruvam, a book about the composer’s life, philosophy and musical work. The institute’s Centre of Excellence for Indian Knowledge Systems organised the programme.
The musical tributes included a vocal performance by Sumitra Vasudev and a veena recital by Ramana Balachandran, accompanied by Ganapathiraman on mridangam and L. Ramakrishnan on violin. Sitharaman spoke to students about Carnatic music and the composer’s connection with Kashi.
PTI’s account also confirms the coin release and student interaction. Dikshitar is counted alongside Tyagaraja and Syama Sastri in the Carnatic musical trinity. His largely Sanskrit compositions remain part of the classical concert repertoire, linking the commemoration to an enduring performance tradition.
Illustrative archive photograph of a veena detail at Berlin’s Dahlem museum in July 2008, not the IIT-BHU event or Dikshitar’s instrument. “Veena de Saraswati (Berlin)” by Jean-Pierre Dalbéra, CC BY 2.0. No local edits; display may be resized or cropped.
