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On the Indian side of the border, a group of mustachioed men plays cards in the small customs office. One pauses to check my passport and give me a Nepalese visa. Nobody checks this visa as I walk across the border onto Nepalese soil. On the Nepalese side of the border, the busy street is overflowing with signs -- to change money, for various guest houses, and a sudden rash of beer advertisements. Changing money becomes a part of any journey, and Indian currency is as colorful as the country it comes from. What follows is a sample of Indian rupees ...
My favorite Indian coin, one Indian rupee from 1976 ...
Ten Indian rupees from the front ...
and from the back ...
North
American currency is so boring, all of it green and heralding dead
presidents.
Another
ten rupee Indian note, showing Mahatma Gandhi, champion of passive
resistance,
And from the back ...
This one's gorgeous, one Indian rupee in it's paper version ...
And from the back ...
The back of this two rupee note shows a definite push into the future,
While this one harks back to a more recent past ...
Click here to cross the border and see the currencies of Nepal ... |
