Prime Minister Narendra Modi unveiled a commemorative Rs 100 coin featuring an image of Bharat Mata for the first time on Indian currency during Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh centenary celebrations on October 1.
The coin includes the national emblem on one side and Bharat Mata in Varada Mudra with a lion and swayamsevaks saluting her on the other, according to a statement from the Prime Minister's Office. It also bears the RSS motto "Rashtraya Swaha, Idam Rashtraya, Idam Na Mama."
The event took place at the Dr. Ambedkar International Centre in New Delhi to mark the RSS's 100 years since its founding on Vijayadashami in 1925 by Keshav Baliram Hedgewar. Modi, a former RSS pracharak, addressed volunteers and highlighted the organization's role in nation-building.
Modi said, "For the first time in the history of independent India the image of Bharat Mata has been featured on Indian currency which marks a moment of great pride and historical significance."
He added that the coin and a special postage stamp, depicting RSS swayamsevaks in the 1963 Republic Day Parade, honor the group's contributions to the freedom struggle and social service.
The RSS, a Hindu nationalist organization and ideological parent of Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party, has faced criticism from opposition parties for promoting a sectarian agenda, according to statements from Congress party leaders.
Modi said the RSS embodies "timeless national consciousness" and its volunteers will play a key role in India's development by 2047.
The coin is made of silver and will enter circulation through the Reserve Bank of India, officials from the finance ministry said. Officials from the Prime Minister's Office were not immediately available for further comment on distribution details.