Nirmala Sitharaman releases Rs 250 coin honouring Muthuswamy Dikshithar

Nirmala Sitharaman released a Rs 250 commemorative coin for Muthuswamy Dikshithar at IIT-BHU. The limited-edition issue celebrates the Carnatic maestro's enduring contribution to India's cultural heritage.The coin was released at an event organised by the Indian Institute of Technology-Banaras Hindu University in Varanasi, according to a statement.Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Tuesday released a Rs 250 commemorative coin to mark the 250th birth anniversary of Carnatic music maestro Muthuswamy Dikshithar, news agency Press Trust of India reported.The coin was released at an event organised by the Indian Institute of Technology-Banaras Hindu University in Varanasi, according to a statement.Sitharaman recalled Dikshithar's contribution to Indian classical music and the country's cultural heritage. She also interacted with IIT-BHU students, explaining Indian classical music, musical instruments and their distinctive features, the statement said.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 performed at the programme.Smt @nsitharaman today released a commemorative coin marking the 250th Janmotsava of Sri Muthuswami Dikshitar at @IITBHU_Varanasi, honouring the enduring legacy of one of India’s greatest composers and a pillar of Carnatic music. One of the revered members of the Carnatic Music Trinity, alongside Tyagaraja and Syama Sastri, Sri Muthuswami Dikshitar enriched Indian classical music through his mastery of ragas, Sanskrit literature and spiritual traditions. His compositions, including the Navagraha Kritis and Kamalamba Navavaranam, bring together musical excellence, literary richness and devotion. His timeless works continue to inspire generations of musicians and remain an important part of India’s rich cultural heritage. The coin will be available for purchase at https://t.co/fQOjrCtgVO. Prof Ajit Kumar Chaturvedi, Vice Chancellor; Prof Amit Patra, Director; and Prof V Ramanathan (@vraman16), Associate Professor, Head and Coordinator of the institute's Centre of Excellence in Indian Knowledge Systems (CoE-IKS) at IIT (BHU), were also present on the occasion.— Nirmala Sitharaman Office (@nsitharamanoffc) November 3, 2026Dikshithar, Tyagaraja and Syama Sastri are regarded as the trinity of Carnatic music. Dikshithar's compositions, largely written in Sanskrit, are known for combining devotion, Indian philosophy and classical musical traditions. He is believed to have composed around 450 to 500 works, many of which continue to be performed at classical music concerts. Dikshithar spent a considerable period in Varanasi, where he composed several works dedicated to temples and Hindu deities.Utkarsh Srivastava of IIT-BHU's public relations department told PTI that the Reserve Bank of India had issued the commemorative coin. Such coins are minted in limited quantities using precious metals and are collected as memorabilia rather than used for regular transactions.According to the government mint's website, the coin was available for purchase for Rs 6,985, with 238 pieces listed in stock on Tuesday evening.The commemorative coin marks Dikshithar's 250th birth anniversary and honours his contribution to Carnatic music and India's cultural heritage.- Ends