Udupi, September 9: From coins dating back to the era of Carisus (BC 55) and Augustus (BC 22 to AD 14) (contemporary of Jesus Christ) to British Raj; from currency notes with the history of all the signatories (all 22 RBI, governors) to stamps of all denominations and all varieties; and from Financial Research Centre to the Financial literacy and Credit Counselling Centre, the Corporation Bank Heritage Museum has all that a person looks forward in a banking arena. It introduces one to the world that remained unexcavated.
In fact, every brick and tile of the museum is the saga of how economic activities are strongly rooted in the layers of this soil.
The Bank has grown from a humble beginning as a “Nidhi” with a first day business of Rs 38, Annas 13 and Pies 2 (on March 12, 1906), to a business level of over Rs 2 lakh crore as on date.
The museum, which was also the home of the founder Khan Bahadur Hazi Abdullah Hazi Khasim Saheb Bahadur, who founded the Corporation Bank on March 12, 1906, was opened on March 12, 2011, on the 106th Foundation day of the bank.
The Heritage Museum building, apart from a heritage museum, also has a Financial Research Centre, Financial Inclusion resource Centre, Financial literacy and Credit Counselling Centre, Corporation Bank - Commonwealth Youth Enterprise Financing Centre and an auditorium.
Speaking to media persons, Corporation Bank Chairman and Managing Director Ramnath Pradeep said the Heritage Museum would remind the people about the path traversed by banking in the coastal district of Karnataka in general and Corporation Bank in particular, by showcasing the evolution of banking, banking instruments, records, bank notes and currency.
“Plans are on the anvil to convert the museum into a financial temple,” he said and added that more aspects would be added in the museum so that everything pertaining to banking would be available under one roof.
At present, all the 1,360 coins on display at the museum belong to its curator Radhakrishna Kumble (also bank's employee) and all the stamps on display belong to another curator M?K?Krishnayya (who is also the president of Dakshina Kannada Philatelic &?Numismatic Association).
The Bank CMD said that the bank is in the process of acquiring coins and is also in touch with other numismatists to acquire rare coins of historic value.
Historic coins
Giving details about coins, Curator Radhakrishna Kumble said that the coins on display include ancient Indian coinage, Indo-European coins, world size silver coins, East India company coins, British India coins, Roman coins, copper coins, punch marked coins and so on.
Though Kumble estimates the value of his coins (on display) at Rs 42 lakh going by the market rate, he said that the effort that has gone into collecting each coin is invaluable. Stating that half of his salary (in his career) has gone into collecting these coins, he said that he may not be able to buy a few coins even if he pools the entire salary earned in his career as a banker.
The coins displayed are mute witnesses of the financial transactions that was carried out in the period of Gautama Buddha, Mauryas, Kanishkas, Satavahanas, Khushanas, Western Kshatraps, Kadambas, Kuras, Youdheyas and many other dynasties that has left incredible mark in the cultural and historical legacy of India.
Hazi a revered man
The two-tier 4,683.5 sq ft building houses heritage museum, numismatic, notaphily centre, library and mini-theater which is dedicated to the founder of the Corporation Bank Khan Bahadur Hazi Abdullah Hazi Khasim Saheb Bahadur.
It is a general practice that nobody wears footwear inside the museum. Quoting contemporaries of Bank Founder, Curator Krishnayya said that nobody used to wear footwear in the entire lane (stretch) in front of the Founder's home (now heritage museum), if they had to cross the lane, when he was alive. Krishnayya too does not wear footwear, not only inside the museum, but also in the premises.
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