2026-09-04 Fri

Janmashtami, also known as Krishna Janmashtami, celebrates the birth of Lord Krishna, the eighth avatar of Lord Vishnu. According to Hindu tradition, Krishna was born at midnight on the eighth day (Ashtami) of the dark fortnight of the month of Bhadrapada. His birth is celebrated as the triumph of righteousness over evil and the arrival of hope in a time of oppression.

The story of Krishna's childhood is equally cherished. His playful love for butter and curd, his life among the cowherds of Gokul and Vrindavan, and his mischievous makhan chori have made Balakrishna, the child Krishna, one of the most beloved forms of the deity.

One of the fascinating folklores tells how young Krishna stole butter before it could reach his uncle Kansa as tax. Through his playful acts, Krishna is believed to have protected the villagers from Kansa’s oppressive taxation and tyranny, turning his childhood mischief into an act of compassion and resistance.

Lord Krishna is portrayed on Indo-Greek, Chola, Tripura, late Mysore kingdom, Travancore and Vijayanagar Empire. In these various types of coin Lord Krishna can be seen in different posture that includes Lalitasana, Cross-legged, holding butter, playing flute, holding conch, with Gopis, etc.

Here, let’s check Travancore’s King Marthanda Varma Copper 4 Cash that weighs 2.57 gram. It obverse depicts a charming depiction of Lord Sree Krishna as a child, standing and holding butter in both hands, with his arms bent forward at the elbows. Beneath is the Malayalam numeral 4.

The reverse carries a beautifully symbolic Sudarshana Chakra, the divine discus associated with Lord Vishnu and therefore with Krishna as his avatar. The Chakra is decorated and enclosed within a dotted circle.

The name Marthanda Varma is particularly significant in Travancore history. The celebrated Marthanda Varma (1729–1758) transformed Travancore into a powerful and centralized kingdom and is remembered especially for his victory over the Dutch at the Battle of Colachel in 1741. The later ruler represented on this coin was Uthram Thirunal Marthanda Varma, who ruled Travancore from 1847 to 1860.

Thus, the coin brings together devotion, history and commerce in just a few grams of copper.

श्री कृष्ण गोविंद हरे मुरारी।

हे नाथ नारायण वासुदेवा।

Happy Janmashtami! 🦚🙏