It is with considerable anguish that I record the death of Chavvani. It was not just a quarter rupee for a little over 50 years but, more significantly, helped India define a cheapskate. I know for a fact that in both Hindi and Gujarati there are expressions drawn from this denomination to put down someone rather effectively.
In Hindi, the expression Chavania has been long used to deride someone with no grace, class, taste and elegance. Its Gujarati equivalent is Pavli (literally a quarter) which has also been used as a mild pejorative. It has perhaps something to do with the fact that both Chavvani and Pavli represent only a quarter of one whole unit.
Thursday, June 30, in India will be the last day for Chavvani. The Reserve Bank of India (RBI), the country’s central bank, announced that as of tomorrow it will no longer be considered legal tender. The RBI is way behind on the curve on this compared to the beggars of India who have refused to accept Chavvani for more than a decade at least. In fact, in metros such as Mumbai and Delhi they would give you a withering look even if you give them a five rupee bill.
For me personally, Pavli or Char Ana once represented serious wealth because in my childhood and early teens all other coins used to be generally minted from aluminum. They were light enough to be blown away by gentle wind. In contrast, Pavli carried weight because of the alloy that was used in it.
It sounds silly in retrospect but there was no greater joy than holding a freshly minted Pavli in those days. Those who worked at banks would show off their roll of new Pavlis as if they were some highly valued contraband. The knurl of the new Pavli was particularly sharp and could leave a cut if you did not watch out.
So long, Pavli.
