The Extra Rupee

Cash gifts at Indian family occasions, shagun, usually carry an extra rupee, as in 501 rupees instead of 500. The Quint explained in 2015 that “the additional rupee connotes continuity and the hope of future exchanges.”

It also marks a debt. “The lone rupee is a symbolic sign of debt to the receiver.” On future occasions, “the receiver is expected to attend and return the shagun.”

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