Everything in life has its own importance or a matter of belief. India is a diverse country so are the people who follow different beliefs that make them stand up high among others. One such tradition that is widely seen in India is Giving One Rupee coin as a Shagun.
As an Indian, have you ever thought why we Indians always give and receive an envelope of Rs 1? No matter how much amount you give as shagun, whether it’s 11, 51, 101, 501, it always ends on 1. Don’t know if this question arises in your mind. You have heard it many times by the groom’s family that we don’t want anything, just give as one rupee along with your daughter in her marriage as that is enough. You may be encountered many situations where your parents give sufficient amount of money as a token of their love when someone arrives at your home and that person says give only one rupee coin as a shagun.
It is an amount or a shagun which is given at the beginning of something. How could be something good start with a zero (as per psychological notion), so add a rupee simply, and as counting begins with one (1). So, one is considered as the beginning of something good.
When you go somewhere like in a birthday party or at a wedding ceremony, you always add one rupee in a considerable amount (shagun). The money always given as 11,51,101 etc counts only as 10,50,100. That is the real amount, whereas the pending 1 rupee is considered as debt. As per belief, it means that that person will pay back rupee one (1) whenever he/she will meet next time. The cycle goes on like this that results in forming a strong bond. The more you will meet, the better will be the understanding and relation. Basically, it is a way of saying “we will meet again “.
Metal comes from the Earth and is considered to be a form of Lakshmi. We all know that on Dhana Trayodashi/Dhanteras, it is considered auspicious to buy silver/gold or metal utensils. It corresponds to Prithvi Tattva (Earth Element) of the Pancha Maha Bhutas.
It is said that one must give some metal (dhatu) as a gift. Remember, your elder’s use to give an additional metal coin or one rupee as a Dakshina to priest. Coins are metallic. Copper and silver coins used to be the norm earlier, but now we have steel based alloys to give them as a token (shagun).
Rather than giving 100, 200 or 500 as cash, opt for 101, 201 or 501. Adding an extra rupee makes the amount indivisible. So, it is believed that the good wishes, good luck, and blessings remain indivisible. It is regarded as an extra bonus to the blessings.
Knowing the fact that shunya/zero is not considered very auspicious for family persons, so we add one to the given amount. Shunya is associated with Brahma jnam as is the Brahma muhurta. Any work started in this hour apart from meditation/spiritual activity is bound to be fruitless. So, if gifts were in kind then you could give a gift like clothes, jewellery, and add the coin.
It is basically a blessing: let the money not stop with what the person gifts but increase. ‘0’ signifies the end while ‘1’ signifies the beginning. This is the motive that the cash is gifted in numbers such as 51, 101 etc. Elders say that invest that one rupee in doing good deeds, charity or for a great purpose to increase in either cash or kind or karma. Giving an extra coin is seen as a silent wish for the receiver to have more in his/her life.