That 'One rupee' coin in gift/shagun envelopes

In India, it is common to gift money for weddings and other auspicious occasions. We have generally seen our elders giving money in the sum of 51, 101, 501, 2001, etc. A one rupee coin or note is always added to the basic some of money. So, is it logical to add one rupee to a sum or just an old tradition which is followed blindly during auspicious occasions like marriage, birthdays, anniversary etc.? Let's check out. Giving a sum which is odd for example 501 (or X+1), you make the entire amount indivisible. This amount is especially given to a married couple, and considered to bring luck as just like the amount, the couple remains indivisible.

Also, if one rupee is not added, to the amount will end in zero (50, 500, or 2000) and zero denotes an end. So this is avoided. Why do we add that extra one rupee coin in shagun envelope? Here are some of the reasons 1. The number '0' signifies the end while '1' signifies the beginning. That one rupee coin is added so that the receiver does not need to come across zero. 2. Blessings become indivisible. That one rupee is a blessing. Sums such as 101, 251, 501, etc are indivisible. This means that the good wishes, good luck and blessings you give remain indivisible.

3. It is a debt which means 'we will meet again'. That extra one rupee is believed to be debt. Giving that one rupee means that the real debt lies on the receiver who will have to come again and meet the giver. The one rupee is the symbol of continuity. It will strengthen their bond. It simply means, "We will meet again." 4. Metal is part of Goddess Lakshmi. Metal comes from the Earth and it is considered to be a part of Goddess Lakshmi. Shagun ka 1 Rupya is for investment When giving shagun, we wish that the money we give increases and brings prosperity to our loved ones. While the bigger amount of the shagun is for spending, that one rupee is the seed for growth. It is to be wisely invested or given in charity to increase in either cash or kind or karma.

Generally Indians consider numbers like 100, 200, 50, etc. to be stable numbers. It means that they will not decrease or increase or more precisely, they are without a trend. When you add one to it, it signifies a growing trend that your number will increase. So when we i.e. Indians give money to someone as a gift, we wish that the amount we are giving should increase and bring prosperity to the receiver of the gift. That is why we add one more rupee to our gift so that it can start a growth in financials, happiness and joy in your life.

The concept of giving One extra Rupee initially started in marriage ceremonies because the first social celebrations included only marriages. Other poojas and rituals were done in social events which didn’t include gifting of money. So, the concept of gifting money started from marriages. Why that extra Rupee? Marriage is an event where two bodies and two souls get together. They unite and the future life will be based on togetherness. So, whenever an amount comes in the house, it shouldn’t be able to split up. For example, if you gift Rs 50, the couple can easily split it into Rs 25 each which was not considered to be appropriate. So, make the amount such that it cannot be divided - Rs 51! Cheers!