In world of e-wallets, palindrome notes keep him happy

Bengaluru: Prakash Rajagoli, a resident of Bengaluru, has cultivated an intriguing hobby: Collecting palindrome currency notes.
Palindrome is a word, number, phrase or sequence that reads the same backwards and forwards. Examples of palindrome words include mom, noon, kayak, madam, and level.
Fifty-three-year-old Rajagoli’s collection ranges from a humble Re 1 note with the serial number 988889 to a Rs 500 note bearing the serial number 110011.
Holding a BE in instrumentation engineering, Rajagoli works as a senior project manager at IBM and lives in Vijaya Bank Layout, off Bannerghatta Road. He embarked on this distinctive pastime 20 years ago.
“Getting a palindrome number is quite difficult,” he told TOI, sharing that each note in his collection brings back many memories. “Once, while having sugarcane juice at a local juice shop, I saw the vendor handing a note with a palindrome number to a customer. I begged the vendor to give it to me. He did so but rather hesitantly. I still remember the bewildered look on his face while handing me the note in return for another one.”
Rajagoli recounted another memorable incident: “While buying vegetables from the market, I realized the only note I had in my wallet was one with a palindrome number. I told the vegetable vendor I would go home, get another note and pay her. She said I could pay her the next day as I was a regular customer, but I rushed back home and paid her that day itself. This incident happened in the pre-QR code era.” Some notes were added to his collection through cash remittances.
Nowadays, with the preference for digital transactions, physical money exchanges are becoming scarce. On the first of every month, Rajagoli withdraws money from an ATM to give to his father who lives with him. “Before I hand the notes to him, I check them thoroughly. That’s how I got some of the palindrome notes in my collection,” he said.
His hobby is supported by his parents, wife, son, relatives, colleagues, and friends as well. “Sometimes I offer them 10-20% extra for each currency note, but they politely refuse and volunteer to hand over such notes,” said Rajagoli, who hails from Yaradal village in Belagavi district.
His collection currently includes around 60 palindrome-numbered currency notes, but he hasn’t managed to acquire a Rs 2,000 note yet.
Being a collector can be challenging without a supportive family. Rajagoli considers himself fortunate to have a wife and son who are always eager to assist with his hobby. “Also, my collection doesn’t occupy much space. I keep the notes in the almirah,” he said.
Having spent considerable time indulging in his passion, Rajagoli sometimes thinks about the future of his collection. “Maybe I’ll bequeath them to my son,” he said with a smile.