The image of Mahatma Gandhi that appears on Indian banknotes is a cutting from an original photograph, not a parody. This image was taken in 1946 outside Rashtrapati Bhavan, which was then. Gandhi's image on currency is from a 1946 photo. The photo was taken at Rashtrapati Bhavan. RBI made Gandhi permanent in 1996 to combat forgery. The original photograph was captured outside.