The Bahi Khata is a double-entry system of bookkeeping that existed in India since ancient times. The fact that its existence is prior to the Greek and Roman empires suggests that the system travelled with the Indian traders to Italy, and from there the double-entry system spread through Europe.
It is a red book with white cotton thread stitching on it. Bahi stands for book in Hindi and Khata means accounts. Bahi Khata are hand bound accounting books, the white and yellow pages of which are horizontally creased at specific intervals to create columns. The red color of the book is believed to be auspicious due to its association with Lakshmi, the goddess of wealth. On the second page, one will see the symbols of and the words ‘shubh- laabh’ along with the picture of the goddess. The cover is bordered with either green, yellow and blue striped niwar, or nylon tape, in order to prevent
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