Stamps on Indian theme from Thailand

 

On 2nd april,2014 Thailand Post issued a set of 8 stamps and a s/s showing Khon masks of Ravana(Tosaknath) and his family members- brothers Kumbhakarna,Bivishana(pipeh),Khara (Korn),Dushana(Tooth) &  Trishira(Trisian) ,Sister Supernakha,and Son Indrajit.

- Leeza Padhi – Cuttack

email : leezapadhi@gmail.com

New Special Covers

India Post, Maharashtra & Goa Postal Circle released a Special Cover on 19-03-2014 on Golden Jubilee Celebration of Shree Rushabhdevji Jain Temple Chembur.

India Post, Maharashtra & Goa Postal Circle released a Special Cover on 28-03-2014 on Carmel College, Nuvem, Goa.

: Ankit Agarwal – Pune

email : 3dankit@gmail.com

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Royal Mail commemorates Noor Inayat Khan

 

Indian theme on foreign stamps

Date of Issue : 25 March 2014

Noor Inayat Khan,The woman of Indian origin worked for a secret organisation started by Winston Churchill

Britain’s Royal Mail has issued a postage stamp of Noor Inayat Khan, World War II heroine, who fought fascism and died in the Dachau concentration camp.

The stamp — part of a set of 10 stamps in the ‘Remarkable Lives’ series — honours Noor on her centenary year. Other honoured in the set include actor Sir Alec Guinness and poet Dylan Thomas.

“I am that Royal Mail has commemorated Noor with a stamp,” said Shrabani Basu, author of Spy Princess, The Life of Noor Inayat Khan, and the Chair of the Noor Inayat Khan Memorial Trust. “It will ensure that her sacrifice and bravery will not be forgotten.”

Ms Basu campaigned for a memorial for Noor which was unveiled in November 2012 by Princess Anne.

Noor Inayat Khan was born in Moscow in January 1914 to an Indian father, Hazrat Inayat Khan and an American mother, Ora Ray Baker. The couple had met in the Ramkrishna Mission ashram in America. Hazrat Inayat Khan was a Sufi preacher and musician, and travelled the world taking Sufism to the West.

Noor was brought up in Paris and the family moved to London when Paris was occupied by the Germans in 1940 during WW II. Noor joined the Women’s Auxiliary Air Force and was later recruited for the Special Operations Executive, a secret organisation started by Prime Minister Winston Churchill.

She was the first woman radio operator to be flown undercover to Paris. She worked from there for three months under the code name Madeleine. However she was betrayed, arrested and finally executed in the Dachau concentration camp in Germany.

Though she was tortured and interrogated, she revealed nothing, not even her real name. Her last word as they shot her was “Liberte”! She was only 30.

Noor was awarded the highest honour, the George Cross, by Britain. France awarded her theCroix de Guerre.

In 2006, President Pranab Mukherjee, then the Defence Minister, paid an official visit to Noor’s family house outside Paris and described her bravery and sacrifice as “inspirational”.

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‘India should issue stamp of WW II hero Noor Inayat’

London, March 25
As Britain's Royal Mail today issued a stamp of Indian-origin World War II heroine Noor Inayat Khan, campaigners called for India to bestow a similar honour on the famous spy in her centenary year.

The stamp - part of a series called 'Remarkable Lives' - honours Noor, a descendant of Tipu Sultan, along with nine others including actor Sir AlecGuinness and poet Dylan Thomas.

"It would be fitting if India too honoured Noor Inayat Khan in her centenary year with a stamp," said Shrabani Basu, chair of the Noor Inayat Khan Memorial Trust and author of "Spy Princess: The Life of Noor Inayat Khan".

"Though she was brought up in Paris, Noor identified strongly with her Indian roots," said Basu who led the campaign to build a memorial for Noor in London which was unveiled by Britain's Princess Anne in November 2012. Her book is now being made into a film.

"Noor believed firmly in Indian independence and frankly told her British officersthat after the war was over, she would back India's freedom struggle. Sadly she did not live to see India's independence," said Basu. Noor was born in Moscow in 1914 to an Indian father, Hazrat Inayat Khan and an American mother, Ora Ray Baker.

Her father was a Sufi preacher and musician and left his home town of Baroda to take Sufism to the west. He met Noor's mother at the Ramakrishna Mission while on a lecture tour in California.

Hazrat Inayat Khan was a descendant of Tipu Sultan, the famous 18th-century ruler of the kingdom of Mysore. Noor was brought up in Paris and the family moved to London just before Paris fell to the Germans in 1940 during the Second World War. She was the first woman radio operator to be flown undercover to Paris and worked from there for three months under the code name Madeleine. — PTI

The woman spy

• The stamp - part of a series called 'Remarkable Lives' - honours Indian-origin World War II heroine Noor Inayat Khan, a descendant of Tipu Sultan, along with nine others

• Noor joined the Women's Auxiliary Air Force in London and was later recruited for the Special Operations Executive, a secret organisation started by British PM Winston Churchill

• She was the first woman radio operator to be flown undercover to Paris and worked from there for three months under the code name Madeleine

• She was betrayed, arrested and executed in the infamous Dachau concentration camp in Nazi Germany

- Tribune 26 March 2014

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Indian theme on foreign stamps

 

Date of Issue:  24 February , 2014

Portugal Post issued a stamp and souvenir sheet on 24th February to commemorate  400th Anniversary of First Edition of 'Peregrinacao' (Pilgrimage) by Fernao Mendes Pinto. The stamp features  Hindu God of war and victory, six-headed Lord Murugan (Lord Shiva's son and Lord Ganesha's brother) on his mount, Peacock, with serpent.

Fernao Mendes Pinto (1509 - 1583) - a Portuguese explorer and writer. His exploits are known through the posthumous publication (published after his death) of his memoir Pilgrimage (Portuguese: Peregrinação) in 1614, an autobiographical work whose truthfulness is nearly impossible to assess.

In the course of his travels in the Middle and Far East, Pinto visited Ethiopia, the Arabian Sea, China (where he claimed to have been a forced laborer on the Great Wall), India and Japan.

: Kasinath R. – Tanjore

email : kasinath80@gmail.com

Souvenir sheet

“ 400 Years of the 1st Edition of Peregrinação, by fernão mendes pinto”

Four hundred years have passed since the first edition of Peregrinação (Pilgrimage), a majestic account of an extended journey to the Orient that earned Fernão Mendes Pinto, “a hero made of human flesh”, his immortality(1510-1583).

The course of history would eventually distinguish this extraordinary autobiographical book as a masterpiece of universal literature, written by a great Portuguese traveller of the 16th century who was an adventurer, a merchant, an ambassador, a mercenary, a beggar, a sailor and a pirate. And was also “held captive thirteen times and sold seventeen times(...)”.

Throughout 266 emotion-filled and adventure-packed chapters, the author describes in a fresh, spontaneous and colloquial tone the impressions of a European in contact with Asian civilisation, its peoples, traditions, cults and landscapes. At the same time, he reveals the impact of the Portuguese in the Orient, often providing the reader with critiques and satirical notes.

Earliest title of the “travel literature” genre, Peregrinação stands out for its picaresque spirit that runs through the entire work, evidenced as a clear inversion of the heroic style. Some call it an anti-epic. Showing “what miseries make up a man”, the characters lay bare all their weaknesses and fears.

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Tributes to Subhash Chandra Bose

 

Today is Birth anniversary of great Indian freedom fighter Subhash Chandra Bose. He gave the fmous slogan ‘ Jai Hind ’. This  post is a philatelic Tribute to the great leader and freedom fighter.

Subhash Chandra Bose was one of India's greatest freedom fighter. He was the founder of the Indian National Army, popularly known as 'Azad Hind Fauj'. Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose had visited London during pre-independence period to discuss the future of India, with the members of the Labor party. His sudden disappearance from Taiwan, led to surfacing of various theories, concerning the possibilities of his survival.

  

Subhash Chandra Bose was born on 23 January, 1897 in Cuttack (Orissa) to Janakinath Bose and Prabhavati Devi. Janakinath Bose was one of the successful lawyer in Cuttack and received the title of "Rai Bahadur". He, later became a member of the Bengal Legislative Council.      He passed his B.A. in Philosophy from the Presidency College in Calcutta. He was strongly influenced by Swami Vivekananda's teachings and was known for his patriotic zeal as a student. He also adored Vivekananda as his spiritual Guru.

 

Indian theme on foreign stamps

Ramayan story on stamps

on 14th June 2013, a stamp of 100Th Years of Indonesia Archaeological Institute shows Ramayana story (cerita ramayana) as carved on the inner walls of the Prambanan Temple(largest Hindu temple of Indonesia). Ramayana ballet is regularly performed in the open theatre of this temple.

 

The above stamp issued by Yemen, depicts Rama and Lakshman and god Shiva. It was issued as part of the set “Asian Paintings”.

Courtesy : Leeza Padhi – Cuttack and Eli Moallem - Israel

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Indian Theme on foreign stamps

 

 

Grenada released these MS for World Radio Day .  WRD falls on 13th Feb but the MS was released on 10th Oct 2013.

Sheet depicts Indian Flag and Sir Jagdish Chandra Bose.

Sir Jagadish Chandra Bose, was a physicist, biologist, botanist, archaeologist, as well as an early writer of science fiction. He pioneered the investigation of radio and microwave optics, made very significant contributions to plant science.

 

The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers  (IEEE) in NY, USA named him one of the fathers of radio science. He also invented the crescograph. Bangladesh also issued a stamp in 1999.

: Kenneth Sequeira – Dubai ( UAE)

email : kenneth.sequeira@hotmail.com

 

New Special Covers

50 years of changing Diabetes : 15 November 2013 , Bangalore

To commemorate World Diabetes Day, a special cover was released on 14th November 2013 at Bangalore.

Bicentenary of Kartik Mahotsav Procession - 18th November 2013

 

To commemorate 200 years of Kartik Purnamasi, famous Sawari festival, a Special Cover was issued on 18th November 2013 at Kolkata. Cancellation depicts towering Indra Dhwaja (about 60 feet tall). The towering three storey high Indra Dhwaja is one of highlights of the procession.

Courtesy :  Indian Philately Digest , Sreejesh Krishnan - Trivandrum, Pradip Jain - Patna

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Christmas 2013 stamps from Hungary

 

Date of Issue : 5 November 2013

Here are beautiful Christmas stamps from Hungary.  The motifs of the stamp designs are pieces of traditional iced ginger bread.  The stamps are available as self-adhesive individually die-cut stamps in sheets of 50 stamps and in miniature sheets of 5 stamps.

 

Indian theme on foreign stamps

Indian flag

Iraq has released this set of stamps marking the global telecommunication Day on 17th May 2013. The 250 dinar stamp depicts the India Flag (under the alphabet "Q" of the word 'Iraq').

: Kenneth Sequeira, Dubai (UAE)

email : kenneth.sequeira@hotmail.com

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Tributes to C.V. Raman

 

Birth Anniversary  - 7th  November

Today is Birth Anniversary of great Indian Scientist, CV Raman. Sir Chandrasekhara Venkata Raman,(7 November 1888 – 21 November 1970) was a physicist whose work was influential in the growth of science in India.

He was the recipient of the Nobel Prize for Physics in 1930 for the discovery that when light traverses a transparent material, some of the deflected light changes in wavelength. This phenomenon is now called Raman scattering and is the result of the Raman effect.

Comores 1977 stamp featuring Noble Prize winners. CV Raman is also on the stamp.

: Kenneth Sequeira – Dubai

New stamps on Christmas

  

Date of Issue : 2 November 2013

Gibraltar Post issued a beautiful set of five stamps for this year’s Christmas.

 

Christmas and New Year stamps from  Spain

Spanish Correos issued a set of two stamp celebrating Christmas and New Year. The first stamp depicts a traditional nativity scene. Happy New Year! is the message featuring in the second Christmas stamp which is illustrated with the clock from the Puerta del Sol in Madrid and the traditional twelve grapes.

Spanish custom

A custom in Madrid in the late 19th century imposed the intake of twelve grapes at the chimes of the clock in the Puertadel Sol. The practice soon spread throughout Spain and seems to have its origins in a surplus of grapes in the area of Alicante and Murcia.A grape is eaten at each chime with the wish for a prosperous and happy new year.

This Spanish tradition became popular in Latin American countries where in some places fresh grapes are replaced by raisins like in Argentina. The arrival of the New Year is celebrated differently in each country. In Italy for example, it is customary to make a lentil soup and in Greece a cake is baked with a coin inside which promises a year of happiness for the person who finds it.

Club News

Special Covers

Tamil Naidu Postal Circle of India Post released a Special Cover on 26 June2013 on Anjuham Higher Secondary School Chennai.

: Ankit Agarwal - Pune

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Zubin Mehta...

 

 

Zubin Mehta is an Indian Parsi conductor of Western classical music. He is the Music Director for Life of the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra and the Main Conductor for Valencia's opera house. He is also the chief conductor of Florence, Italy's Maggio Musicale festival.

Mehta was born into a Parsi family in Bombay. He initially intended to study medicine, but eventually became a music student in Vienna at the age of 18, under Hans Swarowsky.

Overs the years,he has been the Music Director and Principal Conductor at various Philharmonic including Liverpool, Montreal, Los Angeles, New York, Tel Aviv, Florence, Munich, Vienna, Valencia and London.

On 26 Dec 2005, the first anniversary of the Indian Ocean Tsunami, Mehta and the Bavarian State Orchestra performed for the first time in Chennai at the Madras Music Academy. On 7 Sep 2013, Zubin Mehta appeared with Bavarian State Orchestra at a Special concert named Ehsaas- e- Kashmir organized by German Embassy in India, at historic Mughal Gardens, Srinagar, Kashmir.

He has been the recipient of the Padma Bhushan, Padma Vibhushan, Tagore Award, Lifetime Achievement Peace and Tolerance Award of the United Nations & Hollywood Walk of Fame.

Mehta is an honorary citizen of Italy & Israel, permanent resident of US but retains his Indian citizenship.

In 2007, Austria Post released a stamp honouring him, while in 2006, Croatia released a postmark for his concert. 

- Kenneth Sequeira , Dubai (UAE)

email : kenneth.sequeira@hotmail.com

Club News

Honour for philatelist

The Limca Book of Records have recognized three of following collections of noted philatelist & numismatist, Cdr G.Sriramarao of Vishakhapatnam as National Record for 2014 and will be included in their book to be published on 30 June 2014.

1. Musical Post Offices 2. Musical coins 3. Musical currency

They have recognized the three categories separately and issued 3 certificates to Cdr G. Sriramarao.

Musical Post Offices Collection of Shri Ramarao could be viewed at following links :

Musical Post Office Part I

Musical Post Office Part II

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Nuclear Security Summit

 

 

Date of Issue : 28 August 2013

This MS by Kazakhstan Post was released on 28th Aug 2013 features Indian Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh.Interestingly, the stamp images are of the summit in Seoul 2012 and the MS image has dignitaries photos of the summit in Washington 2010.

The Nuclear Security Summit (NSS) is a world summit, aimed at preventing nuclear terrorism around the globe. The first summit was held in Washington, D.C. on April 12, 2010. The second summit was in Seoul in 2012. The third summit will be held in The Hague on March 24-15, 2014.

: Kenneth Sequeira – Dubai (UAE)

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Vanishing Trades..

 

SingPost will release a special stamp issue on vanishing trades in Singapore on 16th October, featuring  Vanishing Trades of Singapore . These are definitive issues. Some of these stamps are related with Indian themes and could also be included in the collection of Indian themes on foreign stamps.

Need your knife to be sharpened? A bottle of fresh goat milk? A refreshing ice-ball to beat the heat? In early days, immigrants who came to Singapore started small businesses, with many of them as peddlers at the streets and along the five-foot-ways of the shop houses such as dairy men, beaded slippers makers, knife sharpeners etc. Many of these trades that were once a familiar sight are fast disappearing, instep with Singapore's development as an urban metropolis, financial and maritime hub. To preserve memories of the
vanishing trades in Singapore, SingPost will release a new stamp issue, Vanishing Trades Definitives on 16 October. They bear testimonies to growing and building of yesteryear Singapore and are part of Singapore’s rich cultural heritage.
 
ƒ

Dairy Men (1st Local)

Dairy men migrated from Tamil Nadu in South India and Uttar Pradesh in North India to Malaya at the beginning of the 20th century. They catered mainly to the growing Indian community around Serangoon Road, and some were involved in the cattle trade in the Serangoon area. As part of their delivery routine, they would travel on foot from house to
house with their goats or cows to sell truly fresh milk. Some dairy men would also deliver
cans of milk by bicycles.
 
ƒ Beaded Slippers Makers (2nd Local)

Beaded slippers makers were traditionally Peranakan women who had to learn bead work prior to marriage as part of Peranakan customs. These makers would use brilliantly-coloured
miniscule glass beads to create intricate designs onto a piece of needlepoint fabric stretched
upon a wooden frame. Once the beading work had been completed, the beaded cloth would
be sent to the cobbler to be made into slippers.
 
ƒ Kachang Puteh Sellers ($0.05)

Kachang Puteh sellers were primarily Indian vendors selling nuts, beans or peas (collectively known as “kachang” in Malay). These kachang could be steamed, fried, roasted or coated with sugar. The early kachang puteh sellers were roving vendors who plied their goods which were usually displayed on a rack or tray.
 
ƒ Lantern Makers (S$0.20)

Lantern making was once a popular trade in the early days of Singapore. Lantern makers could paint over oiled paper stretched over interwoven ribs of delicate bamboo. The painted lanterns often depict famous legendary figures and/or Chinese characters for good luck and longevity.
 
ƒ Songkok Makers (S$0.30)

Songkok makers were predominantly from Sumatra or of Sumatran descent, and catered to
the Malay/Muslim communities in Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia and Brunei. The Muslims wear Songkok (a traditional Muslim head gear) when attending prayers at the mosque,religious events and festive celebrations such as Hari Raya Haji and Hari Raya Puasa.

ƒ Goldsmiths (S$0.45)

Goldsmiths arrived in Singapore from Sri Lanka in the late 19th century and from South India and Gujarat in the mid-20th century. They would sit on floor mats or work over small benches while hand crafting pieces of jewellery. Their tools of the trade include screws, files, hammers, acid, sandpaper, water and a lamp. In addition to these tools, goldsmiths must have patience, creativity and skilful fingers.

Cobblers (S$0.50)

Cobblers offer shoe-repair services such as the replacement of worn out soles and heels as
well as the polishing of shoes. In the early days, this trade was dominated by Chinese males
who could station themselves along five-foot-ways, at the corners of pavements along busy
roads, and on sidewalks within the vicinity of bus-stops.

Knife Sharpeners (S$0.55)

Knife sharpeners were either Cantonese people or Malay. Many of them could ply their trade along five-foot-ways. Some could travel from one housing estate to another with their tools of trade. Their tools would typically include a pail of water, a grindstone and sheets of sandpaper.
 
ƒ Ice-Ball Sellers (S$0.65)

Ice-ball sellers were primarily Indian vendors who sold drinks and ice-balls on pushcarts. The ice-balls could be drenched in colourful syrup and/or milk, and could sometimes include fillings like cooked red beans or “attap-chees” (mangrove palm seeds cooked in sugar).
 
ƒ Parrot Astrologers (S$0.80)

Parrot astrologers arrived in Singapore in the late 19th century from India. They often used
parakeets to pick up tarot cards so that they could interpret the cards to foretell a person’s
future. The tools of their trade would include a small table or rug, a set of 27 fortune cards,
astrology charts, a notebook and a parakeet.

Club News

New Special Cover

A Special Cover was issued on Mahatma  Gandhi at GPO Lucknow on Philately Day, AHIMSAPEX 2013 12 October 2013. A two day Philately exhibition on Gandhi & Freedom fighter was also  held which concluded on 13 October 2013.

: Sandeep Chaurasia – Gorakhpur ; Himanshu Singh -  Deoria

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