Tributes to Kargil War Heroes…

 

 

Kargil Vijay Diwas is celebrated on 26 July every year in honour of the Kargil War's Heroes. Philatelic Tributes to the great heroes who sacrificed their life in the war !!

New Delhi: As the nation marked the 14th anniversary of the Kargil war on Friday, Defence Minister A K Antony and the chiefs of the Army, Navy and Air Force paid tributes to the martyrs at Amar Jawan Jyoti here.A candlelight tribute was also paid to martyrs on the eve of the Kargil Vijay Divas in Jammu and Kashmir's Drass sector.

To commemorate the heroism displayed by the soldiers who laid down their lives during the Indo-Pak war in Kargil in 1999, a number of events have been planned all across the country. Special functions will also be held at Kargil and Drass in Jammu and Kashmir, the war theatre where Indian soldiers fought bravely and laid down their lives to safeguard our motherland.

The Kargil war, which began in May 1999, lasted more than two months before Pakistan soldiers withdrew from the mountain tops they had occupied overlooking the Srinagar-Leh highway.
In the battle with Pakistani forces, the Army nearly lost 500 officers, soldiers and jawans, many of whom were posthumously felicitated with gallantry awards.

A special Cover was issued in Tiruchirapalli on Kargil War hero Major Saravanan on 26 July 2008.

 

New stamps from Malaysia

Malaysian Salads

Pos Malaysia issued a set of four stamps on 25 July, 2013 featuring traditional Malaysian salads. The stamps illustrate Pegaga, Kacang botor, Petai and Pucuk gajus.

Pegaga (Centella asiatica) grows in tropical swampy areas. The stems are slender, creeping stolons, green to reddish-green in color, connecting plants to each other. It has long-stalked, green, reniform leaves with rounded apices which have smooth texture with palmately netted veins. The rootstock consists of rhizomes, growing vertically down. They are creamish in color and covered with root hairs. In Malay cuisine the leaves of this plant are used forulam, a type of Malay salad.

Kacang botor (Psophocarpus tetragonolobus) is a tropical legume plant native to New Guinea. It grows abundantly in hot, humid equatorial countries. This bean has been called the “one species supermarket” because practically all of the plant is edible. The beans are used as a vegetable, but the other parts (leaves, flowers, and tuberous roots) are also edible. The flavor of the beans has a similarity to asparagus.

 

Date of Issue : 25 July 2013

Petai (Parkia speciosa) is a plant bearing long, flat edible beans with bright green seeds the size and shape of plump almonds which have a rather peculiar smell, similar (but stronger) to the Shiitake mushroom, characterized by some as being similar to natural gas. They are best when combined with other strongly flavored foods such as garlic, chili peppers, dried shrimp or shrimp paste. In Malaysia, petai also commonly served with sambal, or mixed with dried shrimp, chili peppers, red onions, belacan (shrimp paste), soy sauce and prawn.

Pucuk gajus (Anacardium occidentale) are cashew leaf shoots that are used in many traditional Malaysian dishes.Nasi ulam, for instance. Nasi ulam in Malaysia consist of cold cooked rice that is mixed with shredded herbs such as daun kaduk (wild betelnut leaf), pucuk gajus, onions etc.

 

 

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Herbs on stamps..

 

 

Planting and the use of herb plants have grown to be a trend in recent years. To showcase the enchanting beauty of these multipurpose plants, Chunghwa Post is issuing a set of four stamps featuring Mentha  piperita, Rosmarinusofficinalis, Salvia elegans, and Artemisia indica. The designs follow:

Mentha  piperita (NT$5): It is a perennial herbaceous plant of the family Lamiaceae. The plant has opposite, ovate or oval-shaped leaves. The flowers are either white or pink, and grown in whorls. It is edible, medicinally useful, and a common ingredient in essential oils, pesticides and pest repellants.

Rosmarinusofficinalis (NT$5): It is a woody, perennial plant of the family Lamiaceae. The leaves are opposite, long and narrow; the colors are rich green, with a pleasant sheen. The flowers are blue, white or pink. The plant is edible and extensively used for medicinal purposes. It is also a common ingredient in essential oils and bath products.

Salvia elegans (NT$12): It is a perennial herbaceous plant of the family Lamiaceae. The leaves are either ovate or heart-shaped; they emit a mild, fruity fragrance when brushed or rubbed. The flowers are red. The plant is edible.

Artemisia indica (NT$15): It is a perennial herbaceous plant of the family Asteraceae.

The leaves are pinnate, green, with dense white tomentose hairs on the underside.

When they just bloom, the flowers are light yellow. The plant is edible and a medicinal herb. It is also used in essential oils, scenting, and folk practices.

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Oregano–aromatic herb on stamp

 

Here are some beautiful issues from Cyprus and Taiwan. Cyprus post issued an aromatic stamp featuring oregano. Chunghwa Post  issued a set of Greeting stamps.

Oregano

Oregano – or “rouvanos” – is a member of the Lamiaceae family. It is an aromatic bush or semi-bush growing up to 100cm tall with spade-shaped, succulent and thick hairy leaves.

It is a species native to Cyprus, restricted mainly to the Pafos forest area and thrives in rocky areas in various habitats, at an altitude between 200-100m. It is used extensively in cooking and is one of the most popular herbs in the Mediterranean cuisine. Oregano is effective against headaches and insomnia and acts as a cure for stomach ailments. It also has analgesic and sedative properties. Its essential oils are extracted and used in the perfumery and pharmaceutical industry.

Oregano can be used as an ornamental plant and provides ground cover in combination with other species. It is also used in rock gardens and pots. It thrives in well-drained soil and can be planted from seed.

New Greeting stamps from Taiwan

 

Chunghwa Post released a set of “Congratulations Postage Stamps” in 2012. Now it is following up with a second set of four stamps, each featuring one pair of tropical fish, swans, penguins or mandarin ducks. The stamps have round perforated centers with a predominately orange and yellow color scheme, with a red background that features the double-happiness character, which is commonly used in Chinese culture to celebrate marriage. The area surrounding the round center features a grid of double-happiness characters, which convey a sense of glad tidings. The designs follow:

1. Tropical Fish (NT$3.5): A pair of enraptured tropical fish is sealing their love with a kiss. The moving scene conveys the idea of “angelic lovers being lifted to the clouds.”

2. Swans (NT$3.5): The male swan wears a crown and the female swan a lace bridal veil. The scene demonstrates the idea of loving bonds that last “till death do them part.”

3. Penguins (NT$5): The male penguin wears a bowtie and dons a stovepipe hat and the female wears a lace bridal veil. The illustration symbolizes the idea of happiness and love everlasting.

4. Mandarin ducks (NT$5): The female duck bashfully turns her head to look at the male, symbolizing that they will be together through thick and thin over the journey of their lives.

Source : International Stamp News

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