New Stamps from UNPA

Date of Issue - 25 September 2009

Hi ! I could not update my Blog for the last few days as I am away from Kullu and now in my home state Uttar Pradesh for this festive week. I am posting today's Post from Lucknow. Here are the recent stamps issued by United Nations Postal Administration on 25 September 2009.These stamps are in a set of 24 commemorative stamps in a mini-sheet format of eight stamps each on the theme "UN Millennium Development Goals". The stamps focus on eight U.N. millennium development goals aimed at alleviating extreme poverty by 2015. In the second part of the Post an appeal from our distinguished member Mr Anil Dhir of Bhubaneshwar. Please go through it and help him. This is all for Today....Till Next Post ......Have a Nice Time !....

AN APPEAL TO THE PHILATELIC COMMUNITY

Please read this short piece and help serve a philatelic cause.

I have lost track of a cover which was in the collection of the Late Jadunath Kanungo of Cuttack. It was a damaged cover posted from Jammu around the turn of the century (circa 1898-1905) and addressed to “ The Rich Merchant of Cuttack”. It was an ordinary cover with a common stamp. I had seen the cover in Jadunath babu’s collection a few years back and he had promised to give it to me. However, in philatelic eccentricity, he took his own sweet time to do so. My repeated requests would yield the reply that he had lost track of it in him huge collection.

I had got a colour scan of the cover, and it had intrigued me. The address was just mentioned as “ The Rich Old Merchant of Cuttack”, the letter had been delivered. I had done a lot of follow up and found out who the rich merchant to whom it was addressed to was. I had also followed up the story till Jammu and traced the descendents of the person who had sent the cover. The letter had been sent by a coconut wholesaler, who used to import coconuts all the way from Orissa. The coconuts for the Vaishno Devi temple used to be sent all the way from Orissa, in a journey that entailed transportation by bullock carts, train, boats and finally ponies. My efforts also yielded a lot other aspects, which made a very good study in Postal history. My desire was to write a short monograph on the cover.

I had last met Mr. Jadunath Kanungo during EIPEX held at Bhubaneswar in October 2008 where he was felicitated with the lifetime achievement award for philately by Eastern India Philatelic Association and was given honour by the Governor of Orissa. After the ceremony, I had once again asked him about the cover, and to help him search for it I gave him the colour scan (the only one I had). He promised to go thru his collection and give me the cover. I insisted on paying him a price there and then, and he very reluctantly accepted Rs 250/- for it. I kept on reminding him of it for the next two months until one day on the 7th December he rang me up and said that he had got the cover and I could come over and collect it. As I was away from Bhubaneswar, I told him that I would collect it the next week.

Unfortunately on the 9th December Jadu babu passed away. His death was swift and sudden and we lost a great philatelist. I attended the funeral at Cuttack, the thought of the cover was still in my mind. I did not broach the subject of the cover to Mrs. Kanungo for some time, but did enquire about what she would do with the collection. She did not have any immediate plans to dispose off the collection. However after a couple of months, when I approached her she told me that she has sold off the entire collection to dealers in Kolkatta. The collection was taken by her brother who sold it to different dealers in Kolkatta. I have been desperately trying to locate the cover, but to no avail.

I will pay a very good price for the cover as it has a lot of value for me as I have put up a lot of efforts for my research. To any other collector it is just a non descript cover, of not much value. My appeal to anyone who has the cover is to at least let me have a colour scan of it. Please email me at anildhir2k5@hotmail.com or ring me up at 09861020747. It will serve a philatelic cause.

Festivals of India – Durga Puja, Dussehra

Date of Issue – 7 October 2008

Wishing you all a Happy Festive Season !!

Hi ! This is the festive week in India. There is fun and ferver of Durga Puja & Dussehra, everywhere all over India. People are in festive mood.On this occasion Greetings to all of you !! Have a Wonderful Time and Enjoy the festive season !!

Durga Puja is celebrated with joy all over India, especially West Bengal in worship of Goddess Durga. Singing, dancing, sweets & gaiety are an integral part of the Durga Pooja Festival. People send Durga Puja Gifts to dear ones and express good wishes.

About Goddess Durga

Durga, in Sanskrit means "She who is incomprehensible or difficult to reach." Goddess Durga is a form of Sakti worshiped for her gracious as well as terrifying aspect. Mother of the Universe, she represents the infinite power of the universe and is a symbol of a female dynamism. The manifestation of Goddess Durga is said to emerge from Her formless essence and the two are inseparable. She is also called by many other names, such as Parvati, Ambika, and Kali. In the form of Parvati, She is known as the divine spouse of Lord Shiva and is the mother of Her two sons, Ganesha and Karttikeya, and daughter Jyoti. Destroyer of demons, she is worshiped during an annual festival called Durga puja, especially popular among Bengalis.

Dussehra

'Ravan Dahan' that involves the burning of the effigies of Ravana.

The festival of Dussehra, also known as Vijayadashmi, is one of the fascinating festivals of India and is celebrated with joy and enthusiasm. According to the great Hindu scripture, the Ramayana, Lord Rama performed chandi-puja (holy prayer). This was carried out in order to invoke the blessings of Durga Maa for the killing of Ravana, the ten-headed demon king of Sri Lanka who had abducted Seeta, wife of Lord Rama.

Durga Maa divulged the secret to Rama on how he could slay the great Ravana. Hence upon vanquishing the demon Ravana, Lord Rama with Sita and younger brother Laxmana, returned victorious to his kingdom of Ayodhya on the day which is called 'Diwali'. Revelers across northern India re-enact the legend at sundown in a performance called the Ramlila, featuring actors dressed as Rama shooting flaming arrows at effigies stuffed with firecrackers.

Dassera day is considered a most auspicious day. It is a time-honored belief that if any new venture is started on this day, it is bound to be successful. Hence, all the undertakings be it laying-in of foundation of a new building, opening of a new commercial establishment or even initiating a child into the world of learning- are started on this day. Also on this day implements of agriculture, manufacturer's machines, the intellectuals pens, the household articles, the children's school books are placed before the idol of Durga and worshiped.

FDC’s of 'Sets of Stamps' issued on the same Day -

Predecessors of 'Se - tenant Stamps'

From the collection of Praful Thakkar

This is the collection of our distinguished member Mr. Praful Thakkar of Ahmedabad featuring a variety of FDCs of sets of stamps. In earlier issues variety in sizes and designs of FDCs can be seen.

Centenary of First war of Independence 1857

The above covers show 2 different First Day Cancellations viz 15 Aug 1957 & 16 Aug 1957.

Kalidas – 22.6.60 (FDCs in two sizes)

Wild life Preservation – 7.10.63

Subhash Chandra Bose – 23 .1.64

My 9.9.9 Collection of Taj….

Hi ! This is my special collection of Taj 9.9.9. cancellations on Taj picture postcards. I tried to make these special Max cards for special date of 9 September 2009 which occurred once in a life time. Though the date does not match with the issue date of Taj Stamp which is essential for a perfect Max Card…but as Taj is my favourite I prepared these cards for my own collection. I want to thank my uncle Mr Rashtra Gaurav from Agra who took pains to provide me these wonderful cards with 999 cancellations …Many thanks to him because without his kind effort it was not possible at all to get theses cancellation on memorable date of 9.9.9……..Here is the Pride of India , Taj Mahal one of the wonders of the world from different angles & also some important monuments of Agra on Greeting Cards issued by India Post !!

Taj Pictorial Postmark from Taj Sub Post Office with 999 date cancellation

Tomb of Shajahan-Mumtaz (Inside Taj)

Backside of these Greeting Cards

Greeting Cards issued by India Post

Taj Cancellation from Taj Post Office Agra

Booking receipt of above cover of Taj Post Office

Booking Receipt of above cover from Dayal Bagh Post office. Dayal Bagh is also a very important tourist place of Agra.

9.9.9 Covers from other countries …..

Hi ! Thanks to all of you to send me such wonderful cover from your country. It’s a great pleasure to receive 999 covers from different parts of the world..Here are some covers that I recently received from my overseas friends ! Thank you very much !!!

Cover from Taiwan with nice 9999 meter cancellation label – George Wu

Thanks George ! for this beautiful cancellation with Date & Time all 9 !

FDC from Malaysia – Sirini Thevarayan

Cover from Jerusalem,Israel with meter cancellation label – Dr Eli Moallem

Cover from Dammam, KSA – Ganesh Potphode

Cover from Malaysia – John Michael Cardosa

Cover from Serbia – Sasa Cvejin

Cover from Malta – Silvan Mugliett

Cover from Dijon, France – David Jastrzebski

Thanks Limanski for this beautiful card !

Cover from Riga - Latvia, Limansky E.N.

Cover from – Croatia – Zeljko Vasilik

Cover from Brno, Czech Republic – Jan Strnad

New Postal Stationery from Australia

Pre - Stamped Envelope - Celebrating 150 Years of Brisbane

Hi ! Here are some recent nice Postal stationery items issued by Australia Post. Australia is a country which issues not only amazing postage stamps but also wonderful postal stationery and coins. I have already written about some new glittering coins issued by Australia. But today its beautiful postal stationery caught my attention and I wish to write about them as Postal stationery is an important part of a philatelic collection. These beautiful stationery items were released by Australia Post on September 1. 2009.This is all in today’s Post…..Till Next Post …..Have a Nice Time !!….

Pre-stamped envelope

This pre-stamped envelope (PSE) celebrates the 150th anniversary of Brisbane. On the 6 September 1859 the town of Brisbane was declared a municipality.

Set of Five Aerogrammes

This set of three international postage paid envelopes and five aerogrammes features eight species of water bird that spend at least part of their annual migration in Australia.

Aerogrammes

• The Pied Heron


• Eastern Curlew
• Black-tailed Godwit
• Wandering Whistling-Duck
• Roseate Tern
  

International Postage Paid Envelopes:

• Latham's Snipe - DL
• Yellow-nosed Albatross - C5
• Soft-plumaged Petrel - C4

The wonderful illustrations are from lithographs by Henry Constantine Richter, published in John Gould's The Birds of Australia, released between 1840 and 1848.

Courtesy - Australia Post