Special Cover – Indipex 2011

 

Khushboo Gujarat Ki – 13 February 2011

Special Cover was released on Gujarat State “ Khushboo Gujarat Ki” on 13th Feb. One more Special Cover on Western Union was also issued during the exhibition. A set of 6 postage stamps on Legendary Heroines of Indian Cinema was also released in a special ceremony organized at Imperial Hotel Lawns.

INDIPEX 2011 New Issues from other countries

: Ashwani Dubey from New Delhi

Press Clippings

Now, a stamp of approval for your photograph

In what could be an ultimate treat for philately enthusiasts, they can now have their personalised stamps. For the first time in India, stamp lovers got the opportunity to have their own or that of their loved ones' photographs on a real India postal stamp sheet for Rs 150. Personalised stamp - 'My Stamp' - is one of the most exciting and unique philatelic concepts that has given huge momentum to the World Philatelic Exhibition 2011 exhibition that was inaugurated by the president of India Pratibha Patil on Saturday at Pragati Maidan here. This is the 6th time India is hosting the exhibition. This time, the exhibition is taking place after a gap of 13 years. The exhibition has been attended by over 500 foreign delegates from across 70 countries.

Personalised stamp is unique in India, but this is quite popular in Netherlands. In Netherlands, people interested in getting stamps issued in their names have to send a requisition form and if they manage to fulfill all criteria, a personalised stamp can be easily made available by the government.

The whole idea is to popularise the use of postal stamps and thus encourage habit of letter writing and sending greeting cards in India. "A personalised stamp is a postage stamp, where a photograph can be added to the stamp. One can use the stamp while sending out letters or greetings on special occasions," said Harpreet Singh, director, Indipex 2011. One can make a choice from stamps on zodiac signs, aircrafts, train engines, wildlife, Taj Mahal and Panchatantra for his own personalised stamp.

A 'My Stamp' counter is opened at the venue. One either has to go there with a photograph with or get it clicked there. After sometime, he will be handed over a leaf of 12 stamps with his mug shot printed on them.

But many people had unpleasant experience in the exhibition ground, thanks to mismanagement on the organiser's part. Very few people were at the venue to guide the visitors, which is why many found it difficult to even locate the counter of their choice. People even had to wait for two hours in 'My Stamp' counter to get their photographs clicked. "Stamps were not properly catalogued nor were they placed in sequence. There were very few volunteers at stalls to assist the visitors," said Tanya Roy, a resident of Lajpat Nagar.

"The situation went out of control on Saturday as hundreds of people poured in. From Sunday onwards, we are planning to keep photographs and postal addresses of the ones coming for my stamp and later send them to their respective addresses," said Subhash Barmma, general manager, Indipex, 2011.

- Hindustan Times 13 Feb 2011

First khadi stamp makes mark

Feb. 12: The freedom movement and the country’s khadi heritage that came to symbolise it have been brought together in a unique stamp by India Post. The limited edition stamp made of the handspun material, which has generated huge interest among philatelists and collectors, was conceived to kindle the interest of the younger generation in stamps.

“The Internet generation is clueless about postal stamps and letters. We decided to come up with a unique product to get them interested in stamps,” Kavery Banerjee, chairperson of Indipex 2011, the annual international philatelic exhibition being held in New Delhi, told this newspaper.

After toying with the idea of silk stamps, India Post decided to go with homespun khadi. “And because it was khadi, it had to be with an image of the Mahatma,” said Ms Banerjee. Though India Post came up with the idea six months ago, India Security Press at Nashik was able to find a viable way to produce the stamp only after a lot of research in January 2011. “We are very happy that they got the stamp ready in time for the event,” Ms Banerjee said. Indipex was inaugurated by President Pratibha Patil in New Delhi on Saturday.

The khadi stamp is diamond-shaped and made of the usual unwatermarked, adhesive gravure-coated stamp paper on which is stuck a square of khadi cloth specially manufactured in West Bengal. A charkha appears on the foreground of the cloth, with the thread spinning out to form a line drawing of Mahatma Gandhi spinning.

“The stamp has a postage value of Rs 100 but is being offered as a limited edition in a collector’s pack at the exhibition for Rs 250,” Ms Banerjee said. The department has also launched a ‘My Stamp’ scheme through which an individual can get a personalised stamp for Rs 150.

- Deccan Chronicle 13 Feb 2011

Centenary of the World’s First Official Aerial Post

2011 marks the centenary of two of the world’s most important pioneer airmail flights. The first official Aerial Post flight took place during the United Provinces Exhibition at 5.30 p.m. on Saturday 18 February 1911. Less than seven months later the first United Kingdom Aerial Post from London to Windsor on Saturday 9 September 1911 was flown by the intrepid English pioneer aviator Gustav Hamel. In this special report, Peter Jennings FRPSL, FRGS, reviews the first of these historic flights. Read full article