New Stamp from India..

 

 

Date of issue : 30 April 2011

Today India Post issued a commemorative postage stamp on Umrao Kunwar Ji “ Archana”.

Umrao Kunwar Ji “ Archana”

 

Courtesy : Stamps of India

Wedding day dawns for Prince William and Kate….

 

 

The very special day for William and Kate has arrived .The Royal wedding takes place today in Westminster Abbey.As the wedding date has got closer and closer, the wedding has begun to really capture everyone’s attention.Over 2bn people worldwide are expected to tune into watch the wedding. Today's Royal wedding will have a distinctly Irish feel. Prince William will be married in red — wearing the famous tunic of an Irish Guards officer rather than his RAF uniform. Many Postal administrations are issuing special stamps today to mark this very special royal wedding !!

Date of Issue : 29 April 2011

Club News

Here are some questions asked by our reader Mr Hemant Kumar Jain from RTI regarding Khadi MS and My Stamp. Many readers would be interested to know the answers. Brief translation of Question and answer for Non Hindi Readers is also given below.

Information from RTI regarding Khadi MS and MY STAMP

1. No. of Khadi Miniature sheet printed – 105,000

2. Total No. of Presentation Pack – 105,000

3. On Presentation Pack Printed No. is .01 Million. Is it correct ??

Ans : This Number is incorrect and wrongly printed. No Clarification issued by Department.

4. How many copies of Khadi Presentation Packs were sold during INDIPEX ? What decision has been taken by Deptt. for the rest of the Khadi Presentation Packs ??

Ans : Copies sold during INDIPEX : 22,222. Now rest of the copies are being sold through e post office : www.epostoffice.gov.in

5. Whether Khadi Ms will be distributed to account holders of Philatelic Bureaeus ?

Ans : No. It was decided that these MS will be sold at INDIPEX Venue only .

6. Besides New Delhi Philatelic Bureau, Whether Khadi MS will be available at other philatelic Bureaus of the country too ??

Ans : Decision not taken by the Department so far.

7. Whether FDC of this MS with special cancellation will be available for collectors ?

Ans : No

8. Those who could not avail MY Stamp Facility during INDIPEX, Can get this facility again…???

Ans : No. As this facility was only available at INDIPEX venue. Decision has not been taken to resume this facility by the Deptt.

9. The postage for Khadi MS by Post was Rs 25 but those who ordered for 10 sheets were charged 2750 where as the Speed Post postage spent by the Deptt was just Rs 50. Why extra amount of Rs 200 was taken by the Deptt from collectors ?

Ans : Rest of the extra amount will be returned to collectors. Anyone could claim for the reimbursement by sending application to the Deptt .

Philatelic Exhibition on Tagore

In celebration of 150 birth anniversary of Rabindranath Tagore, the Indian Council for Cultural Relations, Ministry of External Affairs, Govt. of India will be organising a month long Stamp exhibition commencing on May 9, 2011, exclusively on Rabindranath Tagore from the collection of Sekhar Chakrabarti, Moloy Sarkar and Souvik Roy at Rabindranath Tagore Centre, Kolkata.

View its Catalogue with details of World Stamps on Tagore

http://www.scribd.com/doc/54187415/Stamp

New stamp on 50th Ann. of first human space flight

Date of Issue : 12 April 2011

Azerbaijan has issued a set of stamps on 12 April 2011 to commemorate the 50th anniversary of first human's flight to space. The stamps feature the International space station, "Vostok-1" in which Yuri Gagarin made first space flight and the painting of outstanding Azerbaijani artist Tahir Salakhov "To you mankind".

Club News

Chitralekha publishes interviews of philatelists..

Chitralekha, famous Gujarati magazine on which India Post has issued a postage stamp on 20 April, has published in its recent issue, a special article on philately in continuation to the release of Stamp on Shri Vaju Kotak & Chitralekha. Articles tells about the hobby of philately and they have also published interviews of noted Indian philatelists Shri Ashok Bayanwala, Shri Vijay Navlakha (Ahmedabad), Shri Dhirubhai Mehta (Mumbai) and Mr Prashant Pandya of Vadodara.

Small part of article translated in English is given below for the Readers….

History of Stamps

Chitralekha has done it once again and this feat in question has been unparalleled in the field of Gujarati journalism. Ministry of Communications through its Posts & Telegraph released a commemorative stamp on late shri Vaju Kotak, founder of Chitralekha, to engrave in history the 60-year glorious journey of the publication. The ever-alert editorial of the magazine seizes this moment to apprise the readers of the philately and its past traditions. Ketan Trivedy & Samir Paleja give us a glimpse into the colourful history of the past and present traditions of philately.

The hobby of stamp collection has always been a rage in every generation. The cover story begins with a unique case that aptly illustrates the craze for collection. A gentleman named Arthur Hind purchased a postal stamp titled British Guyana, worth one cent, at Rs 1, 68,886 way back in 1922. One day he got a call from another collector claiming that he too had the identical stamp with him. Arthur checked the authenticity of the stamp and then bought the second stamp from the new collector. What he did thereafter was really incredible. He flipped out his lighter and ignited the newly bought stamp right in front of the seller. Reason? Arthur wanted to ensure that he was the sole owner of this exclusive stamp and therefore never wanted to let there be any other identical stamp. This is what you call height of his passion, his craze for stamp collection.

So welcome to the exclusive world of philately and philatelists where the latter that are spread across the world, collect the used/unused stamps and other related postal stationeries of various countries just for pure fun. Stamp collectors look out for quirky stamps and would not hesitate spending millions to grab stamps bearing the Queen’s picture with her head printed upside down. Admittedly, in this world of emails and smses, use of postal stamps has considerably gone down but it has not dampened the spirit of these stamp collectors. Even today there is a virtual scramble whenever a new stamp and first day cover are released.

The cover story reveals that the first ever postal stamp was released in Great Britain on 6 May 1840. Before the practice of postal stamps was introduced, the charges for delivery were taken from the addressee. Legend has it that a British mother refused to pay these charges for the letter received from her son. Her logic was that there was no reason for her to pay for receiving a blank letter from her son which was enough for her to know about his well being. Yes, that was the first ever ‘miss mail’ of the world.

And this incident prompted authorities to suggest and introduce reforms in postal services and this is how postal stamps came into being. In India first postal stamp was released on 1 October 1854 when the British were ruling the country. It was therefore no surprise that the stamp would bear the picture of the Queen. It is however learnt that a couple of years before the first stamp was brought out, the Governor of Sindh had authorized a stamp for local use though, which continued till 1854.

How then the words like philately and this craze for stamp collection came into use? It is believed that a British lady requisitioned for postal stamps through ads in paper so that she could embellish her dressing table with them. This apparently spurred people to collect stamps. And the word philately was given by a French man.
This and many such tidbits are strewn across the story which is amazing, full of details that were hitherto unknown and least written about. You need not be a philatelist to be able to enjoy the story. However chances are that you might turn into one after reading the story. Happy reading, happy collection.And yes, let us not forget in conclusion that for those associated with Gujarati journalism and the Gujarati community at large, this is a proud moment that one from among them appeared on the face of a postal stamp. A rare feat and a glorious moment for all of us indeed..!!

From Chitralekha website: http://www.chitralekha.com/chitraguj/engsummary.php

 

Special Cover on Tagore

A special Cover on Guru Rabindranath Tagore will be released at RABINDRA PARISHAD, RABINDRA BHAWAN PATNA   on 9 May 2011. The cover has been designed by Mr Souvik Roy of Kolkatta . 2000 Covers will be issued and the covers will be available from Rabindra Parishad Patna. For more details,  Mr Souvik Roy may be contacted at email : lorenzosouvik@gmail.com

 

25th Anniversary – Chernobyl Disaster

 

 

 

25^th anniversary of the Chernobyl disaster

On April 26, 2011 Belarus Post issued two stamps to mark “25^th anniversary of the Chernobyl disaster”.The Chernobyl accident occurred on April 26, 1986 was the most severe technological disaster for Belarus by its consequences. Experts estimated that the most radioactive precipitation had fallen in Belarus. As a result 23 percent of our territory inhabited by about a quarter of the population was exposed to radioactive contamination. 25 years have passed since the Chernobyl disaster and the effects are still visible.

sheetlet

A special cancellation to mark this day on FDC was issued at Post Office of Minsk .

: Belarus Post

New stamp on 50th anniversary of First man in Space….

Date of Issue : 12 April 2011

Magyar Posta issued a unique souvenir sheet on 12 April to commemorate 50 years of First Man in Space. The souvenir sheet gives a look of newspaper. The design features the news of the space flight published in contemporary news paper 50 year ago.On 12 April 1961 Gagarin became the first man to travel into space on board Vostok 1. The entire flight lasted 108 minutes and orbited the earth once. Here are the details of the design of this special souvenir sheet…….

A graphic composition recalling the atmosphere of a contemporary newspaper carrying the news of the space flight is used to mark the fiftieth anniversary on the numbered commemorative block. In the stamp design and the surrounding frame there are articles relating events fifty years ago, written by the physicist and astronomer Dr Előd Both, head of the Hungarian Space Agency. On the block's stamp a picture of Vostok 1 and the article entitled 'The first man in space' can be seen. In the border there is a portrait of Yuri Gagarin next to one of the newspaper articles.

The elements of the graphic design on the first day cover include a structural diagram of Vostok 1, the number referring to the anniversary, the earth and Gagarin's signature. The design of the commemorative postmark employs an inscription capturing the anniversary.

Club News

STAMP ISSUE PROGRAMME of India Post FOR THE YEAR 2011

A revised list of Indian Stamp Issue programme for 2011 is available at : http://www.indiapost.gov.in/philatelycalendar2011.htm

Forthcoming Issues :

30 April : UMRAO KANWAR MAHARAJ SAA “ARCHANA”

7 May : RABINDRANATH TAGORE – 2 stamps

New stamps and coins on Royal Wedding….

 

To be issued on 26 April 2011

The General Post Office in St. Kitts will honour the Royal Wedding with the release of stamps celebrating the Engagement of Prince William and Kate Middleton. The Souvenir Sheets and Sheetlets to mark this historic occasion would be released  on Tuesday 26th April 2011 at the Philatelic Bureau, Pelican Mall, ahead of the April 29th wedding.

Stamps and coin from Canada

Canada Post has unveiled a pair of commemorative stamps marking the nuptials of Prince William and Catherine Middleton. The domestic and international-rate stamps will be issued on the couple's wedding day, April 29. Other philatelic collectibles will also be issued on this special occasion.

Stamp Booklets

Souvenir Sheet

Postage Paid domestic Post card

2011 $20 Fine Silver Coin - The Wedding Celebration

Stamps and Coin from Australia

Date of Issue – 12 April 2011

Miniature Sheet

Maxim Cards

Date of Issue 1 April 2011

Greetings on Easter…

Easter is the day when Jesus Christ was crucified and the Christians offer prayers and services in the Churches. Easter is another important festival for Christians. On this day Jesus Christ rose from the dead and ascended into heaven. Easter eggs and Easter bunnies are a major attraction during Easter, the festival of rejuvenation of life and living.

New Stamps on Easter

The Serbian Post has issued two stamps dedicated to the Easter Feast. For Orthodox Christians, Easter is the holiest day of the year. It marks Christ's resurrection from the dead and the end of 46 days of fasting with a sumptuous feast.

In Serbian Easter is called Vaskrs, a liturgical form inherited from the Serbian recension of Church Slavonic. The Easter service in the orthodox church starts at 11 on Saturday night and ends at midnight with the priest chanting "Hristos Vaskrse" (he is risen) three times.

Croatian Post has released fourteen new commemorative postage stamps with the theme "Easter - Stations of the Cross". Each stamp depicts one of the fourteen Stations of the Cross,the depiction of the final hours in the life of Jesus Christ. and has a face value of HRK 3.10.

The tradition of the Stations of the Cross originated in pilgrimages to Jerusalem, where pilgrims followed the footsteps of Christ to the cross.

Club News

Philatelic & Numismatic exhibition in Trichur

Shrine Bassilica of our Lady of Dolours and Trichur Philatelic Club is jointly organising a three day Philatelic cum Numismatic display on "Pope John Paul II and Christianity" from 29th April 2011 to 01st May 2011 on the occasion of Beatification of Pope John Paul II at Vatican which coincides with 25th Anniversary of John Paul II visit to Trichur, Kerala.

Venue: Bassilica Jubilee Hall, Trichur.

A Special cover on Pope John Paul II will also be released on this occasion

: Sreejesh Krishnan, Trivandrum

Special cover – Sri Jagannath Sadak Yatra - Kolkatta to Puri

16 March 2011

Here is the special carried Cover received from Mr Anil Dhir issued on the occasion of Sri Jagannath Sadak Sagad Yatra which was undertaken from 6th – 20th March from Kolkatta to Puri. Many thanks to Mr Dhir for this very special cover. Only 500 covers have been issued and each cover is numbered and signed by Mr Dhir and Mr.Kasinath Sahoo.

Tributes to great authors of the world on World Book Day !!

 

 

 

 

 

Rabindranath Tagore

Philatelic Tributes to great authors of the world on World Book Day… Many of us might have read the books by these great authors sometime in our life …. It is a day to remember their contribution in the field of literature …. and pay tributes to them on this very special day..

Munshi Premchand

William Shakespeare

Charles Dickens

Great woman authors : Charlotte Bronte, George Eliot, Emily Bronte,Elizabeth Gaskell

Anton Pavlovich Chekhov & Leo Tolstoy

Anton Pavlovich Chekhov was one of the greatest physician and playwrights because of his works. According to a letter Chekhov wrote to his friend: “Medicine is my lawful wife, and literature is my mistress. When I get fed up with one, I spend the night with the other. Though it is irregular, it is less boring this way, and besides, neither of them loses anything through my infidelity.”

Born in Ukraine, this writer of short stories has published more stories than any other writer has done, some of them include The Betrothed, Zinotchka, The Tutor, A Naughty Boy and The Bishop.

Leo Tolstoy or Count Lyev Nikolayevich Tolstoy, on the other hand is a great novelist. His masterpieces which are War and Peace and Anna Karenina are one of the most sought after novels worldwide. These books represent the life and attitude of Russia in the 19^th century.

Books…..

Books are the quietest and most constant of friends; they are the most accessible and wisest of counsellors, and the most patient of teachers.

- Charles W. Eliot (1834 - 1926), The Happy Life, 1896

Books to the ceiling,
Books to the sky,
My pile of books is a mile high.
How I love them! How I need them!
I'll have a long beard by the time I read them.

- Arnold Lobel

World Book Day !!

World Book and Copyright Day

23rd April is celebrated globally as World Book and Copyright Day. World Book Day was designated by UNESCO as a worldwide celebration of books and reading, and is marked in over 100 countries around the globe.

The connection between 23 April and books was first made in 1923 by booksellers in Spain as a way to honour the author Miguel de Cervantes who died on that day. This became a part of the celebrations of the Saint George's Day (also 23 April) in Catalonia, where it has been traditional since the medieval era for men to give roses to their lovers and since 1925 for the woman to give a book in exchange. Half the yearly sales of books in Catalonia are at this time with over 400,000 sold and exchanged for over 4 million roses.

In 1995, UNESCO decided that the World Book and Copyright Day would be celebrated on this date because of the Catalonian festival and because the date is also the anniversary of the birth and death of William Shakespeare, the death of Miguel de Cervantes, Inca Garcilaso de la Vega and Josep Pla, the birth of Maurice Druon, Vladimir Nabokov, Manuel Mejía Vallejo and Halldór Laxness.

World Book Day is observed to pay a world-wide tribute to books and authors on this date, encouraging everyone, and in particular young people, to discover the pleasure of reading and gain a renewed respect for the irreplaceable contributions of those who have furthered the social and cultural progress of humanity. In this respect, UNESCO created both the World Book and Copyright Day and the UNESCO Prize for Children's and Young People's Literature in the Service of Tolerance.

News Clippings

Rediscover the joy of reading on World Book Day

Asha Chowdary, TNN | Apr 23, 2003, 02.13am IST

Maybe you've loved Austen or enjoyed Dickens — maybe it's Hemingway or Rowling who have held you in their spell. Whatever the book might be, you could show your love for the written word by reading a book today.
It's that time of the year when book lovers across the world unite to celebrate World Book and Copyright day, instituted by UNESCO's general conference in 1995.
They decided that April 23 of every year would be set aside to encourage reading and promote publishing and protection of intellectual property. On this day, many countries hold special ceremonies to mark the day, by way of book readings, conferences and contests.
Here are some facts about World Book and Copyright Day you might not know: The idea for this celebration began in Catalonia, Spain where, on April 23, Saint George's Day, a rose is traditionally given as a gift for each book sold.
The day is a symbolic date in world literature marking the birth or death of noted writers like Miguel de Cervantes, William Shakespeare, Inca Garcilaso de la Vega, K. Laxness, Maurice Druon and others.
UNESCO hoped that by introducing a day like this, they would help young people discover the pleasure of reading and pay tribute to some amazing authors in history.
Some countries celebrate a special Book Day on March 6 as well.
In Bangalore, a few bookstores like Sankars are making the day special with discounts and Harry Potter promotions. Other stores like Strand Book Stall are planning felicitations of authors over the week.

Amar Ujala 23 April 2011

:Ashwani Dubey, Gorakhpur