Hi ! I have just published June issue of Rainbow Stamp News on Blog. It may be viewed at following link :
http://rainbowstampnews.blogspot.com/
Also available at Scribd :
http://www.scribd.com/doc/56780979/Rainbow-Stamp-News-June-2011-Issue
31 May 2011
World No Tobacco Day 2011
Today is World No Tobacco Day !! The World Health Organization (WHO) has selected "The WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control" as the theme of the World No Tobacco Day 2011.
Say No to Smoking !!
The WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (WHO FCTC) is the world's foremost tobacco control instrument. The first treaty ever negotiated under the auspices of WHO, it represents a signal achievement in the advancement of public health. In force only since 2005, it is already one of the most rapidly and widely embraced treaties in the history of the United Nations, with more than 170 Parties. An evidence-based treaty, it reaffirms the right of all people to the highest standard of health and provides new legal dimensions for cooperation in tobacco control.
Stamp on Vergi Lighthouse….
Date of Issue : 2 June 2011
Estonia Post will issue postage stamp on 2 June 2011 to commemorate famous Vergi lighthouse. Vergi Lighthouse, which will be 75 in 2011, is a white concrete tower with lantern room and balcony, 10 meters high from the foot. The height of the light from sea level is 11 meters and the visibility of the light is nine miles.
Vergi
In the late 19th and early 20th century Vergi was one of the biggest fishing villages on the North Estonian coast, particularly known as the best eel fishing place. In the 1920s it served as a wintering place for small ships and it also had a shipbuilding industry. In 1924 an automatic light pyramidal lattice frame light beacon covered with iron plating was put up on a large coastal reef next to Vergi Port. Analogous beacons were erected on several other Estonian islands, such as Prangli and Muhu. In 1936 a reinforced concrete lighthouse ten meters high replaced the rust-eaten structure. During World War II there was no light in the Vergi lighthouse, but it started blinking again in 1945.
Permanent Pictorial Cancellations
Tamil Nadu
Permanent Pictorial Postmark – 17 - Mahabalipuram
Date of Inauguration of PPP - December 31, 1976
Mahabalipuram (derived from Tamil - Mamallapuram) was a 7th century port city of the South Indian dynasty of the Pallavas around 60 km south from the city of Chennai. The name Mamallapuram is believed to have been given after the Pallava king Narasimhavarman I, who took on the epithet Maha-malla (great wrestler), as the favorite sport of the Pallavas was wrestling. It has various historic monuments built largely between the 7th and the 9th centuries, and has been classified as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
The postmark shows Shore Temple, a structural temple along the Bay of Bengal with the entrance from the western side away from the sea. Recent excavations have revealed new structures here. The temple was reconstructed stone by stone from the sea after being washed away in a cyclone. The modern city of Mahabalipuram was established by the British in 1827.
: Kasinath R.- Thanjavur (Tamil Nadu)
Blog : My Watercraft Philately
Special envelopes used by Philatelic Bureau
Visakhapatnam
1CBPO
Bangalore
: Cdr G. Sriramarao,I.N,(Retd.) - Vishakhapatnam
30 May 2011
New Stamps from Switzerland
EUROPA-Forests
Swiss Post issued different stamps on 5th May 2011 covering a variety of themes.
Venice Biennale
50 years of the Swiss national anthem
Pro Patria 2011
Traditional Swiss handicrafts
From our Readers….
Special Covers from Tiruvannamalai
Mrs Radha Ramalingam shares here some special covers issued from her town, Tiruvannamalai..
: Mrs Radha Ramalingam, Tiruvannamalai
Stamps on Viticulture from Luxembourg
Date of Issue : 17 May 2011
On 17 May 2011 Luxembourg Post issued two stamps on Viticulture.The one features wine bottle and grapes commemorating 100th Anniversary of the ‘Wenzerverband’ and the other commemorates 20th Anniversary of the Cremant de Luxembourg.
100th Anniversary of the ‘Wenzerverband’
On 28 May 1911, the district commissioner invited winegrowers to a meeting with the aim of combining all the regional viticultural associations into a single federation. At the time, there were 39 winegrowing associations, of which 30 accepted the invitation. The fundamental objectives of the federation were defined at this constitutional assembly.
They were:- to protect the interests of the profession, that is, to preserve and maintain the interests of viticulture and wine distribution;- to specifically provide continuous up-to-date education and practical training for its members and - to organise the centralised sale and distribution of different viticultural products.
20th Anniversary of the Cremant de Luxembourg
Creating a crémant requires constant vigilance, rigorous control and specific know-how, beginning with the vine. The etymology of crémant originates from the word “cream”, which underscores the consistency rather than the vinosity of a festival wine combining fruit, freshness and smoothness.
A crémant is the qualitative pinnacle of a traditional method controlled for a long time, which involves extra effort in the vineyard and a rigorous selection process of grapes and base wines. To produce sparkling wine, one may use any one of the types of vines certified in Luxembourg. The grapes must be very clean, quite ripe and intact until pressed. The “Crémant de Luxembourg” is made from the best types of vines of the Luxembourg Moselle region. Each winegrower chooses his own blends, which results in a great variety of wines and their specific flavours.
Club News
Colorful envelops used by Jabalpur Philatelic Bureau
Now a days Jabalpur (M.P.) Philatelic Bureau is using a beautiful multicolored envelop for sending supply to it's Account holders. It is also thick and durable.
- Sudhir Jain, Satna (MP)
29 May 2011
New Stamps on children theme……
Date of Issue : 1 June 2011
This new stamp from Czech Republic to be issued on 1st June For Children’ series commemorates Zdeněk Smetana, Czech animator, screenwriter and graphic designer.
Smetana was born on July 26th, 1925 in Prague. He worked in the Bratři v triku film studio and as a director in the Krátký film Praha film studio, received more than fifty awards at both national and international film shows and festivals, including a Golden Lion, Golden Bear, British Academy Film Award, created a large number of characters and helped animate popular Czech TV bedtime stories, such as Pohádky z mechu a kapradí (featuring Křemílek and Vochomůrka), Rákosníček, Štaflík a Špagetka, Radovanovy radovánky and Malá čarodějnice (The Little Witch). He also illustrated several children's books.
Children's drawings on stamps of Tunisia
La Poste Tunisienne has issued two stamps depicting two paintings by Tunisian children to promote their creative talents, to share and develop their artistic skills and encourage them to express their creativity. The first stamp is the work of the schoolboy Syrine Zouari representing a boy and a girl taking the flag of Tunisia under a radiant blue sky, symbolizing the love of the young students for their country.
At the second stamp, the schoolboy Mustapha Gader illustrates the Spring, through a multicolored butterfly flitting from flower to flower on a green landscape bathed in sunlight.
Permanent Pictorial Cancellations
Tamil Nadu
Permanent Pictorial Postmark – 16 – Nilgiri Tahr at Topslip
Date of Inauguration of PPP - October 14, 1980
Topslip, a part of Western ghats, is located above 240 meters from the sea level on the Anamalai mountain ranges (Hills of elephants). It is an important tourist center in Indira Gandhi National Park and Wildlife Sanctuary in the Coimbatore District at the southern part of the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve. Topslip is the only entry point to Parambikulam Wild Life Reserve Forest which comes under the state of Kerala. The nearest access point to Topslip is Pollachi (about 35 Km).
The postmark shows Nilgiri Tahr (mountain goat or Nilgiri Ibex), an endangered species endemic to the Nilgiri Hills and the southern portion of the Western Ghats in the states of Tamil Nadu and Kerala. It is the state animal of Tamil Nadu.
: Kasinath R.- Thanjavur (Tamil Nadu)
Blog : My Watercraft Philately
Massena’s Lorikeets on new Vanuatu stamps
Date of Issue : 25 May 2011
Vanuatu Post issued a set of 4 beautiful stamps and a Miniature sheet on 25 May 2011 featuring Massena’s Lorikeets. All the stamps also bear the logo of WWF. The first day cancellation also shows a Lorikeet. It is a wonderful set for bird lovers.
Massena’s Lorikeets
Listed as a sub-species of the Rainbow Lorikeet, Massena’s Lorikeet Trichoglossus haematodus massena is also known as the Coconut Lory and in Bislama – Nasiviru. While the Rainbow Lorikeet, through 21 different races is found throughout Indonesia, New Guinea, the Solomons and parts of Australia, Massena is found only in the Bismarck Archipelago (near New Guinea), the Solomons and throughout Vanuatu except Futuna and Lopevi. Growing to around 250mm including a 100mm tail, these striking coloured lories are mainly bright green with a red breast, bluish-mauve head and red-orange beak. They frequent flowering trees but their movements are usually erratic as they travel, even between islands, in search of food.
Growing to around 250mm including a 100mm tail, these striking coloured lories are mainly bright green with a red breast, bluish-mauve head and red-orange beak. They frequent flowering trees but their movements are usually erratic as they travel, even between islands, in search of food.
Living primarily in wooded habitat in lowland areas, they are sometimes found in steep terrain where favourite trees or shrubs are flowering. They prefer habitat other than true forest or mangroves however and are found in trees.bordering watercourses surrounding paddocks, in suburban gardens and in nearly every coconut plantation. The nectar and pollen from these coconut palm flowers form their staple diet and in return the lories are important pollinators of these trees. Other sources of food include the Indian Coral tree, the African Tulip tree and the Sago palm. They also enjoy the soft fruit of the Panama Cherry tree and ripening fruit from domestic orchards. Maize and sorghum crops are also targeted.
: Vanuatu Post
Club News
Press clipping
Limited edition khadi stamps now available
AHMEDABAD: The world's first 'khadi' stamp is available in Ahmedabad from Saturday.The stamp, with the image of Gandhiji and the charkha on a piece of khadi cloth, will be a collector's delight.
The stamp is a premium limited edition printed on a miniature sheet format. The khadi theme pertains to Mahatma Gandhi and his idea of 'self-reliance' and national pride.
It was in Ahmedabad that the idea of khadi was born with Gandhiji experimenting with the charkha in 1918.
"The postal department had never issued a stamp on any material other than paper. Our department thought it apt to introduce the khadi stamp as Gandhiji advocated the use of handspun khadi. Gandhiji called it the 'thread of life'.
"Politically, khadi was part of Gandhiji's movement to defy the economic exploitation by the British. The khadi cloth and the charkha became the symbol of India's liberation and patriotism. It is for this reason that the khadi stamp was introduced," says chief postmaster general Gujarat Humera Ahmed.
The stamp was introduced earlier this year during the World Philatelic Exhibition - Indipex 2011. But this is the first time the limited edition stamp is being sent to a few select centres across the country, including Ahmedabad, where Gandhiji set up his Satyagraha Ashram in 1915 soon after returning from South Africa.
There are only 10,000 khadi stamps printed by the India Security Press in Nasik. "Most of these stamps were sold during the exhibition in Delhi. Only a few are left and are available at a special counter at the Ahmedabad GPO," according to a senior India Post official.
The Ahmedabad GPO has also brought out a special collection of post cards to commemorate 600 years of Ahmedabad.
"We have covered the historical assets of Ahmedabad in our post cards. We wanted to come out with a souvenir for the city and a collection of post cards is an apt choice," says Ahmed.
Times of India 28 may 2011
28 May 2011
Final set of London 2012 by Royal Mail..
To be issued on 27 July 2011
Royal Mail’s largest stamp commission since the Millennium series will be completed on 27 July 2011, with the launch of the final set of London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games stamps – issued exactly one year before the opening ceremony.
To mark the countdown to the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games, and its role as an official licensee of the Games, Royal Mail commissioned 30 UK artists and image makers to take part in this three-year project. The 30 stamps created to mark the 30th Olympiad and London 2012 Paralympic Games each champion an Olympic or Paralympic sport. They have been issued in three sets of ten stamps to mark the annual countdown in July 2009, 2010 and finally 2011.
The third and final set in this exciting series, subtitled ‘Get Ready for 2012’, contains a new set of ten dynamic sporting images printed in two sheets, each bearing se-tenant strips of five 1st Class stamps. These include established Olympic sports such as fencing, handball and wrestling, and more recent additions including sailing, triathlon and wheelchair rugby.All stamps in the series feature either the London 2012 Olympic Games or Paralympic Games logo.
Second Set issued in 2010
First Set issued in 2009
New Stamps from Slovenia..
Date of Issue 27 May 2011
Posta Slovenije (Post of Slovenia) issued a new stamp on 27 May 2011, celebrating the 80th anniversary of the premiere of the first Slovenian full-length (partially) acted film, In the Realm of the Goldenhorn. On the same day a set of two stamps was also issued on EUROPA 2011 theme “Year of Forests”.
Date of Issue : 27 May 2011
Permanent Pictorial Cancellations
Tamil Nadu
Permanent Pictorial Postmark – 15 - Hasthampatti
Date of Inauguration of PPP - January 30, 1997
Hasthampatti is a neighborhood in Salem City. Mahatma Gandhi, during his visit to Salem on February 14, 1934, stayed as a guest at the residence of Landlord Natesa Pandaram. The Government of India acquired this building in the '80s and the Hasthampatti Post Office is functioning in this building. The room in which Mahatma Gandhi stayed is converted into Mahatma Gandhi Philately Museum inaugurated on January 30, 1997, and philatelic stamps, first day covers, stationery issued by India as well as other countries are in display.
Cover illustration shows bust of Gandhiji and post office building at Hasthampatti. The postmark shows the Charkha / spinning wheel and text 'Bapu' in Tamil and Hindi. The photo below shows Mahatma Gandhi working with Charkha.
Charkha - The charkha was both a tool and a symbol of the Indian independence movement. It is a small, portable, hand-cranked wheel, ideal for spinning cotton and other fine, short-staple fibers, though it can be used to spin other fibers as well. Mahatma Gandhi brought the charkha into larger use with his teachings. He hoped the charkha would assist the peoples of India achieve self-sufficiency and independence, and so used the charkha as a symbol of the Indian independence movement and included it on earlier versions of the Congress Flags.
: Kasinath R.- Thanjavur (Tamil Nadu)
Blog : My Watercraft Philately
From our Readers…….
Sandeep Chaurasia of Gorakhour shares here an article published in Bhartiya Rail a prestigious magazine of Indian Railways. Mr Chaurasia is a thematic philatelist and collects on Railway theme. Sandeep Chaurasia may be contacted at email : sandeepchaurasiagkp@gmail.com
Published in 'BHARTIYA RAIL' (March-April 2011)