Club News

 

Rainbow Stamp News : August 2011 Issue No. 44

 

Hi ! I have just published August Issue of Rainbow Stamp News on Blog.  It can be viewed at following link :

http://rainbowstampnews.blogspot.com/

Philatelic Tributes to Munshi Prem Chand and Mohd Rafi ..

 

 

Today is Birth anniversary of Munshi Prem Chand, greatest writer of  Hindi – Urdu literature and Death anniversary of Mohd Rafi, finest singer Indian Cinema . Philatelic Tributes to great legends of Literature and Music.

Munshi Premchand  (July 31, 1880 – October 8, 1936) was a famous writer of modern Hindi-Urdu literature. He is generally recognized in India as the foremost Hindi-Urdu writer of the early twentieth century. He wrote novels, stories and dramas. He is known as "Upanyas Samrat" which means a great emperor among novel writers.

His real name was Dhanpat Rai but he is famous with his pen name of Premchand or Munshi Premchand. He was born in Pandepur , a village near Banaras (now Varanasi). His early education was in a madarasa under a Maulavi, where he learnt Urdu. In 1919, while he was a teacher at Gorakhpur, he passed his B.A., with English, Persian and History.

He pioneered the new art form - fiction with a social purpose. He wrote of the life around him and made his readers aware of the problems of the urban middle-class and the country's villages and their problems. He supplemented Gandhiji's work in the political and social fields by adopting his revolutionary ideas as themes for his literary writings. Premchand was a prolific writer.

Premchand wrote about three hundred short stories and fourteen novels, as well as many essays and letters, plays and translations. Many of Premchand's stories have themselves been translated into English and Russian.

Godaan (The Gift of a Cow), his last novel, is considered one of the finest Hindi novels. The protagonist, Hori, a poor peasant, desperately longs for a cow, a symbol of wealth and prestige in rural India. The story depicts the human beings' deep-rooted beliefs, and their ability to survive and uphold these beliefs despite great misery

In Kafan (Shroud), a poor man collects money for the funeral rites of his dead wife, but spends it on food and drink.

Premchand died in 1936 and has since been studied both in India and abroad as one of the greatest writers of the century.Three of his novels have been made into films.

Mohammed Rafi

 

Philatelic Tribute to the Legendary Indian Playback Singer, Mohammed Rafi  whose rich melodious voice,  attract the older and the newer generations day by day.

Mohd Rafi was one  the most versatile singers of Hindi Cinema. He was born at Kotla Sultan Singh, a village near Amritsar in Punjab. Rafi, whose nickname was Pheeko, started singing by imitating chants of a fakir in his village. . Rafi learnt classical music from Ustad Bade Ghulam Ali Khan, Ustad Abdul Wahid Khan, Pandit Jiwanlal Matto and Firoze Nizami.

Rafi's first public performance came at the age of 13, when he was allowed to sing at a concert in Lahore featuring K. L. Saigal. In 1941, Rafi, under Shyam Sunder, made his debut in Lahore as a playback singer in the duet "Soniye nee, Heeriye nee" with Zeenat Begum in the Punjabi film Gul Baloch (the film was released in 1944). In that same year, Rafi was invited by All India Radio Lahore station to sing for them. He made his professional debut in the Shyam Sunder-directed 1941 film Gul Baloch and the Bombay film, Gaon Ki Gauri, the following year.

Rafi also did brief roles in movies like Laila-Majnu (1945) and Jugnu. In Laila-Majnu, he was seen singing ‘tera jalwa’ as a part of the chorus.In a career spanning about 40 years, Rafi sang over 26,000 film songs. His songs ranged from classical numbers to patriotic songs, sad lamentations to highly romantic numbers, qawwalis to ghazals and bhajans, and from slow melancholic tunes to fast and melodious fun filled songs. He sang in many Indian languages.

 

New Stamps on Sports..

 

 

Date of Issue : 12 July 2011

Equestrian

 

     

Horse Racing                                    Jumping

Dressage

On July 12, 2011 Belarus issued 3 stamps and a souvenir sheet dedicated to equestrian sport.

Equestrian sport began developing in Belarus after the creation of the first horse-riding school in Gomel in 1957. In 1958 its branch was opened in the village of Ratomka in Minsk region. Equestrian sport includes jumping (overcoming obstacles), dressage (training of a horse to a high level) and a three-day event (dressage, cross-country riding and show jumping). In 1997 a new equestrian sport — endurance riding and in 2008 — equestrian vaulting (gymnastics on horseback) appeared in Belarus. Horse racing is the equestrian competitions for the fastest riding on a racetrack.

 

Maximum Cards

Athletes on New Costa Rica Stamps

 

Costa Rica Post has issued a set of stamps depicting the famous Costa Rican athletes: boxer Hanna Gabriels, sprinter Nery Brenes, football player Bryan Ruiz and rider Andrey Amador.

Beach Volleyball

To be issued on 16 August 2011

On 16 August 2011, a Beach volleyball stamp will be issued by Aland Post. The stamp appears in the form of a minisheet of eight identical stamps.

It’s time to send Rakhi….

 

India is a land of  many  colorful festivals and the famous festival of Raksha Bandhan is very near.  Indian community all over the world  is ready to celebrate the sacred festival of Raksha Bandhan on 13th August.

The day which has become the symbol of brotherhood, is celebrated around the world, with the rays of love and affection blooming in it. Rakhi festival is not only a ceremony of tying rakhi but it has moreover transited into the trust and love which a girl ties on her brother's wrist and hope that this hand will always hold her in every ups and downs of life.

 

As per the Hindu calendar rakhi festival falls on the shravan purnima (full moon day), which corresponds to the month of July-August as per the English calendar. The day is being celebrated as per the Indian calendar, which changes every year, hence the festival also falls on the different dates of the English calendar. The festival bears social significance, because it symbolizes the importance of relationship between siblings.

India Post has issued a variety of  Rakhi envelopes  which are tear and Water Resistant . The envelopes are in beautiful designs and colors.

 

Envelopes issued in 2010

 

 

Envelopes issued in 2009

 

View all  Rakhi Envelopes  issued by India Post

Royal Mail issues final set of Olympic & Paralympics Games…

 

Date of Issue : 27 July 2011

Royal Mail issued  the third and final set of Olympic & Paralympic Games stamps illustrating the whole gamut of Olympic sports on  27 July 2011.

 

The release of the 10-stamp set has been timed to take place exactly one year before the opening ceremony of the London 2012 Games.The whole 30-stamp series, each of which has been designed by a different artist. Like the previous two sets, this one is printed in litho by Cartor in two sheets, each comprising se-tenant strips of five different designs.All designs feature the official London 2012 logo.

The stamps feature depictions of classic Olympic sports such as field athletics and gymnastics as well as more recent additions to the Olympic and Paralympic Games, including triathlon, handball and wheelchair rugby.

The stamps are the third and final set to be issued during a three-year Games countdown, with the total of 30 representing the largest Royal Mail commission since the Millennium series in 1999 and 2000.

The creation of 30 stamps marks the fact that 2012 will be the start of the 30th Olympiad.

It also represents every one of the 29 sports in both the Olympic and Paralympic Games, with the exception of athletics, which will be featured across two stamps as "Athletics: track" and "Athletics: field".

Commemorative sheet

Counting in Kiwi Stamp issue…

 

 

 

Date of Issue : 10 August 2011

Here is a wonderful stamp set to be issued on 10 August 2011 by New Zealand Post on ‘Counting’ . It is an amazing set for tiny tots to teach them counting in a very interesting way. So take a numerical journey from 1 to 21 in a typical 'Kiwi' way with the Counting in Kiwi stamp issue. With each number, one will discover unique and special aspects of New Zealand's culture and  history .

Each of the 21 stamps in the issue has a distinctive 'Kiwi' flavour. Number 1 is represented by State Highway 1 - the road that runs the length of both the North and South Islands. As we count higher, we discover snippets of the New Zealand way of life until we reach 21 - the milestone birthday that is widely celebrated in New Zealand with a traditional 21st key.

This iconic sheet of 21 stamps is a fun representation of Kiwi culture that's not to be missed! Following on from the popular A to Z of New Zealand stamp issue, this time NZ Post uses numbers to tell entertaining stories about the unique nation.

 

FDCs

The full set of 21 stamps is also spread across a set of three first day covers, the first of which has numbers 1 (State Highway 1) to 3 (three-hour ferry ride across Cook Strait). The second first day cover includes numbers 4 (four stars of the Southern Cross) to 10 (ten guitars - the popular song of the 1960s), and the third first day cover includes numbers 11 (first 11) to 21 (21st key).

Counting in Kiwi Poster

: New Zealand Post

Pictorial Cancellation on Archaeopteryx…

 

 

Here are some very nice pictorial cancellation to be issued in Germany at different places. Mr. Wolfgang Beyer  has sent details about them. Those interested in these cancellations, may write to Mr Beyer.

On August 11^th   a pictorial cancellation will be provided   featuring the prehistoric  bird ARCHAEOPTERYX   at the post office  Eichstätt , Germany.

A pictorial Cancellation will be provided on Dinosaur park at Munchehagen, Germany featuring Dinosaur on 30 July 2011.

These pictorial  postmarks are available from Mr. Wolfgang Beyer Member of Staff   from the  Philatelic group ArGe ZOOLOGIE . Email : Wolfgang.Beyer1@polizei.sachsen.de

Archaeopteryx

Archaeopteryx  is the earliest bird in the fossil record, coming from the Late Jurassic lithographic limestone near Solnhofen, Germany. The first specimen was found in 1891, almost coincident with Darwin's publication of Origin of Species two years later, and ten more have since been found.

Archaeopteryx was about the size of a crow with short, broad wings and a long tail. While its feathers were similar to those of living birds, it had jaws lined with sharp teeth, three fingers ending in curving claws, and a long bony tail, in stark contrast to modern birds.

Archaeopteryx's many features of dinosaurs such as the jaws with teeth, tiny forelimbs with three claws, a long tail and a head covered with scales while body, wings and tail were covered with feathers as in a bird provides strong evidence of the dinosaur ancestry of birds, and, more generally, of the validity of the Theory of Evolution.

Club News

New Stamp from India

 

India Post issued a commemorative postage stamp on 28 July 2011 on Shri Kasu Brahmananda Reddy. 

: Mansoor B.,Mangalore

Kasu Brahmananda Reddy, noted leader is credited with creating the Industrial infrastructure in and around Hyderabad. During his long regime of seven years (Longest for any Congress chief minister in the state of Andhra Pradesh), many major industries like BHEL, HMT, IDPL, Hindustan Cables and several defense establishments like MIDHANI, Bharath Dynamics were established.Kasu Brahmananda Reddy also held the key positions, such as Home Minister of India (1974–1977) and the Governor of Maharastra (February 20, 1988 to January 18, 1990).The famous Chiran Palace was named after Kasu Brahmananda Reddy. National Park in Jubilee Hills, Hyderabad, was named in his honor.

 

Special Covers

Rajasthan

State animal of Rajasthan - Chinkara  ( Rajpex –2007 )

 

: Ashwani Dubey - Gorakhpur

New Stamps from Belarus and Ukraine..

 

 

50th anniversary of the Non-Aligned Movement

 

Date of Issue :  2 August , 2011

Here are some new issues from Belarus and Ukraine on a variety of themes.

 

 

 Fishes of Belarus reservoirs

Date of Issue : 18 August 2011

New Stamps from Ukraine

Railways

Date of Issue : 5 July 2011

Ukrainian Locomotives

 

Traditional Ukrainian farmstead

 

Date of Issue : 25 June 2011

The stamp illustrates Ukrainians with traditional rural domestic animals: cat, dog, piglet, caw and swallows building a nest.

 

Constitution of Ukraine. July 28, 1996. 15 years

Date of Issue : 17 June 2011