Hi !
I have just published December 2013 issue of Rainbow Stamp News on Blog. With this issue Rainbow Stamp News completes six years of publication. This special issue is available at following link.
http://rainbowstampnews.blogspot.in/ ( For Indian Readers )
http://rainbowstampnews.blogspot.com/ ( For Overseas Readers )
Sashastra Seema Bal
Date of Issue : 29 November 2013
India Post released a stamp to celebrate 50 years of Sashastra Seema Bal today on 29th November 2013 . SSB which was set up in 1963 is a Border Guarding Force (BGF) under the administrative control of the Ministry of Home Affairs.
: Mansoor B . - Mangalore
New Christmas stamps
Estonia Post issued two stamps to celebrate the coming Christmas 2013
“The snow flew in the light of lanterns. I added speed to my sledge and looked at the stars twinkling in the sky. Everyone, both children and grown-ups sped along with lively shouts towards home. Suddenly I noticed two magnificent row deer looking at us peacefully and as if waving their heads in greeting to us. On that also our good guardian, Muki, energetically wagged its tail and gave a merry bark. There was something warm that I couldn’t explain in the air, the starry sky surrounded us and there was a bag of presents waiting for us. This is Christmas, I thought. And it is for everyone”.
Date of Issue : 26 November 2013
US Postal service issued a beautiful stamp on Kwanzaa festival.It is an annual non-religious holiday, which takes place over seven days from December 26 to January 1, brings family, community, and culture together for many African Americans.
The stamp art features a man, woman, and child dressed in traditional, African-inspired clothing joined together in a unifying embrace. Their intertwined arms form a circle around seven candles, known as the mishumaa saba — a centerpiece of the Kwanzaa table. An open book symbolizes the holiday’s emphasis on knowledge and cultural history. The design is cast in the holiday’s primary colors of red, black, and green.
Created in 1966 by activist and scholar Maulana Karenga, Kwanzaa draws on African traditions, deriving its name from the phrase “first fruits” in Swahili, a widely spoken African language. It has its origins in first harvest celebrations that occurred across the African continent in ancient and modern times. Karenga sought to synthesize and reinvent these tribal traditions as a contemporary celebration of African-American culture.
Press Clippings
: Pradip Jain – Patna
Cover from Poland
Mnay Thanks to Andrzej Bek For this nice cover !!
Christmas stamps from Guernsey
Music has long been a feature of the Christmas season and its celebrations. Whilst the earliest chants, litanies, and hymns were Latin works intended for use during the church liturgy, rather than popular songs, over time the words and music has evolved.
Today’s musical Christmas celebrations comprise a variety of genres from traditional carols, emotive melodic arrangements, to fun “sing-a-long” favourites.
To celebrate the 2013 festive season Guernsey Post has chosen to focus on the entertaining song “When Santa got stuck up the chimney.” The charming images on the stamps, created by talented artist Nick Watton, imaginatively bring the lyrics to life. Not much is known about the song’s history, originally a folk song the popular version we’re familiar with today has been performed by many artists over the years including Jimmy Grafton.
Stamp Descriptions:
35p – Santa gliding past the window;
40p- Santa lands on the roof;
53p – Santa is stuck in the chimney;
55p – Children pulling Santa out;
63p – Santa sneezing;
71p – Santa leaves presents;
79p – Santa continues on his way.
India Post, Kerala Postal Circle issued a Special Cover on 26 November 2013, on the occasion of Golden Jubilee Celebration of CARMEL GIRLS HIGHER SECONDARY SCHOOL, THIRUVANANTHAPURAM
CARMEL GIRLS HIGHER SECONDARY SCHOOL, THIRUVANANTHAPURAM : Situated in the heart of the city of Thiruvananthapuram, South Kerala, Carmel Girls Higher Secondary School stands at the threshold of its Golden Jubilee. Started in the year 1963, the school was upgraded to a High School in 1979. It has grown over the years into a Higher Secondary School with a strength of over 3500 students and more than 170 members of the staff. This mighty institution of learning stands as a beacon for the educationally backward and marginalized sections of society and continue to dominate every aspect of education in the capital city. The school was founded by the Carmelite sisters of St. Teresa with a rich tradition of special upliftment through education, who took it as a challenge to venture into the education arena and bring about social awakening and empowerment of women. In recognition of their dedication and missionary zeal for a good cause, the Department of Posts is proud to bring out a special cover in honour of the school.
: Sreejesh Krishnan – Trivandrum - email : sreejesh.nt@gmail.com
New stamps from South Korea
As a part of a concerted effort to establish South Korean cultural identity in the right way, a selection of national-founding stories from each era has been introduced by Korean Post. The selection of stamps begins with “Dangun Wanggeom of Gojoseon”, continuing with “Geumwa of Buyeo”, “Jumong of Goguryeo”, “Daejoyeong of Balhae”, “Park Hyeokgeose of Shilla”, and finally “Onjo of the Baekje Kingdom”. Jumong who came from Northern Buyeo to Jolbon Buyeo got married with the daughter of Jolbon Buyeo’s king and, on succeeding to his throne, set up the kingdom of Goguryeo.
Jumong then gave birth to two sons, the first named Biryu and the second, Onjo. Yuri, another son, fathered by Jumong when he was staying in Northern Buyeo, came to Goguryeo and became its crown prince, while Biryu and Onjo headed south with 10 servants to establish a new kingdom. Biryu took some people and went to Michuhol, while Onjo set up the capital at Wiryeseong located south of the Han River and established a country with the help of his servants. The date was 18 BC. On finding that Michuhol was not a proper place in which to live, Biryu returned to Wiryeseong. Seeing that the capital, Wiryeseong looked stable and the people there seemed to live comfortable lives, Biryu died, deeply regretting his decision in choosing Michuhol. All of Biryu’s servants and people then followed him back to Wiryeseong, and willingly submitted to the rule of Onjo. Onjo was to later call his country Baekje. Founded in 18 BC and developed around the Han River, Baekje established a maritime kingdom. Due to its particular geographical characteristics, Baekje accepted its new products of civilization from China, developed them into Baekje’s own culture, and transferred them back to Japan. Through these active exchanges with the surrounding countries, Baekje became the center of civilization exchanges in ancient East Asia. Though not a military power or territorial giant, Baekje developed into a cultural power with a sophisticated and refined culture.
The Minister of State for Railways, Shri Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury released a set of two commemorative stamps and a Miniature Sheet on completion of 150 years of Kanchrapara Workshop and Jamalpur Workshop of Eastern Railway, at a function held at Sealdah station, Kolkata on November 26, 2013.
Date of Issue : 22 November 2013
Here are new stamps from Singapore featuring development of television in the last 50 years.Television has entered its golden age, as Singapore Post commemorates 50 years of TV broadcasting this year by issuing a series of stamps. This stamp issue illustrates the journey of TV over the last 50 years.
Over the last 50 years, local television has helped to entertain, inform, and unify the Singapore nation in times of adversary and triumph, and it continues to play these roles today.
Since the inaugural black and white broadcast on a single channel on 15 February 1963 and the commencement of colour transmission some 10 years later, the local TV landscape has undergone significant changes. With the introduction of more free-to-air channels over the years, the launch of pay-TV services in 1995, and more recently, high-definition TV, local television continues to evolve to offer local audiences greater programming choices and enhanced viewing experiences. Alongside these changes, the emphasis on quality local content remains unchanged. Home-grown programming, from current affairs to drama series and animation, continues to enthrall viewers and has given rise to many iconic television characters that audiences continue to remember fondly till today.
As TV marks its golden jubilee, Singapore will enter a new chapter in its television broadcasting history. From end 2013, Singapore’s free-to-air TV will switch from analogue to digital TV. Razor-sharp images and superior audio will become a reality, when all seven free-to-air channels are transmitted digitally using the Digital Video Broadcasting – Second Generation Terrestrial (DVB-T2) broadcasting standard. The move will prepare Singapore for the future of TV, paving the way for more high-definition channels and new services that local viewers can enjoy for many years to come.
Club News
Indian Thematic Society has issued a new issue no.64 December 2013 of its quarterly magazine "ITS Stamp News". Those who wish subscribe the magazine may contact editor @ email : indianthematicsociety@gmail.com
Editor : Suraj Jaitly
MIG # 3464, Phase Two, Dugri Road, Ludhiana - 141 013 INDIA Mobile: +91 98728 51244
ITS at http://indianthematicstamps.webs.com/
ITS Stamp News at http://itsstampnews.blogspot.com/
As the Christmas is approaching , Postal administrations around the world are issuing wonderful stamps for Christmas and New Year . Here are new Greeting stamps from Japan Post…
Japan Postal Corporation issued a set of stamps “Greetings – Winter” to be used on Christmas and New Year greeting cards. The stamps are issued in two souvenir sheets, the first one features snowmen dolls, the second depicts Christmas decorations: snow jewelry (sapphire, emerald, aquamarine, peridot and ruby), glass pairs, candles and candle reindeer stand.
Club News
New Indian Stamp on World Heritage to be released soon…
The Qutb Minar, a World Heritage monument in Delhi will be depicted on one of the two stamps likely to be released by India Post on 1st December 2013. This set will be released to commemorate forthcoming visit of the Emperor of Japan.
Iron Pillar in Qutb Complex
The Qutb Minar, built in the early 13th century, is the tallest brick minaret in the world, inspired by the Minaret of Jam in Afghanistan. It is an important example of early Afghan architecture, which later evolved into Indo-Islamic Architecture. The Qutb Minar is 72.5 metres (239 ft) high, has five distinct storeys, each marked by a projecting balcony carried on muqarnas corbel and tapers from a diameter 14.3 metres at the base to 2.7 metres at the top, which is 379 steps away. It is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site along with surrounding buildings and monuments in 1993. The surrounding archaeological area contains funerary buildings, notably the magnificent Alai-Darwaza Gate, the masterpiece of Indo-Muslim art (built in 1311), and two mosques, including the Quwwatu'l-Islam, the oldest in northern India.
- Pradeep Kumar Mallik, --PATNA
The results of World Philatelic Exhibition BRASILIANA 2013 being held in the city of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, from 19 to 25 November, 2013. have been announced . The list of Indian Winners is given below.
Many Many Congratulations to all the winners !!
View complete award list at :
a) Palmares by EXHIBITOR NAME
b) Palmares by COMPETITIVE CLASS
c) Palmares by COUNTRY
d) Palmares by FRAME NUMBER
27 A . Binod Kumar Jain : Study of Various Streams of Assam Streamer Service (1882 –1912) – 79 Marks
Stamp on Sai Baba
India Post released a commemorative stamp on Sathya Sai Baba on the occasion of his 88th birth anniversary celebrations to be held at Puttaparthi of Anantapur district on November 23.
Union minister of state for communication & information technology (IT) Killi Krupa Rani released a commemorative stamp on Sathya Sai Baba on the occasion of his 88th birth anniversary celebrations held at Puttaparthi (Anantapur district) on 23rd November 2013.
Sri Sathya Sai Baba (born as Sathyanarayana Raju; 23 November 1926 – d. 24 April 2011) was a highly revered spiritual leader and world teacher, whose life and message are inspiring millions of people throughout the world. He claimed to be the reincarnation of Sai Baba of Shirdi. The Sathya Sai Organisation, founded by Sathya Sai Baba "to enable its members to undertake service activities as a means to spiritual advancement" has over 1,200 Sathya Sai Centers in more than 100 countries. Through this organisation, Sathya Sai Baba established a network of free hospitals, clinics, drinking water projects and schools. Sathya Sai's devotees are spread across the world.
Sathya Sai Baba had died at Puttaparthi on April 24, 2011 due to ill-health. As Sathya Sai's devotees are spread across the world, the Sathya Sai Central Trust moved a proposal to issue a commemorative stamp on Sai Baba last year.
Courtesy : Indian Philately Digest
Stamp on Intelligence Bureau
Date of Issue : 23 November 2013
A commemorative stamp on Intelligence Bureau (IB), India’s internal Intelligence agency was also released today by India Post.
The Intelligence Bureau (IB) is India's internal intelligence agency and reputedly the world's oldest intelligence agency.It was recast as the Central Intelligence Bureau in 1947 under the Ministry of Home Affairs.
Shrouded in secrecy, the IB is used to garner intelligence from within India and also execute counter-intelligence and counter-terrorism tasks. The Bureau comprises employees from law enforcement agencies, mostly from the Indian Police Service (IPS) and the military.
Understanding of the shadowy workings of the IB is largely speculative. Many a times even their own family members are unaware of their whereabouts. One known task of the IB is to clear licences to amateur radio enthusiasts. The IB also passes on intelligence between other Indian intelligence agencies and the police. The Bureau also grants the necessary security clearances to Indian diplomats and judges before they take the oath. On rare occasions, IB officers interact with the media during a crisis situation. The IB is also rumoured to intercept and open around 6,000 letters daily. It also has an email spying system similar to FBI's Carnivore system. The Bureau is also authorised to conduct wire tapping without a warrant.
Japan Spain Joint Issue
400th Anniversary of the Relations between Japan and Spain
In recognition of floriculture and the plant species that are cultivated in such disparate places as Spain and Japan, the postal services of the two countries have released a joint set of stamps dedicated to the Geranium and Lespedeza Thunbergii. The two stamps are joined along the serration.
Date of Issue : 19 November 2013
US Postal Service issued a stamp on Jewish festival, Hanukkah . The festival is celebrated by Jewish people around the world, Hanukkah, the joyous Festival of Lights, spans eight nights and days of remembrance and ritual.
Central to the celebration is the hanukiah, a nine-branched menorah used only at Hanukkah. Eight of its branches represent each of the eight nights and days of Hanukkah, and the ninth, the shamash or “the servant,” is used to light the other candles. The stamp, first issued in 2013, is a photograph of a contemporary forged-iron hanukiah created by Vermont blacksmith Steven Bronstein. Nine lighted white beeswax candles top each of the branches. The word “Hanukkah” is spelled out across the top of the stamp in yellow letters.
Hanukkah is the Hebrew word for “dedication.” Tradition relates how a miracle took place during the rededication of the Temple in Jerusalem, which had been desecrated. The sacramental oil, thought to be enough for only one day, burned for eight days. The miracle of the oil is at the heart of the ritual of the lighting of the hanukiah.
The celebration of Hanukkah begins on the 25th of Kislev in the Hebrew calendar, a date that falls in late November or December. In 2014, Hanukkah begins at sundown on December 16.
Hanukkah is the Hebrew word for “dedication.” Tradition relates how a miracle took place during the rededication of the Temple in Jerusalem, which had been desecrated. The sacramental oil, thought to be enough for only one day, burned for eight days.
The miracle of the oil is at the heart of the ritual of the lighting of the hanukiah, a menorah — candelabra — with nine branches, one for each of the eight nights and days of Hanukkah, and the ninth, the shamash or “the servant,” used to light the other candles. The hanukiah, used only at Hanukkah, is traditionally placed in the window of the home to proclaim the miracle to passersby.
After the lighting of the candles, family members might sing traditional songs and exchange gifts. Children play a game called dreidel. Competing for a pot of chocolate coins, nuts, pennies, or other prizes, each player takes turns spinning the dreidel, a four-sided top with letters on each side that form an acronym for the Hebrew saying “A great miracle happened there.” Depending on the outcome of the dreidel’s spin, the player either takes from or gives to the pot. The game ends when one player has won all the treats.
Feasting is an important part of the celebration as well. Foods associated with Hanukkah include latkes, potato cakes fried in oil; bimuelos, fried dough dipped in honey or sugar; and sufganiot, fried jelly doughnuts.
The eight nights and days of Hanukkah begin on the 25th of Kislev in the Hebrew calendar, a date that falls in late November or December. In 2013, Hanukkah begins at sundown Nov. 27.
From our Readers…
Mr Timir Shah of Vadodara shares here stamp sheet of recent Sachin’s stamp issue. The Inscriptional Margin of Sachin Tendulakar's 200 test match stamp sheet shows that stamp was printed on 2nd November 2013.
Date of Issue : 5 November 2013
Here are new stamps issued by Royal Mail for this year’s Christmas. Royal Mail has been issuing Christmas Stamps every year since 1966, and they are now a much-loved part of the festive season. Royal Mail has chosen a Madonna and Child theme for Christmas 2013. These have been created using details taken from Madonna and Child paintings down the ages and across many cultures, including the newly commissioned Neo-Coptic style stamp, painted by Fadi Mikhail. The other two stamps shown above feature paintings by children selected from a Christmas stamp design competition of children between 4 –11.
Date of Issue : 5 November 2013
The Miniature Sheet features all seven Christmas Stamps, which include Large First and Second Class values, all set on a glorious golden border that echoes the iconic backgrounds typical of Madonna and Child depictions from down the ages and across many cultures.
Second Class and Second Class Large Stamp
In Antoniazzo Romano’s Virgin and Child with the young St John the Baptist (c.1460–80), in the Early Renaissance style, Mary holds Jesus on her left arm and points towards him with her right, indicating that he is the way to salvation.
First Class and First Class Large Stamp
In Madonna and Child (c.1520), painted in the High Renaissance style, Francesco Granacci depicts the Virgin in her traditional garments of red and blue, earthly and divine, while the bird in Christ’s hand alludes to the coming Passion.
88p Stamp
Jacques-Louis David’s St Roch Praying to the Virgin for an End to the Plague (1780), which is painted in the Neoclassical style, is a deeply Catholic painting, depicting the Virgin Mary in her role as protector and intercessor.
£1.28 Stamp
In La Vierge au Lys (1899), painted in the French Academic style by William- Adolphe Bouguereau, the Virgin and Child are enthroned, with Jesus held close by his mother, his outstretched arms suggestive of the crucifixion to come.
£1.88 Stamp
In Theotokos, Mother of God by Fadi Mikhail, which is painted in the Neo-Coptic style, Christ’s white tunic indicates his divinity, while the Virgin Mary’s blue mantle likens her to the sky, as in the icon of The Flight into Egypt.
