New Special Covers

B.V.V.S Akkana Balaga, Bagalkot - Amruta Mahotsava -2017, Bagalkot - 12 April 2017

Celebrating 75 Years of Social Service

: Suresh R. - Bangalore

Special Cover from Rishikesh

Swami Dayanada Saraswati - Dayanada Ashram, Rishikesh - 12 September 2016

A special Cover on Swami Dayanand Sarawati was released at Dayananda Ashram Rishikesh on 12th September 2016. 

New Stamps from India

Date of Issue  : 26 April 2017 

India Post issued  commemorative postage stamps on 3 famous Telugu writers : Aatukuri Molla,Viswanatha Satyanarayana and Tarigonda Vengamamba on 26 April 2017.

Club News

New Stamps from India Post on Telugu Writers

A set of 3 stamps on Telugu writers will be  issued today, April 26, 2017. The release function will be held  at Sri Venkateswaraswamy Temple, Brindavan Garden, Guntur at 5.30 p.m.

Source : Stamps of India


National Hobby Festival in Ahmedabad

A hobby festival will be held at Gujarat University Convention Center, Ahmedabad from 19 - 21 May 2017

Stamps for special moments ...

Here is a beautiful set of Greeting stamps in different colors from Netherlands for very special moments. These re very good items for " Greetings " theme.

For Special Moments

On 27 January 2017, PostNL  issued the stamp sheetlet For Special Moments. The sheetlet consists of ten stamps marked with ‘Nederland 1’, the denomination for items up to 20g in weight destined for mail in the Netherlands. The stamps are for franking congratulatory mail and other cards and letters for special occasions.

The newest For Special Moments stamp sheetlet has ten stamps, each with a value denomination of 1. Four out of the ten stamps are square. The other six are heart-shaped. The images on the stamps are made up of little illustrations by graphic designer Marenthe Otten. The focus of each stamp is a wish for a special moment in brightly illustrated handwriting. The ten wishes are gefeliciteerd (Congratulations), liefs (Love), veel geluk (Lots of luck), sterkte (Feel better), succes (Good luck), hoera (Hooray), fijne dag (Have a nice day), proficiat (Well done), voor jou (For you ) and beterschap (Get well soon). Each wish ends with an emoticon: punctuation marks and letters forming a face. 

The open spaces on the stamps are decorated with fun illustrations, such as leaf veins, flowers, tree leaves and flower petals, four-leaf clovers, circles, crescents and stars in all kinds of shapes and colours. Each stamp also features a second emoticon, along with these illustrations and the value denomination 1. The For Special Moments stamp sheetlet also has seven closing seals containing a little hand-drawn face. Five closing seals are heart-shaped. Two are shaped like a butterfly. Two fonts were used for the typography: the Avenir Black (Adrian Frutiger, 1988) for the value denomination 1, and the Uma Bold (Ariel Di Lision, 2012) for the words ‘Nederland’ and ‘2017’.

World's longest stamp

Date of Issue : 1 April 2017

Image courtesy : The Nation

On April 1, Thailand Post issued a sheet of five stamps—the longest the world have seen, at 170 mm in length—to mark the 70th anniversary of late King Rama IX’s accession to the throne. Each of the five stamps features the same design, which includes a series photographs of the king set against a background of luscious green fields. Nine million stamps were printed by the Thai British Security Printing Public Company.

New scented stamp from India..

Coffee

Date of Issue : 23 April 2017

Department of Posts released commemorative postage miniature sheet   with  the  fragrance of Coffee on 23rd April 2017.

The Scented Coffee stamp was released yesterday at Meghdoot Auditorium, Bengaluru G.P.O by  Nirmala Sitharaman along with the Minister of State for Communications Manoj Sinha,Former Chief Minister of Karnataka B. S. Yeddyurappa and Member of Parliament Shobha Karandlaje .

Coffee production in India   is dominated in the hill tracts of South Indian states, with the state of Karnataka  accounting 71% followed by Kerala 21% and Tamil Nadu 5% of production of 8,200 tonnes. Indian coffee is said to be the finest coffee grown in the shade rather than direct sunlight anywhere in the world. There are approximately 250,000 coffee growers in India.

Coffee trees are pruned short to conserve their energy and aid in harvesting, but can grow to more than 30 feet (9 meters) high. Each tree is covered with green, waxy leaves growing opposite each other in pairs. Coffee cherries grow along the branches. Because it grows in a continuous cycle, it’s not unusual to see flowers, green fruit and ripe fruit simultaneously on a single tree.

It takes nearly a year for a cherry to mature after first flowering, and about 5 years of growth to reach full fruit production. While coffee plants can live up to 100 years, they are generally the most productive between the ages of 7 and 20. Proper care can maintain and even increase their output over the years, depending on the variety. The average coffee tree produces 10 pounds of coffee cherry per year, or 2 pounds of green beans.

All commercially grown coffee is from a region of the world called the Coffee Belt. The trees grow best in rich soil, with mild temperatures, frequent rain and shaded sun.

Release of Commemorative Postage Stamp on Platinum Jubilee of Bharat Ratna Bhim Rao Ambedkar Institute of Telecom Training, Jabalpur

 Date of Issue : 22 April 2017

: Suresh R. & Jagannath Mani - Bangalore

Adieu ...Man of Roses...

Rainbow will always miss you ........

I am sorry to inform all the  Readers of Rainbow that renowned philatelist Dr Satyendra Kumar Agrawal passed away on 21st April 2017. He was internationally known for his finest philatelic collection on Roses. He has written a number of articles on thematic philately  in several national and international philatelic magazines including Topical Times of American Philatelic Society. He has contributed more than 100 articles to Rainbow stamp News. His sudden death is a great loss to Indian philately. Our heartfelt Condolences to all his family members . May his soul Rest in Peace. 

RIP...Dr Agrawal....

It was shocking to hear the that Dr. Satyendra  Agrawal has passed away leaving a vacuum in philatelic fraternity in India. It took me some time to believe this  truth.  Dr Agrawal a very close friend of mine and was genuinely an asset of Indian philately. His different articles touching different aspects of thematic philately  will keep spreading their fragrance in the years to come in philatelic field as his  highly recognized collection and exhibit on ROSES does. A master in Thematic Philately, a thorough gentleman, a seasoned poet with good command on Urdu poetic vocabulary , a prolific writer, cartoonist  ….a man with versatile personality .My heartfelt condolences. May his soul rest in peace and may god give strength to his family members to bear this  irreparable s loss.

- Naresh Agrawal- Bilaspur (C.G.)

Dipok Dey What a sad news it is. He was a very good friend of mine. It's a great loss to Indian Philatelic particularly thematic . I pray to God- May his soul rest in peace.

Col Jayanta Dutta Sad to hear this. RIP

Abhai Mishra Unbelievable , no words to express the loss

Jagannath Mani 

Very sad news .Dr.Satyendra Kumar Agrawal 
Writer,Cartoonist,Philatelist and more over my one of my best friend who motivated others to write-up and share the knowledge among the others 
Lot of wonderful articles he contributed to philatelic world .
My heartfelt condolences...May his soul rest in peace and may god give strength to bear this loss to all friends and family members.

Sudhir Jain Oh very sad. He was great Philatelist, great writer and my good friend.
May God rest his soul in peace

Prashant Pandya Very Sad news. Indian Philatelic fraternity has lost a good writer. My heartfelt condolences.

Vidhu Chopra It's really a heartfelt news & difficult to believe such a shocking news.his absence will always be felt as we have lost such a knowledgable gentleman.My sincere condolence to the family & prayers for his departed soul

Kamran Ahmad very sad news .a flow of philatelic knowledge has stopped. 
sad day for philatelist community. 

100 Years of Lions International

Date of Issue : 3 April 2017

Lions Clubs International Celebrates 100 Years of Service

Magyar Posta  issued a  commemorative stamp to welcome the 100th anniversary of the foundation of the Lions Clubs International. 

Lions Clubs International was founded in 1917 by the then 38-year-old Chicago businessman Melvin Jones with the determination to carry out - in addition to the basic activities of the local business club - goodwill work for the community and for the whole world. The initiative was accepted by Melvin Jones' group, the Business Club of Chicago. Having established contact with similar groups, the Association of Lions Clubs was founded in the United States in the same year. It became international in 1920 with the foundation of the first similar Canadian club.

In the one hundred years since its foundation, as a result of the goodwill work carried out and the related noble idea, the Lions movement today is active in 206 countries with 46,000 clubs and with approximately 1.4 million members, hence is the world's largest goodwill organisation organized as a club. Lions’ motto is ‘We serve’.

In the 100th year of its foundation, the Association’s support activities are organised around four objectives: the first is to provide support to young people and involve them in the Lions projects, that is, the promotion of the goodwill work among the youth in the Leo clubs, whereby they get involved in the Lions’ actions. The second objective is the struggle for the preservation of eyesight which includes support for both the blind and the visually impaired. The third objective is fight against starvation, which means the development of access to healthy food as well. The fourth objective is the protection of the environment and creating a healthier, more livable environment for all communities.

According to a research carried out in 2007 by the Financial Times, an American daily newspaper, from among 34 international goodwill non-governmental organisations the Lions Clubs International Foundation (LCIF) received the honorary title of the best NGO in the world. The reason the LCIF was awarded this honorary title is, among others, that it grants the total amount of the donations collected for the goodwill, i.e. 100%, to the needy.

Currently, in the 40 clubs located in Hungary approximately 900 members are working for the community, and their service covers all areas of support. The centennial motto of the 100-year-old international organisation is: ‘Where people are in need, the Lions are there to help’.

Earth Day

22 April - Earth Day

Earth Day 2017 - Environmental & Climate Literacy

Earth Day is an annual event celebrated on April 22. Worldwide, various events are held to demonstrate support for environmental protection. First celebrated in 1970, Earth Day events in more than 193 countries are now coordinated globally by the Earth Day Network.

Earth Day 2017’s Campaign is Environmental & Climate Literacy

Education is the foundation for progress. There is a need to build a global citizenry fluent in the concepts of climate change and aware of its unprecedented threat to our planet. There is a need to empower everyone with the knowledge to inspire action in defense of environmental protection.

Environmental and climate literacy is the engine not only for creating green voters and advancing environmental and climate laws and policies but also for accelerating green technologies and jobs.

This Earth Day, gather with your community for an Environmental & Climate Literacy !

New stamps on Wildlife

Kingfishers

Date of Issue : 26 April 2017

Singapore Post will issue  a set of 4 stamps on 26 April 2017 featuring Kingfishers.

Korean National Park

Date of Issue : 29 May 2017

Korea Post will issue two beautiful stamps and a sheetlet on Korea National Park on 29 May 2017.

: Wolfgang Beyer - Germany

New Special Covers on World Heritage Day...

On the occasion of the World Heritage day on 18th April 2017 , three Special covers were released at Bangalore GPO. Sri Arun Raj, Superintending Archaeologist, Archaeological Survey of India released the covers on 18.04.2017 at Bengaluru GPO. Dr. Charles Lobo, Chief Postmaster General, Karnataka Circle and Sri S. Rajendra Kumar, Postmaster General, South Karnataka Region were also present.

 Keerthinaravana Temple of Talakad Talakadu

1. KTK/46/2017: Keerthinaravana Temple of Talakad Talakadu is a desert like town on the left bank of the Kaveri River in Mysuru District. It once had over 30 temples, most of which now lay buried in sand. It is one of the Pancha Narayana Kshetras where the Keerthi Narayana temple was established in 1117 AD.

Halebeedu Hovsaleshwara Temple

2. KTK/47/2017: Halebeedu Hovsaleshwara Temple Halebeedu (earlier Dwarasamudra) was the capital of Hoysala empire in the 1th Century AD. The Hoysaleshwara temple built in 1117 AD is outstanding for its wealth of sculptural details. The walls of the temple are covered with a variety of depictions from Hindu mythology, animals and birds. No two sculptures of the temple are same.

Chennakeshava Temple, Belur

3. KTK/48/2017: Chennakeshava Temple, Belur The main attraction in Belur is the Chennakeshava Temple, built by King Vishnuvardhana in commemoration of his victory over the Cholas at Talakad in 1117 AD, 900 years back.

: Suresh.R - Bengaluru

  ​

Stamp on ‘Deekshabhoomi by India Post

Date of Issue : 14 April 2017

The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi  released the commemorative postal stamp on ‘Deekshabhoomi of Dr. Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar’ in Nagpur, at Indoor Sports Complex, Mankapur on April 14, 2017.

Deekshabhoomi is in Nagpur, Maharashtra, a location regarded as a pilgrimage center of Buddhism in India. Millions of pilgrims visit Deekshabhoomi every year,especially on Dhamma Chakra Pravartan Din ("Mass Conversion Ceremony Day") and 14 October, the memorial day when Dr. Ambedkar converted to Buddhism here. Ambedkar's final religious act was to embrace Buddhism. Today, the largest stupa in Asia is erected in his memory at the site.

Deeksha literally means 'act of ordaining' and bhoomi means the 'ground'.Deekshabhoomi means the ground where people got ordained as Buddhist. This religious mass conversion at one place was the first ever of its kind in history. Deekshabhoomi is one of two places of considered to be of great importance in the life of Dr. Ambedkar, the other being Chaitya Bhoomi in Mumbai

Special Event sheet on International Yoga Day from UNPA

The UN postal agency, UN Postal Administration (UNPA) will issue the new special event sheet to commemorate Yoga Day that has been marked annually since 2015. The special sheet consists of stamps with images of the sacred Indian sound "Om" and various yogic postures."Releasing soon. @unstamps Special Event sheet to commemorate International Day of Yoga," India's Permanent Representative to the UN Ambassador Syed Akbaruddin tweeted.

The first International Yoga Day was commemorated at the UN in 2015 with aplomb, with External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj leading the celebrations along with then UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, spiritual guru Sri Sri Ravi Shankar and US Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard.

Ban Ki-moon and his wife had joined hundreds of students and yoga practitioners to perform asanas and mediate under the guidance of Shankar during the yoga day celebrations.

In December 2014, the UN General Assembly had adopted a resolution with a record number of 177 co-sponsoring member states to commemorate the International Day of Yoga every year on June 21.

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World Heritage Day

18 April - World Heritage Day

 “Cultural Heritage & Sustainable Tourism”

World Heritage Day

World Heritage Day (International Day for Monuments & Sites) was created in 1982 by ICOMOS (International Council on Monuments & Sites) and was later approved at the UNESCO General Conference in 1983.The aim is to promote awareness about the diversity of cultural heritage of humanity, their vulnerability and the efforts required for their protection and conservation.

18 April is celebrated all over the world by a wide range of organisations and many ICOMOS National and International Scientific Committees. Events include scientific conferences and symposia, exhibitions, photography competitions, excursions, press conferences, the awarding of prizes, releasing press releases, publishing magazine articles and projecting films, among others.

In 2017, the theme is “Cultural Heritage & Sustainable Tourism”, chosen in relation to the United Nations International Year of Sustainable Tourism for Development and in the context of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Sustainable Development Goals. 

Taj Mahal - The Pride of India

World Heritage sites belong to all the peoples of the world, irrespective of the territory on which they are located.In the World Heritage stamp series, the United Nations Postal Administration issued stamps on Taj Mahal in the year 2014. The Taj Mahal, located in the Agra District in Uttar Pradesh, India is widely recognized as "the jewel of Muslim art in India" and is considered one of the most universally admired masterpieces of the world's heritage.

Heritage is our legacy from the past, what we live with today, and what we pass on to future generations. Cultural heritage and natural heritage are both irreplaceable sources of life and inspiration. What makes the concept of World Heritage exceptional is its universal application.