Mourning Cover on Dr APJ Kalam
Bhubaneswar 9th August: The Bharat Raksha Manch today released a Special Mourning Cover on former President A.P.J. Abdul Kalam. The cover was released as a part of the Kranti Divas Celebrations held at Bhubaneswar. This is the first Mourning Cover released on the former president after his death. The release ceremony was presided over by Manch President Dr. Bimlendu Mohanty and Convener Murali Manohar Sharma in the presence of Dr. Sanjit Panda. The Secretary of the Eastern India Philatelic Association, Anup Kumar Rout released the cover.
The Covers are being sent to the Post offices at Shillong, Rameswaram, Sriharikotta, Pokharan, Chandipur and Rashtrapati Bhavan Post offices for Special Cancellations, as these are the places which have associational significance with Kalam’s life. The set of six covers with the cancellations will be available to philatelists by the end of the month.
Mourning Covers are black bordered envelopes issued after the death of famous persons. It is a Victorian tradition which was popular in India during the British rule. Speaking on the occasion, Anil Dhir, eminent philatelist, said that the Cover will be a fitting tribute to the great man and his legacy. The issuance of the cover was his brain child; the cover was designed by Kasinath Sahoo another philatelist of eminence. Dhir holds the distinction of possessing the largest number of mourning covers in the world. The collection showcases a wide variety of letters about death, ranging from pre-stamp covers of 1790 to recent ones. These include personal letters, postcards, official notices, funeral notices, death telegrams; church memorial services letters, elegiac letters and gravestone and coffin receipts. The Mourning Cover issued on the death of Mahatma Gandhi fetched Rs 5.75 lakhs in a recent auction.
Mr Anil Dhir may be contacted at email : anildhir2k5@hotmail.com Ph> 9861020747
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