Issued by India

Issued on Jan 25, 2024

Issued for : Department of Posts is delighted to release a miniature sheet of 3 commemorative postage stamps on Bharat – The Mother of Democracy and salutes the democratic spirit of world’s largest democracy.

Credits :
Miniature Sheet/FDC/Brochure/Cancellation Cachet : Sh. Suresh Kumar

Type : Miniature Sheet, Mint Condition

Colour : Multi Colour

Denomination : 500 Paise (3)

Miniature Sheets Printed : 143334

Printing Process : Wet Offset

Printer : Security Printing Press, Hyderabad

About : 

• A 31 gun salute to the President heralded the birth of Indian Republic shortly before 1030 hours on January 26, 1950. It was 894 days after the country attained the dominion status following the end of British rule. The ceremony was held in the brilliantly decorated Darbar Hall of the Government House (now Rashtrapati Bhawan) and was attended by about 500 prominent dignitaries including Dr Soekarno, the President of Indonesian Republic. It was the beginning of a new Republic based on the principles of justice, liberty, equality and unity.
• This (26^th January 2024) being the 75^th Republic Day inspires us to look back and realize that Bharat has been the beckon of Democracy long before this idea was rediscovered by western thinkers. It is no surprise that after independence, the people of this country took to democracy as duck takes to water.
• India had a history of Republics that existed before and after Buddha. One such republic was Lichchhavi which was a part of Vajjika territory and contemporary village of Basarh in Vaishali district of Bihar. The references of Lichchhavi are in Pali, Tibetan, Jain, Greek, Nepalese, and Chinese and Sanskrit texts. Universal Civil rights, franchise, general assembly, rule of law, deliberation and procedures of committees and appeals are the democratic features, which were well established in Lichchhavi Gana-Rajya. Lichchhavis had an open and secret ballot system; their presidents (ganapati), Vice presidents (up ganapati), army chiefs (senapati), ambassadors and other key heads of administration-judiciary were elected through consensus and electoral contests, if required.
• It was one of the earliest document reference to democracy and hence can be called mother of democracy in the recorded history of mankind. It operated on the principal that ‘let one faulty escape than to punish one who is not guilty’. It was a role model for Buddha. His Sangh was founded on the functioning style of this Lichchhavi gana-rajya.
• Sangam literature and epigraphical sources throw valuable information on the socio-economic condition of Tamil Nadu. In the Chola period, the Uttiramerur inscription of C. 919 and 921 CE of the Chola king, Parantaka I, laid down the rules for the election of persons to the several committees which administered the village. It mentions the nagaram, which denotes both the town of the merchants and their assembly, the ur or village assembly and the urar (members of the village assembly). The different local bodies coexisted peacefully. The leader of the mahasabha/sabha was an elected representative. It highlights an early form of decentralized governance in the region.
• Uttiramerur inscription describes a meticulous electing process for members of the Sabha. It involved a lottery system, ensuring fairness. The eligibility criteria included age, property ownership and moral conduct. The Sabha served as a committee responsible for various administrative functions, including resolving disputes, maintaining law & order and overseeing local affairs. Major decisions were taken through discussions and consensus-building. For accountability, the inscription mentions provisions for impeaching and removing individuals from the sabha if found guilty of misconduct or corruption.
• Sikhism, founded by Guru Nanak in the 15^th century, embodies several democratic ideals that promote equality, justice and community participation. It emphasizes the equality of all individuals, irrespective of caste, creed, gender or social status. The concept of ‘Ik Onkar’ (One supreme reality) underscores the oneness of humanity and rejects any form of discrimination.
• The Sikh tradition encourages active participation of its followers in community affairs. The Institution of langar (community kitchen) exemplifies Sikh democratic values, promoting social equality and community solidarity. The Sikh prayer ‘Sarbat da Bhala’ translates to ‘May everyone be blessed’ promotes an inclusive and compassionate society. The Gurmata system involves reaching consensus through discussion and agreement among community members.
• When Bharat is entering into Amrit Kaal, it is opportune time to reclaim the legacy of our forefather and great thinkers who sowed the seed of Democracy in our DNA. Bharat was, is and will remain forever the Mother of Democracy.
• Text : Referenced from content provided by Proponent.

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Issued by India

Issued on Jan 18, 2024

Issued for : Department of Posts is delighted to release Miniature Sheet consisting six commemorative postage stamps on Shri Ram Janmbhoomi Temple and invites every being to seek blessings of Shri Ram for virtuous, blessed and meaningful life.

Credits :
Miniature Sheet/FDC/Brochure/Cancellation Cachet : Sh. Sankha Samanta

Type : Miniature Sheet, Mint Condition

Colour : Multi Colour

Denomination : 500 Paise (6)

Miniature Sheets Printed : 10,00,000

Printing Process : Wet Offset

Printer : Security Printing Press, Hyderabad

About : 

• Philosophy and morality are closely intertwined in Indian life. Dharma is the Indian word meaning morals and ethics. The word “dharma” derives from the root “dhr,” which means to hold. Dharma, therefore, serves to maintain the stability and development of human civilization by acting as a unifying force within it.
• Ramo Vighravan Dharma (रामो विग्रहवान् धर्मः) means Shri Ram is Dharma incarnate. Maharishi Valmiki called Shri Ram ‘Dharmavigrah’ in Ramayana, God incarnated for the welfare of the people. Maharishi Ved Vyas said that the incarnation of Shri Ram was not just for killing demons but for teaching dharma to humans. Patience, forgiveness, control of mind, selflessness, purity, restraint of senses, wisdom, knowledge, truth and mercy, these ten characteristics of dharma have been properly reflected in the entire conduct of Shri Ram.
• A fundamental principle of Shri Ram’s life conduct is to be aware of one’s true self. If a man thinks about his real identity and controls his behavior accordingly, then there can be an appropriate solution to the problems prevalent in the society. Shri Ram’s life and his human attributes are highly relevant in modern world to discipline the mind and for continuously developing and changing country.
• Shri Ram Janmbhoomi Temple at Ayodhya is unique for its geographical, historical cultural importance and architectural style. The city of Ayodhya, situated on the bank of pious river Saryu is considered a form of Rama. Ayodhya is filled with many childhood life acts of Rama which ultimately played an important role in his transformation as Maryadapurshottam. Shri Ram Janmbhoomi temple at Ayodhya symbolizes the united faith of every Indian in the life of Shri Ram. The sculptures in the temple complex, spiritual symbols on walls and the overall architectural style describes the divinity of Rama. This temple is the center of renaissance of the spiritual energy of great Bharat.
• The construction of the Shri Ram Janmbhoomi Temple, situated on the sacred birthplace of Shri Ram within a 70-acre complex, is a significant endeavour undertaken by the Shri Ram Janmbhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust, formed by the Supreme Court on November 9, 2019.
• The main temple is designed in ancient Nagara style of Architecture. The temple is constructed with Pink Bansi Paharpur stones from the mines in Bharatpur district, Rajasthan & spans a vast area of 2.77 acres.
• The construction involves intricate processes, including cutting and carving of stones at Pindwara in Rajasthan, utilizing advanced CNC technology for precision. The final finishing, a testament to craftsmanship, is meticulously done by a team of approximately 1,500 artisans. The stones, after carving, are carefully packed and transported back to the temple for the assembly and erection.
• Impressively standing at a height of 161.75 feet, with a length of 380 feet and a width of 249.5 feet, the three-story temple comprises five mandaps — Nritya Mandap, Rang Mandap, Gudh Mandap, Kirtan Mandap, and Prarthana Mandan — along with the Main Shikar. It is a marvel of architecture, constructed using 26,500 Pink Bansi Paharpur stones, designed to endure for over a thousand years without incorporating steel. Each stone have been carefully inspected by National Institute of Rock Mechanics (NIRM) for its physical properties.
• The temple’s structural integrity is reinforced to withstand seismic activities of Zone 4. The ground floor boasts 166 pillars, the first floor 142, and the second floor 82, including 6 Makrana Marble pillars on each floor, adorned with intricate carvings of over 10,000 Moortis and themes.
• Teak wood sourced from the Maharashtra Forest Department, seasoned in Nagpur, is used for the temple’s 46 wooden doors, with 14 doors on the ground floor embellished with gold plating. The opulent flooring, covering an area of 80,000 square feet, is done with 35mm thick white Makrana Marble, featuring an inlay of 15mm thick coloured marble stones.
• A special highlight of the temple is the mechanism devised by the Central Building Research Institute (CBRI), Roorkee, where during the auspicious day of Ram Navami, Surya Kiran will fall on the forehead (Surya Tilak) of Shri Ram.
• Pranpratishtha at Shri Ram Janmbhoomi Temple is a historic day for the nation. To make this moment truly unique, Department of Posts has conceptualized a set of six stamps on Shri Ram Janmbhoomi Temple. These stamps have been printed with the water and sand from Ram Janmbhoomi, carrying the consciousness and blessings of Shri Ram. The stamps have the fragrance of sandal wood signifying the fragrance of divinity. To make these stamps radiant of the divine light, parts of the Miniature sheet is gold foiled.
• Text : Referenced from content provided by Proponent.

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Issued by India

Issued on Dec 31, 2018

Issued for : Department of Posts is pleased to issue a set of four Commemorative Postage Stamps as Series – I on the theme “Indian Fashion – Through the Ages”.

Credits :
Stamps/Miniature Sheet/First Day Cover/Brochure : Shri Suresh Kumar
Cancellation Cachet : Smt. Alka Sharma

Type : Miniature Sheet, Mint Condition

Colour : Multi Colour

Denomination : 1500 Paise (2) and 500 Paise (2)

Stamps Printed : 5.0 Lakh each

Miniature Sheet Printed : 1.1 Lakh

Printing Process : Wet Offset

Printer : India Security Press, Nasik

About : 

• Fashion is a universal subject, a language understood and spoken by one and all. Fashion is one of the most popular modes of expression. It describes the ever-changing style of clothes worn by those with cultural status. Fashions vary greatly within a society over time and are affected by age, occupation, location and social class.
• India’s recorded history of clothing goes back to the fifth millennium BC in the Indus Valley Civilization. India was one of the first places where cotton was cultivated and used even as early as 2500 BC during the Harappan era. The remnants of the ancient Indian clothing can be found in the figurines discovered from the sites near the Indus Valley Civilization, the rock cut sculptures, the cave paintings and human art forms found in temples and monuments. Dating back to the Mohenjo-daro civilization, the earliest preliminary version was found in the statue of Mother Goddess wearing an elaborate headgear supported by a pair of bands and a brooch, tight-fitted tunic and skirt fastened with a broad waist-band using a medallion like clasp. She is adorned with two necklaces, the smaller one has a set of four cylindrical pendants. The “Priest-king” and other stone figures are also depicted wearing a long robe over the left shoulder, leaving the right shoulder bare. The clothing system was also related to the social and economic status of the person. The upper classes of the society wore fine muslin garments and silk fabrics while the common classes wore garments made up of locally made fabrics.
• During the Mauryan Period, the most common attire of the people was antariya, which they used to wear as a lower garment. A cloth was covered in lehnga style to form a tubular skirt. An embellished long piece of cloth wrapped around the waist pleated into the antariya was called patka. As an upper garment, people’s main garb was uttariya, a long scarf. The difference existed only in the manner of wearing. Textiles were dyed and printed. Resist dyeing and hand printing has been mentioned by Megasthenes as a common sight during the Mauryan period as has glazed cotton. Felting of fibres instead of weaving was also a generally used technique.
• The Mughals played a vital role in Indian Fashion and exerted a huge influence on the Indian dressing style. Men wore jama which was considered as the main royal garb of Mughal emperors, patka to keep the jewelled sword around the waist of jama. The patka is a type of girdle made of a fine fibre which is hand painted, printed or embroidered and choga embroidered, long sleeved coats generally worn over jamas and angrakhas. Mughal women wore a large variety of ornaments from head to toe. Their costumes generally included Peshwaj, Yalek, Pajama, Churidar, Dhillija, Garara and Farshi, they all included head ornaments, anklets and necklaces. This was done as a distinctive mark of their prosperity and their rank in society. Head-dresses were often worn by Mughal women and were available in various styles. Empress Nur Jahan, consort of Jahangir, epitomising beauty, wore a short-sleeved long or short jacket over her kurta. While she wore it to maintain her sophistication, the outfit made a style statement.
• Awadh (the region of the modern state of Uttar Pradesh around Ayodhya, west of Varanasi) has historically been among the most important regions in India, politically, religiously and socially and holds a vital position with respect to the development of Indian fashion. For centuries, the Awadhi style of dressing has intrigued fashion enthusiasts. Its fabrics, embroideries and precision in design, influence connoisseurs of fashion and style enthusiasts alike. The Nawabs, who were predominant in Awadh during the 18^th and 19^th centuries, particularly influenced the evolution of fashion. The aristocracy of Lucknow spent lavishly on their dresses. This had an impact on the dresses of the courtiers and the Awadhi people in general. The emphasis was not only on costumes and textiles, but also on how they were worn.
• Indian Princely states also displayed evolution of fashion through fusion of local traditional dresses with the trends from other parts of India. For instance, for aristocratic Rajput men court dresses included angarkhi, pagdi, chudidar pyjama and a cummerbund (belt). Dhoti was also in tradition but it was worn in different styles across various princely states. This period also saw a fusion of diverse Indian attire and clothing trends infused with elements of European fashion.
• Text : Based on the material provided by Prof. Manika Walia and other sources.

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Issued by India

Issued on Nov 27, 2017

Issued for : Department of Posts is pleased to issue a set of eighteen Commemorative Postage Stamps on Mahabharat.

Credits :
Stamp/Miniature Sheet/Sheetlet/FDC/Brochure : Designed by Smt. Bharti Mirchandani based on inputs received from Sh. Lakshmikanta Dash (Department of Posts), Ms. Meena Mani, and Smt. Santok Ba.
Cancellation Cachet : Smt. Nenu Gupta

Type : Sheetlet, Mint Condition

Colour : Multi Colour

Denomination : 10000 Paise, 5000 Paise, 2500 Paise (4), 1500 Paise (12)

Miniature Sheet Printed : 5.0 lakh each

Sheetlets Printed : 5.0 lakh

Printing Process : Wet Offset

Printer : Security Printing Press, Hyderabad

About : 

• The Mahabharat is a world of its own, vast, immortal, rich, deep, essential, thoughtful, philosophic, pure, intriguing, engaging and magnanimous. There isn’t any emotion that is left untouched or unspoken, as each character in this colourful yet tragic epic poem is a kind of its own. Each relationship is vividly expressed, yet exists on a complex note. JF Woods elucidates referring to Mahabharat, “what is not here, is nowhere else”.
• The greatest epic of India, Mahabharat, compiled by Vyasa between 300 BCE and 300 CE, is considered to be of the Puranic Period. The Bhagvad Gita is narrated during the Bhisma Parva, just before the epiphanic moment of beginning of the great war.
• If we look at the history of culmination of this sacred text, it is a conglomeration of ideas beginning from the earliest phase of Indian civilization. It includes the Vedic philosophy, the post Vedic, the Upanishadic thoughts, upto the Puranic narratives.
• All these developments formulating the essence of Indian philosophy constitute the Gita. It entails Lord Krishna’s revelation of his divine nature to Arjuna. As a result Arjuna is able to decide upon a course of action that was any way rendered inevitable by the complex sequence of events. Lord Krishna counsels Arjuna on the mandates of Dharma and the necessity of action, finally relieving him off his emotional dilemma.
• According to Nick Sutton in the essay, ‘What is Dharma? Ethical tensions within Mahabharat’, “the Mahabharat dramatises this tension between moral and ritual ethics and perhaps it is through the discourse of the Gita that the epic is able to explore further on these grounds.”
• This blend of Gita and Mahabharat is evocative of the interconnectedness within the universal cosmology, as both the divine and the human world tend to co-interact. Herein there is violence in both domains, emotional turbulence in the form of conspiracy of Duryodhana and Shakuni, deceit, hatred and victimization of the righteous Pandavas.
• The position of Draupadi within the epic is a complex one, on one hand, she suffered relentlessly, while on the other hand, she was a woman with a mind of her own, assertive and unflinching. Mahabharat operates on the concept of power, state and kingdomhood which is intricately tied to matters of inheritance and lineage. As the inevitability of fate determines events, in this duel between Karna and Arjuna, Ghatotkach falls prey to Karna’s attack from the infallible weapon blessed to him by Indra, thereby, sacrificing his life for Arjuna. Son of Bheema and Hidimbi, he was of a bold built, exemplifying a ghatam (a clay pot).
• The Lakshagriha episode is a result of Duryodhana’s wrath and hatred for the Pandavas. He conspires an evil trap in the form of House Of Lacquer to burn his enemies to death, but is himself befooled as Pandavas manage to escape through a secret tunnel, due to Vidura’s prior symbolic warning to Yudhishtira.
• Next if we explore the role of cosmology within Mahabharat, the best would be to refer to Bhisma and Shikhandi. Their encounter with each other in two different cycles of birth and rebirth is determined and based on the motif of revenge and fate. Having known that Bhisma’s ethical principles would prevent him from confronting a woman at the battlefield, Arjuna used Shikhandi as a shield to defeat the mighty Bhisma.
• Interestingly, Mahabharat apart from being a Mahakavya narrating the great war, it is also a bildungsroman which is a “narrative tracing the development of a protagonist’s character from childhood to maturity through varied experiences” as we see in the epic, the life and times of the Pandavas and Kauravas since their childhood to their growth as skillful warriors.
• War entails no peace, instead punctures a human being’s consciousness to the extent that its destruction of life and property haunts him throughout. The epic as it is marked by its multilayered characteristics unfolds its events within the paradigm of human fate and destiny, its magnanimity in the course of time has anchored it to eternity. As to this day we see adaptations of Mahabharat in different regional languages, it is interpreted and reinterpreted, not only in India but has bestowed its glory all over the world. The charm of this epic has cast its spell across time and space, as different part of the country adopted and adapted the narrative, wholly or focusing on parts, to suite their own cultural identities. Almost every State has some relics dedicated to an episode from the great epic. The spiritual vastness of this story, eventually is a reflection of spread of civilization and the related conflicts, manifest today in different architectural, sculptural, folk art and other forms of artistic expressions.
• Mahabharat is an epic that has permeated life and culture far beyond the Indian subcontinent. In India, facets of the epic appear in song, dance, film, literature, painting, sculpture, and everyday conversations. These stamps depict but a few strands of the art forms which continue to influence and mould life, learning, and politics. Department of Posts pays homage to this immense living tradition by offering a selection of works which depict the Mahabharat from different parts of India.
• The set of stamps being brought out by the Department of Posts is an attempt and portray this rich variety of expressions of different events and episodes of the story. Department of Posts issues one sheetlet with 18 stamps and two miniature sheets which are described in forthcoming paragraphs.
• As we count the stamps as they are arranged in the sheetlet and proceed from top to bottom, counting from left to right in each row, the cosmic form of the creator in traditional Rajasthani pichwai style is depicted in the large top stamp #1 in sheetlet. Raja Ravi Verma brought his distinct style to the royal depiction of the five Pandav brothers with Draupadi in stamp #4. Draupadi appears as a leather shadow puppet from Andhra–Karnataka region which is depicted in stamp #5. Stamp #9 is an illustration of the Pandavas with Draupadi during their years in exile from patachitra folk scroll painting from Bihar–Bengal region. In stamp #10 and #13, Miniature paintings done in the Mughal style to illustrate their translations into Persian have been depicted. Stamp #10 is the illustration from Bhagvat Puranam, wherein Kauravas confer at Hastinapur as Bhishm, Dhritrashtra and Vidur try to avert the war. Stamp #13 is the illustration from Razmnama, depicting Bhishma on a bed of arrows, awaiting for auspicious time to leave his mortal coil. Hindu and Jain manuscripts were illustrated in watercolour styles of northern India in stamp #16 & #17. Stamp #16 is the illustration from 1540 Bhagvat Puranam manuscript, depicting a vital battle during the great war, when Karna used up his most powerful weapon to subjugate Ghatotkachh which is depicted in stamp #17.
• The sculptors chiseled stone at Halebidu, depicted in stamp #7 showing Arjun at the svayamvar; stamp #12, depicts the chakravyuha that killed Arjun’s son in the great battle; stamp #14 is the battle scene showing Arjun, the skilful archer and Arjun’s penance to earn divine weapons, from Mahaballipuram in stamp #8. Kalamkari artists of Andhra Pradesh use fabric to paint scenes from the epics which is depicted in stamp #18.
• Many of the pictures used in the stamps (stamps #2, #3, #6, #11, #15) and in the accompanying philatelic material including the background and borders for the sheet of 18 stamps, are adapted from the huge body of work done by an ‘illiterate’ folk artist from the heart of central India who dedicated her life to illustration this epic. Santok Ba painted a scroll of 1200 meters depicting episodes from just the adi parva part of the epic. This work has been preserved at the IGNCA, Delhi, and Department of Posts is grateful for the opportunity to present some of her work to the world. Santok Ba’s family supported and supplemented her efforts and they deserve credit too, as do all the unnamed anonymous traditional artists who have kept the stories alive.
• Text : Based on the material received from writer Ms. Anika Singh and available on internet.

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Issued by India

Issued on Mar 20, 2015

Issued for : Department of Posts is happy to issue a Commemorative Postage Stamp on Indian Ocean and Rajendra Chola l.

Credits :
Stamp/FDC : Suresh Kumar
Cancellation : Alka Sharma

Type : Stamp, Mint Condition

Colour : Multi Colour

Denomination : 500 Paise

Stamps Printed : 0.6 Million

Printing Process : Wet Offset

Printer : Security Printing Press, Hyderabad

About : 

• The Indian Ocean is the third largest of the world’s oceanic divisions, covering approximately 20 per cent of the water on the Earth’s surface. It has Asia on the North, Africa on the West, Australia on the East and Antarctica on the South.
  
• This vast Ocean connecting and separating nations has played an important role in shaping many countries’ cultures and ideologies through the movement of goods, people, ideas and religion vide trade, naval power, travel and scientific exploration across the sea. The world’s earliest civilizations in Mesopotamia, ancient Egypt, and the Indian subcontinent developed around Indian Ocean. During the 1^st and 2^nd centuries C.E. intensive trade relations developed between Roman, Egyptian and the Tamil Kingdoms in southern India. In 1497 Portuguese navigator Vasco Da Gama was the first European to sail to India. European ships dominated trade which was reinforced in 1869 after the opening of Suez Canal. In 1971 the UN General Assembly declared Indian Ocean a zone of peace by resolution 2832.
  
• The span of the Ocean is 6,200 miles (10,000 kilometres) from the southern tip of Africa to the western coast of Australia. In the southwest it joins the Atlantic Ocean and to the east it joins the Pacific Ocean.
  
• Being the warmest Ocean in the world, the Indian Ocean accounts for 50 per cent of the world’s container traffic and the ports of Indian Ocean Rim (IOR) region handle about 30 per cent of global trade. Around 66 per cent of the world’s seaborne trade in oil transits the Indian Ocean. Roughly 55 per cent of known oil reserves, and around 40 per cent of gas reserves, are in the Indian Ocean region. Study of the Spice route, Cotton route, Perfume route etc. indicates what a vital role had been played by Indian Ocean for centuries in the history of Maritime trade. Today Indian Ocean is very much a part of global economy and is considered truly a Ratnakara – “the mine of gems” as mentioned in old treaties.
  
• The rise of Chola Dynasty in the Peninsular India unfolded a new chapter in the annals of the country when for the first time any ruling dynasty endeavoured to conquer high seas and to expand its hegemony and dominance across the seas through development of a strong naval force. The Coronation of Rajendra Chola l in 1014 C.E. was an epoch making event in the history of the Indian subcontinent, and an important and bright chapter in the glorious history of Indian Ocean. Son of the great Rajaraja Chola l, King Rajendra is credited with expanding the Chola Empire across the seas to South-East Asia and to the North up to the Ganges, with his navy, earning him the sobriquet ‘Gangai Kondan’.
  
• Cross cultural linkages between India and the erstwhile empires and contemporary nations of the South east Asia and Far East can be traced back to the vast Chola Empire which was at the pinnacle of its glory during the reign of Emperor Rajendra Chola I, whose writ and supreme dominance extended beyond India to empires which accepted his suzerainty consequent to his successful and heroic naval exploits.
  
• Apart from the military and territorial conquests which expanded the zone of influence and hegemony of the Cholas, the reign of the great Rajendra Chola l also witnessed growth in the soft power of India as his naval expeditions laid a strong foundation for promotion of trade, commerce and cultural exchanges which brought fabulous economic prosperity on one hand and expansion of Indian culture and heritage across the Indian ocean to the land of South East Asia on the other.
  
• Text : Based on the material provided by the proponent and Internet.

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Issued by India

Issued on Feb 2, 2014

Issued for : Department of Posts is happy to release a Souvenir Sheet comprising of three Commemorative Postage Stamps on Indian Museum, Kolkata.

Credits :
Souvenir Sheet/FDC : Sankha Samanta
Cancellation : Alka Sharma

Type : Miniature Sheet, Mint Condition

Colour : Multi Colour

Denomination : 4500 Paise

Souvenir Sheet Printed : 0.61 Million (0.1 Million for proponent)

Printing Process : Wet Offset

Printer : Security Printing Press, Hyderabad

About : 

• The foundation of the Indian Museum is an important milestone in the cultural heritage of India and heritage preservation. The museum grew out of the Asiatic Society of Bengal.
  
• The idea of establishing a Museum acquired a tangible form in the beginning of 1808 when the society occupied the premises erected at the corner of Park Street on a land granted by the government. It appointed Dr. Nathanial Wallich, a Danish Botanist, to be the Honorary Curator and then Superintendent of the Oriental Museum of the Asiatic Society. The Society decided to establish a museum which would be divided into two sections; one of which would be concerned with archaeological, ethnological and technological artifacts, while the other devoted to preservation of geological and zoological specimens. Wallich was not only the enthusiastic under and the first Curator of the Indian Museum; he was one of the largest donors to the museum at its inception. Out of one hundred seventy four items donated to the Museum till 1816, he had donated forty-two botanical specimens.
  
• Dr. Nathaniel Wallich took charge of the museum on 1^st June, 1814. The Museum thus inaugurated, thrived rapidly under the guidance of its enthusiastic founder Wallich and individual collectors. The Museum moved to the present building designed by Walter R. Granville at Chowringhee Road, Kolkata in the year 1878 and was thrown open to the public with two galleries on 1^st April, 1878. In 1879, it received a portion of the collection from the India Museum (South Kensington) when that collection was dispersed. Though in the beginning the Indian Museum was opened with two galleries, it was transformed later into a multipurpose Institution, where multi-disciplinary objects have been displayed in its six sections viz, Art, Archaeology, Anthropology, Zoology, Geology and Botany.
  
• The museum, known in the beginning as the “Asiatic Society Museum“, subsequently came to acquire the elevated status of the “Imperial Museum“. The familiar name of course was the “Indian Museum” described by the ordinary visitors as “Jadughar” or a ‘House of Wonders‘. Since 1878, at its present edifice, the Indian Museum has been rendering its services to the people of India as a centre of art and culture in India.
  
• Text : Based on the material furnished by the proponent.

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Issued by India

Issued on Dec 5, 2013

Issued for : Department of Posts is happy to release a Souvenir Sheet on ‘the Visit of Emperor & Empress of Japan‘.

Credits :
Stamp/FDC : Kamleshwar Singh
Cancellation : Alka Sharma

Type : Miniature Sheet, Mint Condition

Colour : Multi colour

Denomination : 2000 Paise

Souvenir Sheet : 0.81 million 

Printing Process : Wet Offset

Printer : Security Printing Press, Hyderabad

About : 

• Their Imperial Majesties the Emperor and Empress of Japan will visit India from 30^th November to 5^th December, 2013. This will be the first time in the history of independent India that the Emperor and Empress of Japan will be making a State Visit to India. Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko had visited India in November – December, 1960 as the then Crown Prince and Crown Princess of Japan.
  
• India–Japan relations have strengthened immeasurably over a period of time. Bilateral ties have expanded greatly in the political, economic, security, development, scientific and cultural fields. The visit to India by ‘Their Imperial Majesties the Emperor and Empress of Japan‘ will further the relationship between both countries and strengthen the bilateral ties.
  
• Department of Posts is commemorating the relations between two countries with the release of a Souvenir Sheet portraying the Qutub Minar and Tokyo Tower.
• Qutub Minar :
  • Qutub Minar, in red and buff sandstone, is the highest tower in India. It has a diameter of 14.32m at the base and about 2.75m on the top with a height of 72.5m. Qutbu’d-Din Aibak laid the foundation of Minar in AD 1199 for the use of the muezzin (crier) to give calls for prayer and raised the first storey, to which were added three more storeys by his successor and son-in-law, Shamsud-Din Iltutmish. All the storeys are surrounded by a projected balcony encircling the minar and supported by stone brackets, which are decorated with honey-comb design, more conspicuously in the first storey. Numerous inscriptions in Arabic and Nagari characters in different places of the minar reveal the history of Qutub.
• Tokyo Tower :
  • The Tokyo Tower is a communications and observation tower located in the Shiba-koen district of Minato, Tokyo, Japan. The structure is an Eiffel Tower-inspired lattice tower that is painted white and international orange to comply with air safety regulations. At 333 metres (1,093 ft), the Tokyo Tower is the second-tallest artificial structure in Japan. It was completed in the year 1958 as a symbol of Japan‘s rebirth as a major economic power. It serves as a television and radio broadcast antenna and tourist destination. The two-storey Main Observatory is located at 150 metres (490 ft) and provides a bird’s eye view of Tokyo while the smaller Special Observatory reaches a height of 250 metres (820 ft). Occasionally, Tokyo Tower’s lighting is changed to specific, unique arrangements for special events. During New Year’s Eve, the tower lights up at midnight with a year number displayed on one side of the observatory to mark the arrival of the new year.
• Text : Based on the material furnished by Ministry of External Affairs, Government of India and website of Archaeological Survey of India.

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Issued by India

Issued on Dec 20, 2011

Issued for : Despite the challenges and limitations, the ASI is serving the country credibly. On the occasion of its completing 150 years of existence, the Department of Posts commemorates the event with the issue of a set of two postage stamps.

Credits :
Stamp/FDC : Kamleshwar Singh
Cancellation : Alka Sharma 

Type : Miniature Sheet, Mint Condition

Colour : Multi colour

Denomination : 500 & 2000 Paise

Stamps Printed : 0.4 Million each (0.1 Million each to proponent)

Miniature Sheet : 0.1 Million

Printing Process : Wet Offset

Printer : SPP Hyderabad

About : 

• Archaeology, even as it engages with the human past, is a modern pursuit that fosters productive harmony between the society and its heritage. Learning from the peoples of the past and their relationships with the environment is nowhere more relevant than in India, a continent like country with its bewildering diversities and contradictions, and which is often described as living simultaneously in different centuries.
• The task of protecting the cultural heritage of the nation has been entrusted to the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), an organization functioning under the Department of Culture of the Government of India. Activities of the ASI include archaeological research, scientific analysis, excavation of archaeological sites, conservation of protected monuments and areas of national importance, maintenance of the museums and regulation of legislation related to antiquities and art treasures.
• Archaeological investigations in India began towards the end of eighteenth century, the initial efforts having been inspired by the accounts of travellers who visited this wonder land, till then little known. The arrival of Sir William Jones and the subsequent formation of the Asiatic Society in 1784 gave a major fillip to the discipline. These early archaeological initiatives culminated in the setting up of the ASI in 1861. Legendary archaeologists like Alexander Cunningham, John Marshall and Mortimer Wheeler contributed to the emergence of the Survey as a respected and professionally competent organization.
• The distribution of archaeological landmarks in India is balanced in time and space. They are from different ages, and spread throughout the length and breadth of the country. The ASI has been conscious of the fact that each monument mirrors the power of assimilation and the traits of Indian soil and cultures emerging out of it. It has internalized the duty assigned to it, that of preserving such a heritage for future generations. The heritage sites and monuments under ASI’s charge are of an immense variety, and include palaces, temples, mosques, churches, monasteries, stupas, step-wells, megaliths, pillars, kos minars, tombs, cemeteries, rock shelters with prehistoric paintings and rock-cut caves, belonging to prehistoric, protohistoric, historic, medieval and colonial periods. These monuments and sites are located in different climatic zones, ranging from the snow-bound heights of the Himalayas to coastal areas of tropical weather.
• The ASI is, at times, called upon to face challenges of complex nature requiring special efforts with regard to the preservation of cultural heritage, when development programmes are in progress. Such development schemes include construction of dams and hydro-electric projects, establishment of large industries, urban development projects etc., which could endanger the monuments. In the recent past, village population gradually moving to the cities and towns for better subsistence has posed problems to the monuments to a great extent. Instances of encroachment at the protected monuments and large scale construction of buildings of commercial and residential nature have posed threats to their very existence.
• Text : P.N. Ranjit Kumar (Based on the inputs furnished by the proponent).

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Issued by India

Issued on Jan 27, 2011

Issued for : India Post is happy to honour Krishnadevaraya by issuing a commemorative postage stamp.

Credits :
Stamp, FDC : Sankha Samanta
Cancellation : Alka Sharma

Type : Stamp, Mint Condition

Colour : Multi colour

Denomination : 500 Paise

Stamps Printed : 0.3 Million

Printing Process : Wet Offset

Printer : Security Printing Press, Hyderabad

Name : Kṛṣṇa Deva Rāya

Born on Feb 16, 1471 at Hampi, Karnataka, India [the former capital of the Vijayanagara Empire]

Died on 1529 at Hampi, Karnataka, India

About : 

• The Vijayanagara Empire was established in 1336 by Sangama brothers and it was ruled by four imperial dynasties namely Sangama, Salva, Tulva & Aravidu. Krishnadevaraya belonged to the third dynasty of the empire namely Tulva. He was the son of Nagalamba and Narasanayaka also called as Narasimharaya.
  
• He came to power in February 1509. But there are some more evidences which prove that January 24, 1510 is the Coronation date of Krishnadevaraya. In all probability the Coronation ceremony of Krishnadevaraya was held twice i.e., the first coronation happened in February 1509. Then, after suppressing the rebellious local chiefs he was once again coronated on 11^th March 1513. Krishnadevaraya‘s invasions against Ummatturu chiefs and Kalinga, his relationship with Bahmani Kingdom and the capture of Raichur and Mudgal were more illustrious than any other achievements of the earlier kings.
  
• He maintained cordial relations with the Portuguese and he improved trade with them. Krishnadevaraya was a learned man. He composed Amukthamalyada and Marichi Parinayamu. Amukthamalyada was composed in Sanskrit and Marichi Parinayamu in Telugu. Many works are attributed to Krishnadevaraya by historical sources but they are yet to be accepted by and large. He had eight poets in his court and they were called as Ashtadiggajas. During his period Sanskrit, Kannada, Telugu and Tamil literature, music, dance and drama were patronised equally.
  
• His contribution towards the art and architecture of the empire is an important chapter in the history of art. He built Balakrishna, Ananathashayana and Lakshminarasimha temple in his capital. Besides, he added a Kalyanamantapa, a hundred pillared halls, and a stone chariot to Vithala temple at Hampi. Apart from this, throughout the empire he contributed for the development of temples. Special mentions can be made of Thiruvannamalai, Chidambaram, Srirangam, Tirupathi and Kalahasti. He was a special devotee of Lord Venkateshwara of Tirupathi. His administration and his lifestyle were experienced and described in their travelogues by Barbosa, Tom Pires, Domingo Paes and Nuniz, apart from the description of the empire and the city.
  
• The above achievements of Krishnadevaraya contributed to his stature among the emperors of Vijayanagara.
  
• Text : Based on the text provided by Director of Archaeology & Museums in Karnataka, Mysore.

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Issued by India

Issued on Sep 26, 2010

Issued for : India Post is happy to issue a commemorative postage stamp on Brihadeeswarar Temple on the completion of 1000 Years of construction.

Credits :
Stamp & FDC : Brahm Prakash
Cancellation : Alka Sharma

Type : Stamp, Mint condition

Colour : Multi colour

Denomination : 500 Paise

Stamps Printed : 0.4 Million

Printing Process : Wet Offset

Printer : Security Printing Press, Hyderabad

About : 

• Brihadeeswarar Temple was built by King Raja Raja-1 of Chola dynasty at Thanjavur, the capital of his Kingdom, in Tamil Nadu.
• Originally named as Rajarajeswaram by Raja Raja Chola, it is now called Brihadeeswaram in Sanskrit & Peruvudaiyarkoli in Tamil. The construction of this granite temple began in AD 1003-04 and it was consecrated in the year AD 1009-10. One of the outstanding temples in South India, the Brihadeeswarar Temple is a tribute to the Chola dynasty’s power, wealth and artistic merit. It showcases the pure form of Dravida temple architecture and mathematical prowess & symmetry, covering the skills of architecture, sculpture, painting and bronze casting.
• The temple occupies an area measuring 800′ x 400′. The 64.8 m tall tower over the sanctum sanctorum is testimony to the engineering skill of the Cholas. 13 tier pyramid shaped vimanam (tower) raised from a square base is topped by a huge monolithic cupola carved from an 81.3 tonne block of granite. It was raised with the aid of a 6 km long inclined plane.
• Dedicated to Lord Shiva, the sanctum sanctorum houses “Mahalingam” in the shrine, measuring 4 meters in height. A monolithic Nandi chiseled out of a single rock, measures 5.94 meters in length, 2.51 meters in breadth and 3.66 meters in height.
• The temple is replete with famous series of paintings by Chola, Nayak and Maratha artists. Beautiful Chola fresco paintings of about 1000 AD and the Nayaks paintings of 17^th century can be seen on the four side walls of the central cell along the circumambulatory passage.
• A complete inventory of a number of copper, silver, gold and brass images gifted to the temple by Rajaraja, his family members, officers and others are referred in the inscriptions of this temple.
• This temple is under the care of the Archaeological Survey of India from 1946 and is being maintained as a protected monument of national importance. Recognising its unique architectural excellence, UNESCO has declared it a World Heritage Monument.
• Text : Based on materials provided by the proponent.

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