Issued by India

Issued on Dec 27, 2004

Issued for : The Department of Posts honours the memory of King Bhaskara Sethupathy through the issue of the commemorative postage stamp.

Credits :
Stamp : India Security Press, Nasik
FDC & Cancellation : Alka Sharma

Type : Stamp, Mint Condition

Colour : Multicolor

Denomination : 500 Paise

Print Quantity : 0.6 Million

Printing Process : Photogravure

Printer : India Security Press, Nashik

Name : Hiranyagarbhayaji Ravikula Muthuvijaya Raghunatha Bhaskara

Born on Nov 3, 1868

Died on Dec 27, 1903

About : 

• The title ‘Sethupathy‘, carried by the rulers of Ramanathapuram, means protectors and caretakers of the passage across the sea from Rameshwaram to Sri Lanka, built as per the legend, by Lord Rama, and of the Ramlinga Idol. They considered themselves not only the rulers of the State of Ramanathapuram, but also the caretakers of the holy temple in Rameshwaram.
• It was in this illustrious dynasty that Bhaskara Sethupathy was born on 3^rd November 1868, as the first son of the King Muthu Ramalinga Sethupathy II and Muthathal Naachiyar. He was educated in Madras through both Indian and English systems of education.
• On the 3^rd of April, 1889, he took over as the Head of the Ramanathapuram State. Bhaskara Sethupathy implemented welfare schemes for the common people and also patronized fine arts. He facilitated the entry of Harijans into the temples and stopped the custom of animal sacrifice in the Rajarajeshwari Temple with the help of Jagatguru Sringeri Sankaracharya Swamigal. He donated more than 40 lakhs of rupees for religious, educational and public welfare schemes between 1890 to 1893.
• King Bhaskara Sethupathy was instrumental in Swami Vivekananda attending the World Religion Conference held in Chicago (USA) in 1893 and made necessary arrangements for his visit and stay in the United States of America (USA). On 23^rd January 1897, he arranged for a rousing reception for Swami Vivekananda upon his return from the World Religion Conference, and later, also constructed a monument in the place where swamiji landed and inscribed the holy words ‘Satyameva Jayate‘ on it in the year 1897. In appreciation of the services rendered by King Bhaskara Sethupathy, Swami Vivekananda conferred the title ‘Raaja Rishi‘ (Ascetic King) on him. As an erudite Tamil scholar, he wrote some books in Tamil and also helped his cousin Pandithurai Thevar towards organizing the ‘Fourth Tamil Sangam‘.
• The demise of Swami Vivekananda affected him deeply and he went to lead an ascetic life in the ‘Mutt‘ on the banks of Tamirbarani in Kallidaikuruchi, where he spent his time in meditation.
• Bhaskara Sethupathy breathed his last on the 27^th of December, 1903. Though he lived in this world only for 35 years, he made a lasting impact in the socio-cultural canvas during his short life span.
• Text : Based on material received from proponent.
  

The post Bhaskara Sethupathy appeared first on iStampGallery.

Issued by India

Issued on Dec 21, 2004

Issued for : The Department of Posts is happy to issue a commemorative postage stamp on Sahitya Akademi.

Credits :
Stamp & FDC : Bharati Mirchandani
Cancellation : Alka Sharma

Type : Stamp, Postal Used

Colour : Multi Colour

Denomination : 500 Paise

Print Quantity : 0.8 Million

Printing Process : Photogravure

Printer : India Security Press, Nashik

About : 

• Sahitya Akademi is not only the premier institution in the country for literary dialogue, publication and promotion but also the only institution in the country that undertakes literary activities in twenty-four languages, including English. Set up in 1954 by the Government of India as a autonomous organization fully financed by the Government, Sahitya Akademi has ceaselessly endeavoured to promote good taste and healthy reading habits, to keep alive the intimate dialogue among the various linguistic and literary zones and groups contributing to the emotional integration of the nation through seminars, lectures, symposia, discussions, readings and performances. The policies and programmes of Sahitya Akademi are decided by its General Council and Executive Board consisting of eminent writers and academics and is assisted by advisory boards in each recognized language. It has an elected President who chairs the various councils and committees and a Secretary as the Chief Executive. The governing and advisory bodies are freshly constituted every five years. The functioning of Sahitya Akademi is totally democratic and decentralized. It has a Head Office in Delhi and offices in Mumbai, Kolkata, Bangalore and Chennai.
• Over 50 years of its dynamic existence, it has published over 4300 books in 22 Indian languages. It publishes two bi-monthly journals – Indian Literature in English and Samkaleen Bharatiya Sahitya in Hindi – which carry translated literary pieces from different languages. It also publishes a half-yearly journal in Sanskrit, Samskrta Pratibha. Sahitya Akademi runs projects for the propagation of tribal-oral literature and translation.
• The highest honour conferred by Sahitya Akademi on a writer is by electing him a Fellow. This honour is reserved for the “immortals of literature” and limited to twenty-one at any given time. So far 66 writers have been awarded the Fellowship.
• Sahitya Akademi gives awards for creative/critical writing and Translation Prizes in each of the recognized languages every year and has given 850 awards since its inception for original books of outstanding merit and 302 Translation Prizes since 1989 for books of translation. Apart from these awards, the annual Bhasha Samman has also been instituted since 1996 which is given to scholars and writers for their contribution to languages not recognized by the Sahitya Akademi and to Classical and Medieval literature. So far 35 writers and scholars have been honoured with the Bhasha Samman.
• Seminars on literary topics at regional, national and international levels as well as literary workshops are also organized to provide a platform to the writers of the different languages for interchange of ideas. It also conducts programmes such as Meet the Author, Men and Books, Through my Window, Asmita, Mulaqat, Kathasandhi, Kavisandhi, Kavi-Anuvadak, Loka: The Many Voices, Antaral and Avishkar. More than 200 such programmes are held every year.
• The Sahitya Akademi Library is one of the prominent multilingual Libraries in India and has a wide range of books numbering over 1.27 lakhs in more than 25 Indian and foreign languages. The offices at Bangalore and Kolkata also maintain regional Libraries with sizeable collections.
• Under the Archives of Indian Literature Project Sahitya Akademi collects and preserves material connected with writers. So far films on more than 50 writers have been produced and there are several audio and video recordings, photographs and manuscripts.
• There is hardly any significant writer or translator in post-Independent India who has not taken part in an Akademi programme or undertaken a project. Sahitya Akademi has built bridges among communities, regions and languages and has provided a meeting ground for writers of diverse attitudes and ideologies.
• Text : Based on material given by the proponent.
  

The post Sahitya Akademi appeared first on iStampGallery.

Issued by India

Issued on Dec 16, 2004

Issued for : The Department of Posts is proud to issue a commemorative postage stamp on the Taj Mahal, the symbol of eternal love.

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

Type : Miniature Sheet, Mint Condition

Colour : Multicolour

Denomination : 1500 Paise

Stamp : 4 Millions

Miniature Sheet : 0.1 Million

Printing Process : Photogravure

Printer : India Security Press, Nashik

About : 

• For centuries, the Taj Mahal has inspired poets, painters and musicians to try and capture its elusive magic in word, colour and song. It is one of the most flawless architectural creations of the world. People from all over the world visit Agra, not to see the ruins of the red sandstone fortress built by the Mughal emperors, but to make a pilgrimage to Taj Mahal, the ultimate memorial to love. In a land where magnificent edifices abound bearing testimony to an ancient and rich civilisation, the beauty of the Taj Mahal remains incomparable.
  
• Taj Mahal stands in the city of Agra, on the banks of the Yamuna River. It was built in the memory of the beautiful Arjumand Banu Begum, who won the heart of a Mughal prince. She was married at 21 to Emperor Jahangir’s third son Prince Khurram and stayed loyally by his side through good times and bad, in the luxurious royal palaces of Agra as well as the transient tents of war camps. In 1628 AD, Khurram became King after a bloody battle of succession. He took the name of Shah Jahan or “King of the World”, and showered his beloved begum with the highest titles. She became Mumtaz Mahal, the exalted of the palace, and Mumtaz-ul-Zamani, the exalted of the age. But Mumtaz Mahal was not destined to be Queen for long.
  
• In 1631, Mumtaz Mahal, the favourite wife of Shah Jahan died at the age of 39, at Burhanpur. The grieving emperor vowed to build a memorial that would surpass anything ever created in the world. The construction of the Taj Mahal started in 1632, and was completed by 1654 AD. Tavernier, an eminent traveller and historian of those times, records that over 20,000 workmen laboured for 22 years to complete the Taj Mahal. Material for its construction was brought from all over India and Asia. Red stone from Fatehpur Sikri, Karauli, Tantpur and Paharpur, white marble from Makrana, Rajasthan, jasper from Punjab and diamonds from Panna came from Indian sources. Material sourced from abroad included jade & crystals from China, turquoise from Tibet, lapis lazuli and sapphire from Sri Lanka, and coal and carnelian from Arabia. A fleet of 1000 elephants were used to transport the construction materials to the site. In all 28 types of precious and semi-precious stones were inlaid into white marble to create this wonder of the world.
  
• The Taj Mahal complex comprises of five main elements: the Darwaza or main gateway, the Bagicha or garden, the Mosque, the Naqqarkhana or rest house, and the Rauza or Mausoleum. The central dome, which is 187 feet high, is surrounded by four minarets. The mosque is to the left of the monument. The architecture combines elements and styles of Persian, Central Asian, and Islamic architecture.
  
• At the heart of the Taj Mahal are the Cenotaphs of Shah Jahan and Mumtaz Mahal. A protective octagonal screen made of perforated marble or jail, with borders of inlaid marble, surrounds the two cenotaphs in the central chamber.
  
• The decorative scheme of the Taj Mahal complex follows the Islamic tradition of combining calligraphic, floral and abstract geometric motifs. Three types of media are used to create these patterns: stone carving in high relief, painted stucco, and inlaid hard stone. Ustad Ahmad Lahori was the Chief Architect, Ismail Khan Afridi of Turkey was the dome-maker, and Amanat Khan Shirazi was the calligrapher whose genius lives on through the enduring beauty they created.
  
• The dome is made of white marble and is set against the plains across the river. This backdrop works its own magic of colours that contributes to the changing views of the Taj, as the colours change with the hours and the seasons. Like a jewel, the Taj sparkles in moonlight, when the semi-precious stones inlaid into the white marble on the main mausoleum catch the glow of the moon. The Taj is pinkish in the morning, milky white in the evening, and golden when the moon shines. It is said that these changes depict the different moods of woman.
  
• Different people have different perceptions of the beauty of the Taj Mahal. Suffice it to say that the Taj, the ultimate monument to love, has a life of its own that leaps out of the marble. As an architectural masterpiece, nothing could be added or subtracted from it. It is best described by the English poet, Sir Edwin Arnold, as “Not a piece of architecture, as other buildings are, but the proud passions of an emperor’s love wrought in living stones”.
• Text : Based on material given by the proponent.

The post Taj Mahal appeared first on iStampGallery.

Issued by India

Issued on Dec 14, 2004

Issued for : The Department of Posts is happy to issue a commemorative postage stamp on Energy Conservation.

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

Type : Stamp, Mint condition

Colour : Multicolour

Denomination : 500 Paise

Print Quantity : 0.8 Million

Printing Process : Photogravure

Printer : India Security Press, Nashik

About : 

• The current millennium is witnessing a rapid depletion of primary resources of energy which are largely based on fossil fuels. The management and use of conventional sources of energy has become as important as the quest for alternate sources. Conservation of energy is the cheapest method of augmenting the scarce energy resources of the country. Energy Conservation and efficiency, envisages the various ways of sensitising all citizens of its need, in addition to specific programmes in targeted areas.
• Energy Conservation has received attention in India since the mid 70’s. The impact of Energy Conservation efforts are felt at a very low pace as the commercial energy consumption per capita is low in the country and efficient end use devices are costly. The growing energy demand, mainly in the industrial and the service sectors has created a renewed awareness about the need for conserving energy.
• There is a huge potential of conserving energy. Conservative estimates indicate an energy saving potential at the consumption end equivalent to 25000 MW of fresh capacity, or about Rs. 1,00,000 crores of fresh investment.
• The Energy Conservation Act, 2001 provides the necessary legal and institutional arrangement for a focused Energy Conservation campaign throughout the country. The Act identifies stakeholders as target groups for promoting energy efficiency, such as Energy generating companies, T&D companies, Manufacturers, Consumers and R&D Laboratory/Establishment.
• The Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE) has been set up as a nodal agency to implement the policies of the Government on Energy Efficiency. It has accordingly drawn up an action plan through various programmes keeping the target groups in mind. These are, Indian Industry Programmes for Energy Conservation, Standard & Labelling programme, Demand Side Management, Energy Efficiency in Buildings and Establishments, Energy Conservation Building Code, Professional Certification and Accreditation, Manuals and codes and Energy Conservation Awareness Campaign.
• The Ministry of Power has been observing 14^th December as the Energy Conservation Day since 1990 to promote the cause of Energy Efficiency and the need to conserve the finite resources of energy in the country.
• To promote public awareness and to encourage the achievers, National Energy Conservation Awards are presented every year as recognition of the need for Energy Conservation as much as to acknowledge the implementation of programmes to demonstrate the commitment. These awards given on Energy Conservation Day are amongst the various measures taken by the Government to enthuse the public to promote Energy Efficiency throughout the country.
• Text : Based on material received from proponent.

The post India on Energy Conservation appeared first on iStampGallery.

Issued by India

Issued on Dec 10, 2004

Issued for : The Department of Posts is happy to issue this postage stamp commemorating Nupee Lal.

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

Type : Stamp, Mint Condition

Colour : Multicolour

Denomination : 500 Paisa

Print Quantity : 0.8 Million

Printing Process : Photogravure

Printer : India Security Press, Nashik

About : 

• The Nupee Lal of 1939, or the Women’s Agitation of 1939, is a defining moment in Manipur‘s recent history when thousands of Manipuri women raised their voices against the policies of the Imperial British in India and the Manipur State Darbar headed by the Maharaja of Manipur.
• The seeds of the agitation were sown in November of 1938 when about 356 members of the public had petitioned the then Maharaja of Manipur, Sir Churachand Singh, to set up a Legislative Council and to nominate the Darbar members from among the members of the Council.
• The continuing demands for popular reforms in state administration took a new turn the following year when the price of rice in the state suddenly soared during the harvest season. The people took to the streets to protest against this man-made phenomenon. Thus, the women’s agitation was a direct action in protest against the policy and practice of the foreign traders who were then holding a monopoly in rice trade in the state.
• The agitation was also a protest against the imperialist rule in Manipur as well as the regime of the Maharaja who supported the foreign traders, and who was backed by the then imperialist government. The Nupee Lal which started in December 1939 continued till June 1940.
• The significance of the agitation lay in the administrative reforms that followed. The immediate reforms, other than the stoppage of export of rice from Manipur and the closure of rice mills in the state following the Nupee Lal, were the establishment of a Chief Court in Manipur; the setting up of a Legislative Council in place of the Darbar in 1946-47; the framing and passing of the Manipur State Constitution Act, the Manipur State Election Act and the Election Rules; and the establishment of the Assembly in 1948-49.
• On 12^th December, hundreds of women demonstrated before the state office insisting that the President of the Darbar should forbid the export of rice. The President of the Darbar said that such an order would require the approval of the Maharaja who was then at Nabadwip. He went with the women demonstrators to the Telegraph Office and telegraphed the Maharaja. The demonstrators kept him there to wait for the Maharaja‘s reply. Meanwhile, a detachment of the 4^th Assam Rifles cleared the demonstrators, and in the process some women received bayonet injuries and many were imprisoned. The day is observed as Nupee Lal Day in Manipur as a state holiday.
• Text : Based on material provided by proponent.
  

The post Nupee Lal appeared first on iStampGallery.

Issued by India

Issued on Dec 10, 2004

Issued for : India Post pays rich tribute to his greatness by release of this commemorative stamp. The First Day Cover shows Pingalwara as it was when it began and Bhagatji carrying Piara.

Design : The first day cover depicts the beginning of Pingalwara and Bhagat Puran Singh carrying ‘Piara‘ in the foreground.

Credits :
Stamp, FDC & Cancellation : Alka Sharma

Type : Stamp, Mint Condition

Colour : Multicolour

Denomination : 500 Paisa

Print Quantity : 0.45 Million

Printing Process : Photo Offset

Printer : Calcutta Security Printers

Name : Ramji Das

Born on Jun 4, 1904 at Rajewal, Ludhiana district, Punjab, India

Died on Aug 5, 1992 at Amritsar, Punjab, India

About : 

• Bhagat Puran Singh was a self-regulated person who made service to humanity his routine task: a man who lived an ordinary life in an extraordinary manner. He cared for the despairing, disabled and destitute with his own hands having no resources required for the purpose. He even sought alms on the streets and outside places of worship, not for himself, but to ask people to help the needy. He had no grants, no aids, no institutions to back him. His faith in God as well as in his fellow beings was unshakable. On the basis of this faith, he went ahead with his mission of building ‘Pingalwara‘ which remains a living memorial of his life’s work.
• He was born on 4^th June 1904 to Chibu Mal and Mehtab Kaur of village Rajewal in Ludhiana district of Punjab and named Ramji Das. He was renamed Puran Singh when he converted to Sikhism during the year 1923. His mother taught him to pick up all harmful objects like thorns, pieces of broken glass, nails, other sharp objects, stones, bricks and such from the lanes and village tracks as they would injure pedestrians, beasts and passerby and laid the foundation of kindness and concern for others in the young Ramji Das.
• He started his education from Khanna in Punjab and joined Lahore‘s Khalsa High School. He performed “sewa” in Gurdwara Dera Sahib and Gurdwara Shahid Ganj of Lahore where, besides cleaning, cooking and serving food, he also tended to the aged, infirm and sick who came to the Gurdwaras for help. During this period he indulged his other great love – libraries. These store-houses of knowledge, with their immense scope of improving his mind, fascinated him as he was constantly searching for answers to the many philosophical, humanitarian and environmental questions that many intrigued him. His favourites were the Dayal Singh Library and Lala Lajpat Rai‘s Dwarka Dass Library, although he visited others too in Lahore. The works he read ranged from John Ruskin, Emerson, Tyson and Thoreau to Mahatma Gandhi. Equally eclectic was the variety of journals he read, finding Gandhi‘s weekly, ‘Young India‘, of particular interest.
• In November 1934, he came upon a four year old boy abandoned near the main gate of Gurdwara Dera Sahib. This boy was dumb, mentally impaired and physically deformed and was suffering from dysentery. Puran Singh looked after him and named him Piara, or the loved one. From that day on they were inseparable for the next 14 years. Puran Singh carried Piara on his back and this became symbolic of his carrying all – the aged, the infirm, the disabled, the crippled and the sick on his shoulders. It was not easy since the helpless boy’s hands and feet were lifeless, and he would constantly drool on Puran Singh.
• In the countdown to India‘s partition in 1947, twenty men, women and children lived in Gurdwara Dera Sahib. Puran Singh laboured from early dawn to late night to keep them fed, bathed, clothed and medically treated. When not tending them, he was out on the streets of Lahore, trying to raise money for his mission. Bloody events would shatter the clam of this peaceable existence. Lahore was no exception, nor was the Gurdwara Shahid Ganj which was attacked on 13 August 1947. Puran Singh and Piara escaped because they were in Gurdwara Dera Sahib that day.
• On August 18, 1947, forty three year old Puran Singh, with Piara on his back, climbed on to a refugee-laden truck headed for safety to Amritsar. He was just one among several million refugees who would cross the border to reach India during those traumatic days. Puran Singh had no family in India since his parents had already expired; nor did he have friends, acquaintances or kinfolk to whom he could turn for help. He carried Piara on his back wherever he went because there was no one to look after Piara. Puran Singh described him as a “Garland Around My Neck“. Born in a region which prides itself on the military prowess of its men, Puran Singh‘s steadfastness and unflinching courage in adversities – though of a different order – were no less remarkable.
• Bhagat Puran Singh established a home for destitute, called Pingalwara in Amritsar. On 6 March 1957, the All India Pingalwara Society was duly registered with the government. Pingalwara is interpreted in several ways. To some it means a ‘home for the crippled’, to others a ‘home for handicapped’. Indifferent to appearances and trappings, salvaging lives – which were almost lost – was what mattered to Puran Singh. Bhagatji served God through his service to God’s creatures and His creation.
• Bhagat Puran Singh died on 5 August, 1992, but his magnificent spirit lives on in Pingalwara.
• Text : Based on material given by the proponent.
  

The post Bhagat Puran Singh appeared first on iStampGallery.

Issued by India

Issued on Nov 28, 2004

Issued for : The Department of Posts commemorates the Ninth Aga Khan Award for Architecture with a set of two stamps on Agra Fort.

Credits :
Stamp, Miniature Sheet & FDC : By Vinod Jain, based on photographs by Michael Peuchert
Cancellation : Alka Sharma

Type : Miniature Sheet, Mint Condition

Colour : Multicolour

Denomination : 1500 Paisa each

Stamps : 0.8 Million Each

Miniature Sheet : 0.2 Million

Printing Process : Photogravure

Printer : Indian Security Press, Nashik

About : 

• The Aga Khan Award for Architecture was established in 1977 by the Aga Khan, the forty-ninth hereditary Imam of the Shia Ismaili Muslims, to enhance the understanding and appreciation of Islamic culture as expressed through architecture. Its method is to seek out and recognize examples of architectural excellence, encompassing concerns as varied as contemporary design, social housing, community improvement and development, restoration, reuse, and area conservation, as well as landscaping and environmental issues. Through its efforts, the Award seeks to identify and encourage building concepts as a conscious endeavour to sustain the inheritance of cultural pluralism.
• The Award has completed eight cycles of activity since 1977, and the Ninth Award Cycle covers the period from 2002 to 2004. Prizes totalling up to US$ 500,000 – constituting the largest and most prestigious architectural award in the world – are presented every three years for projects selected by an independent Master Jury. The 2004 award ceremonies were slated for 27^th and 28^th November, 2004.
• Situated in the heart of the city of Agra, on the west bank of the Yamuna River beside the gardens of the Taj Mahal, the majestic red sandstone Agra Fort is an important Mughal monument of the 16^th & 17^th centuries, and was added to UNESCO‘s World Heritage List in 1983. It is one of sixteen World Cultural Heritage sites maintained by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI).
• Akbar, the third Mughal emperor began the construction of Agra Fort in 1565. The Fort was ready by 1571, though additions continued to be made until the rule of Akbar‘s grandson Shah Jahan. During the time of Akbar, the fort mainly served a military purpose, while during the time of Shah Jahan it served as a palace and court. The Agra Fort is considered as the precursor of the Red Fort at Delhi.
• An irregular semicircle, constructed on the foundations of an earlier fortified structure built in brick by the Lodhi Sultans, the Fort’s colossal double walls rise to a height of 20 metres and measures 2.5 km, in circumference. The Fort was built in a crescent shape following the curve of the river, flattened on the east with a long, nearly straight wall facing the river. The walls were pierced by slits for musketeers. The Fort contains elaborate palaces both in red sandstone and white marble and is surrounded by two moats. The architecture mixes Transoxanian features from Central Asia while drawing on the broader architectural traditions of Gujarat, Malwa and Rajasthan.
• To commemorate the 2004 Aga Khan Award for Architecture, two postage stamps featuring Agra Fort are being issued. The set of stamps depict Khas Mahal, or Private Palace, built entirely of marble by Shah Jahan in 1637. It overlooks the Angoori Bagh. The enclosure has three riverside pavilions overlooking the Yamuna River, with a fountain opposite the central pavilion. The central pavilion, an airy edifice used by the emperor as a sleeping chamber, has three arches on each side, with five arches on the front facade, and two turrets rising from the roof. It is flanked by two pavilions, Bangla-i-Darshan to the north, where Shah Jahan held public audiences for his subjects, and to the south, Bangla-i Jahanara, the pavilion of his daughter Jahanara.
• The facade along the eastern wall includes Mussaman Burj or Octagonal Tower, a two-storied pavilion made of delicate marble lattices with ornamental niches from where the ladies of the court could gaze outside without being seen. From here the Taj Mahal, erected by Shah Jahan for his deceased wife could be viewed and this is where Shah Jahan is said to have spent his last few years as the captive of his son Aurangzib. On the southern side of the fort is Amar Singh Gate, one of the two great entrances. This impressive outer gate was added by Shah Jahan and named after the Rajput Maharaja, Amar Singh Rathore.
• Text : The Aga Khan Foundation.

The post Agra Fort appeared first on iStampGallery.

Issued by India

Issued on Nov 25, 2004

Issued for : The Department of Posts pays a tribute to the poetry and music of Dula Bhaya Kag through this commemorative postage stamp.

Credits :
Stamp & FDC : Benoy Varghese
Cancellation : Alka Sharma

Type : Stamp, Mint Condition

Colour : Multicolour

Denomination : 500 Paisa

Print Quantity : 0.6 Million

Printing Process : Photogravure

Printer : India Security Press, Nashik

Name : Dula Bhaya Kag

Born on Nov 25, 1902 at Kagdham (Majadar), Mahuva, Gujarat, India

Died on Feb 22, 1977

About : 

• A poet, a nationalist, a composer and singer of folk songs, Dula Bhaya Kag worked in the humble surroundings of his native village in Saurashtra. Born on 25^th November, 1903 to Bhaya Kag and Dhanbai, Dula Bhaya Kag created a body of folk literature through his poems and songs.
• Shouldering the responsibility of minding the cattle belonging to his family, Dula Bhaya Kag could only receive primary education up to Class five. But the time available to him as he tended the cattle was devoted to poetry. Inspired by the freedom fighters of his time and by such great personalities as Vinoba Bhave and Mahatma Gandhi, his poetry became the instrument for expressing his nationalistic feelings as well as his devotion to the Almighty. He donated his land to Vinoba Bhave’s Bhudan Movement. He evinced interest in the prohibition activities after the formation of Saurashtra State. He set up a “Pathshala”, a school for Folk Literature in Junagarh along with Shri Ratubhai Adani. Devoted to the social upliftment and education of the Charan Community, Dula Bhaya Kag played a major role in establishing the “Charan Boarding House” in Bhavnagar and was also the President of the Charan Hitvardhak Sabha.
• What really set Dula Bhaya Kag apart from his contemporaries was, however, his poetic excellence and effective recital. It was considered an experience to listen to the recital of Kavi Kag. He published “Kagvani” in eight volumes consisting of couplets, devotional songs, episodes from the Ramayana and Mahabharata and songs based on Gandhian philosophy and the Bhudan Movement. Often these are composed as “Garba”, “Raas” and other forms of folk music. His other published works include Bhudanmala, Vinoba Bavani and Shamaldas Bavani. The All India Radio has recorded many of his poetic creations. The Government of India honoured him with the Padmashree Award in 1962. He passed away on 22.02.1977.
• Text : Based on material provided by the proponent.

The post Dula Bhaya Kag appeared first on iStampGallery.

Issued by India

Issued on Nov 23, 2004

Issued for : The Department of Posts is proud to release this commemorative postage stamp on this great entrepreneur.

Credits :
Stamp & FDC : Based on material given by the proponent.
Cancellation : Alka Sharma

Type : Stamp, Mint Condition

Colour : Multicolour

Denomination : 500 Paisa

Print Quantity : 0.7 Million

Number of Stamps per sheet : 42

Printing Process : Photogravure

Printer : Indian Security Press, Nashik

Name : Walchand Hirachand Doshi

Born on Nov 23, 1882 at Solapur, Maharashtra, India

Died on Apr 8, 1953 at Solapur, Maharashtra, India

About : 

• The life story of Walchand Hirachand unfolds the life of a man fearless, decisive, devoted, endowed with intelligence and intuition, a man out of the ordinary. There was about this man an aura of a creative power which would enable him to conceive brilliant ideas and carry them to splendid fulfilment. He belonged to the genus of deep, passionately striving natures and had a mysterious, indefinable insight amounting to genius. It was this which made people salute his greatness.
• Born on 23 November, 1882 at Sholapur, Walchand lost his mother, Rajubai a fortnight later and was raised by his aunt Umabai who did not let him feel the loss. His father, Hirachand ensured that Walchand‘s daily routine was marked by discipline, exactitude and regularity. Even though most of Lord Mahavir‘s teachings are in Ardhamagadhi yet to make sure that the young lad was not bereft of the Lord’s teachings in Sanskrit, Hirachand made his son learn selected passages by heart with their meaning interpreted either by himself or some scholarly expert. Walchand obtained his education at the Government High School, Sholapur, St. Xavier’s College, Dhobi Talao and Deccan College, Pune.
• The early 20^th Century was marked by the relentless efforts of stalwarts like Dadabhai Naoroji, Justice M.G. Ranade, G.V. Joshi and R.C. Dutt who conducted a scientific investigation of India‘s poverty and revealed the one-sided policy of the colonial rulers of denying India the knowledge of modem mechanical appliances by which India could convert raw materials into finished goods and enter world markets and instead, making her a market for British goods. The efforts of these patriots had a powerful effect on Walchand. He resolved to dedicate his life to remove the poverty and economic slavery of his country. From that day, his thoughts and actions had but one sole object, the industrialization of his country.
• After dabbling unsuccessfully in jowar and thereafter, in cotton trade at Sholapur, Walchand realized through personal experience that getting into contract business was remunerative. Despite opposition from his father and uncle, he went ahead on a partnership with Laxman Balwant Phatak (1874-1935) ­ formerly a railway clerk and earned the contract for the construction of the railway line known as the Barsi Light Railway which was a success. Thereafter, there was no looking back and Walchand went on establishing industry after industry and laid the foundation for the country’s basic means of transportation.
• Building bridges to connect people was next on his agenda and Walchand successfully completed the Bhor Ghat tunnel in Maharashtra, considered then to be beyond the capabilities of any Indian company. Over the years, Hindustan Construction Company (HCC) was formed which went on to build some of India‘s landmark construction projects. During one of his many trips abroad, Walchand met the president of an American aircraft company, which resulted in his resolve to manufacture planes in India. He established the Hindustan Aircraft Limited (HAL) much ahead of schedule and the first Harlow trainer plane manufactured by HAL took flight in July 1941. HAL was subsequently acquired by the Indian Government and since then has been building planes and guarding the Indian skies. Walchand made a mark in the fields of water and road transportation as well. His Scindia Steam Navigation Company had a fleet of 54 steamers, the largest water transportation company then. Similarly, Premier Automobiles Ltd, rolled out the first indigenously built trucks and cars in 1947.
• Walchand realized that unless agriculture was modernized and made remunerative, the problems of millions of India’s poor could not be solved. He concentrated on sugarcane and established Ravalgaon Sugar Farm Limited. Employing superior sugar processing technology, he produced sugar that matched international standards. In spite of the ups and downs of business, Walchand cared for the well-being and welfare of his employees and the community at large. He also established many educational and business institutions, for instance, the Walchand College of Engineering at Sangli in Maharashtra, The India Merchants Chambers, Maharashtra Chamber of Commerce, Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industries (FICCI) etc. Shri Walchand Hirachand passed away on 8 April, 1953 after leaving an indelible imprint on Indian industry and infrastructure. His life’s mission was to free India from her economic bondage, and to prove to the world that given the opportunity, India‘s skills and capabilities need never lag behind.
• Text : Based on material given by the proponent.

The post Walchand Hirachand appeared first on iStampGallery.

Issued by India

Issued on Nov 14, 2004

Issued for : The Department of Posts issued a commemorative postage stamp on the Children’s Day 2004.

Type : Stamp, Mint Condition

Colour : Multicolour

Denomination : 500 Paisa

Print Quantity : 3 Million

Printing Process : Photogravure

Printer : Indian Security Press, Nashik

The post India on Children’s Day 2004 appeared first on iStampGallery.