Issued by India

Issued on Jan 1, 2017

Issued for : Department of Posts is pleased to issue a set of 12 stamps on the occasion of New Year.

Reference : Visuals of Pashmina, Sarota, Thanjavur Painting, Blue Pottery and Zardozi provided by Cottage Emporium, New Delhi. Pictures of Peacock Gate provided by Sh. Arjun Kumar. Other visuals have been taken from internet.

Credits :
Stamp / Sheetlet / Calendar / FDC / Brochure : Sh. Sankha Samanta
Cancellation Cachet : Smt. Alka Sharma

Type : Sheetlet of 12, Mint Condition

Colour : Multi Colour

Denomination : 2500 Paise each

Sheetlets Printed : 1.5 Lakh

Calendars printed : 50000

Printing Process : Wet Offset

Printer : Security Printing Press, Hyderabad

About : 

• New Year celebrations believe to replenish all the joys in life and help to keep the spirits glowing and undaunted. With the New Year comes not only the opportunity to look back at the past year with the warmest of memories and to gain from it, beautiful pearls of wisdom but also the sense of resolution to make the lives of everyone around positively affected.
• Every year Department of Posts has been wishing everybody by bringing out different issues during New Year, either as New Year issue or Season’s Greetings. This year the Department is bringing out the rich heritage of India through 12 beautiful Stamps together in a Mixed Sheetlet, which has the potential to evoke the sense of pride in every Indian. Each Stamp design has been chosen with a perspective to reflect the glory and magnificence of Indian Culture and heritage.
• The first stamp depicts the Ganesh Pol. Ganesh Pol is located in the main palace of the Amber Fort. It is strategically important as entry through this gate was exclusive to the Kings to get into their private cambers. Ganesh Pol is fusion of Mughal and the Rajput architectural styles, famous for its ornamental archways and the fine latticework.
• The second stamp is on Pashmina. Pashmina is the Cashmere wool of the highest grade. It is considered as diamond among fibres. The stamp depicts a hand spun Pashmina shawl woven in Kashmir with exquisite embroidery.
• The third stamp depicts traditional Chhau Mask. Chhau is a major classical Indian dance form and is mainly performed during festivals in the Chaitra Parva, in which the whole community participates. It is believed that Chhau dance drives away the evil forces and let the righteousness prevail among the people. The effectiveness, originality, and beauty of the Chhau dance are dependent on the Chhau masks. Each mask represents a character from the epics, the Puranas, and from mythology.
• The fourth stamp shows Worship of Bodhi Tree. It is a sandstone relief sculpture in the Sanchi Stupa Complex in Madhya Pradesh. Bodhi Tree, or the Tree of Enlightenment, is so called because it represents the ficus tree (peepal) under which Buddha is said to have attained enlightenment. Bodhi Tree motif is used as a symbol of Buddha himself. It is an elaborately carved sandstone relief sculpture in the Sanchi Stupa Complex.
• The fifth stamp depicts Sarota. Sarota is a scissor like cutter made of metal, which is traditionally used to cut Areca nut into small pieces to be chewed along with other ingredients, wrapped in betel leaves. Sarota is found in many shapes and sizes and ornate designs in different parts of the country. Sarota is a beautiful objet d’art, reminiscent of a relaxed household of a by-gone time.
• The sixth stamp has a Peacock gate on it. Peacock Gate is one of the four gates at the inner courtyard which provides access to Chandra Mahal in City palace, Jaipur. It is ornamented with motifs of peacock and represents the Autumn season. It is dedicated to Lord Vishnu.
• The seventh stamp depicts Chaitya Hall of Karle, Maharashtra. The beautiful columns, dating back to the 1^st century BC are covered in carvings depicting life and work of Buddha. This is among the largest rock cut chaityas in India.
• The eighth stamp shows Thanjavur painting. Thanjavur paintings are panel paintings done on wooden planks. The dense composition, surface richness and vibrant colours makes them incomparable. The embellishments of semi-precious stones, pearls and glass pieces add to their appeal. The relief work gives them a three dimensional effect.
• The ninth stamp depicts Blue Pottery which is widely recognized as traditional craft of Jaipur. Blue Pottery has been named so due to the predominant use of blue glaze painting technique. The decorative patterns are largely florals rendered in Persian style.
• The tenth stamp shows Glass window at Bagore-Ki-Haveli in Udaipur, Rajasthan. The splendid architecture of the mansion has exquisite stained glass work, of 18^th Century.
• The eleventh stamp is on Peitra Dura. It depicts a table top in Peitra Dura on black marble. Peitra Dura, a decorative art form is an inlay technique of using cut and fitted highly polished precious and semi-precious coloured stones to create images.
• The twelfth stamp depicts a Zardozi carpet from Agra. Zardozi embroidery is beautiful metal embroidery which involves the use of gold and silver threads and also studded pearls and precious stones.
• Text: Based on the material available on internet.

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Issued by India

Issued on Dec 23, 2016

Issued for : The Department of Posts in an attempt to make the medium of communication more evocative, is bringing out two stamps on the theme of Season’s Greetings.

Credits :
Stamp / Miniature Sheet / Sheetlet / FDC / Brochure / Cancellation Cachet : Sh. Brahm Prakash

Type : Miniature Sheet, Mint Condition

Colour : Multi Colour

Denomination : 1000 & 2000 Paise

Miniature Sheet Printed : 0.1 million

Sheetlets Printed : 15000 each (two types)

Printing Process : Wet Offset

Printer : Security Printing Press, Hyderabad

About : 

• The exchange of greetings amongst friends has been recorded from ancient times. Different countries and cultures have adopted their own unique ways to express affection, goodwill, gratitude and other sentiments during festivals. The celebrations of festivals serve to fulfil specific communal purposes. They offer a sense of belonging for religious, social, or geographical groups, contributing to group cohesiveness. They bring an opportunity to rejoice and provide an outlet to express the innate happiness. The traditional reasons of celebrations also include entertainment which was particularly important to local communities before the advent of mass-produced entertainment. Festivals that focus on cultural or ethnic topics also seek to inform community members of their traditions; the involvement of elders sharing stories and experience provides a means for unity among families.
• The tradition of sending good wishes at the start of the New Year goes back many centuries, probably beginning with the Chinese and Egyptians who exchanged goodwill messages to ward off evil spirits. Sending them in the form of something written was a Roman tradition of the New Year. Gifts or greetings were sent on December 25^th to ensure they arrived by January 1^st. Though Christmas was rarely mentioned in this practice it was implied in many cases. The sending of holiday greetings is also tied to the ancient practice of mumming, when neighbours would go door to door dressed in costumes, seeking treats and conveying well wishes for the new year with short plays and performing skits and songs of general merriment.
• The festival of Christmas is celebrated with extreme joy and enthusiasm. Though there are no historical records to tell if Jesus Christ was born on 25^th December, but people have started celebrating his birth on this day because it was found favourable for people living in the dark and cold countries, as the day marks the Winter Solstice.
• The legend of Santa Claus which is inseparable from the festival of Christmas, has a reference of St. Nicholas, who was born during the third century in the village of Patara. According to the popular stories, his wealthy parents, who raised him to be a devout Christian, died in an epidemic while Nicholas was still young. Nicholas used his whole inheritance to assist the needy and sick. One of the earliest legends that was attached to his name tells how St Nicholas heard of a man who could not afford the dowries for his three daughters, with the result that he intended – regretfully – to sell them to slavery. St. Nicholas saves them from this fate by throwing three bags of gold through their window at night: it is this tale which is often identified as the root of St Nicholas’s reputation as a gift-giver. He dedicated his life in serving God and was made Bishop of Myra while still a young man. Bishop Nicholas became known throughout the land for his generosity to those in need, his love for children, and his concern for sailors and ships. In the course of the development of his legend, St Nicholas does appear to have taken on some of the qualities/roles that originally belonged to the pagan deities Artemis and Poseidon.
• In 1822, Clement Clarke Moore, an Episcopal minister, wrote a long Christmas poem “An Account of a Visit from St. Nicholas”. Moore’s poem, is largely responsible for our modern image of Santa Claus as the ageless, timeless, deathless white-bearded and red suited man who gives out gifts on Christmas. His poem helped popularize the now-familiar image of a Santa Claus who flew from house to house on Christmas Eve – in “a miniature sleigh” led by eight flying reindeer – leaving presents for deserving children. On January 1^st 1881, Harper’s Weekly published Thomas Nast’s most famous image of Santa, complete with a big red belly, an arm full of toys and smoking a pipe! This image of Santa became so popular, that several artists started drawing Santa in his red and white costume. Today children all across the world wait for the gifts on Christmas day with the strong image of red clothed Santa coming on sleigh in the night.
• With time the technology has extended the reach of human, providing several means of conveying Greetings. The exchange of greetings via social media, text, and electronic media has expanded, but the post remains the most popular and predominant mode of transmission. The charm of receiving the greetings with the beautiful stamps embellishing the envelopes is incomparable. It conveys to the recipient the extra effort and care that have gone into it to send the wishes.
• The Department of Posts has been issuing the Seasons’ Greetings from time to time since 1990, and carrying out the role of harbingers of glad tidings. The attempt is always to add an extra dimension to the thought expressed, reinforcing the spirit of the message and making it more eloquent.
• The colourful stamps on Season’s greetings this year have been designed to celebrate the legend of Santa Claus and to evoke the sense of pleasantness and happiness associated with it.
• Text : Based on the material available on internet.

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Issued by India

Issued on Dec 1, 2009

Issued for : India Post ushers in the festive season by issuing special postage stamps on this folk art for Greetings.

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

Type : Miniature Sheet, Mint Condition

Colour : Multi colour

Denomination : 500 Paise each

Stamps Printed : 0.8 Million

Miniature sheets : 0.4 Million

Printing Process : Wet–Offset

Printer : India Security Press, Nasik

About : 

• Indian folk art which includes wall painting as well as floor painting goes back 5000 years. Kolam, Rangoli etc. are examples of floor art. They are intended to welcome guests and visitors to the home.
• The term Rangoli is derived from Rang (colour) + avalli (coloured creepers) or Rang + aavalli (row of colours). Rangoli originated in Maharashtra although today it is practised everywhere. Rangoli of Western India (Maharastra, Gujarat & Rajasthan) has a special characteristic colour-fills in contrast to the floor. In Eastern India (Bengal, Orissa) they decorate floors with Alpana, a line drawing with rice powder or paste.
• Rangoli was done in small patterns of 2’x2′ earlier, but now entire floor areas are covered in intricate detailed designs. The motifs in Rangoli are usually taken from nature peacocks, swans, mango, flowers, creepers, etc. The colours traditionally were derived from natural dyes from bark of trees, leaves, indigo, mud, rice etc. However, today synthetic dyes are used in a range of bright colours. The materials used for Rangoli create either a flat appearance, when coloured powder such as rice, brick, chilly, turmeric, etc. is used or a 3-D effect, when coriander seeds, cereals, pulses, etc. either in their natural colouring or tinted with natural dyes are used.
• Kolam, which is predominantly used in South India – Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh – consists of patterns which are symmetrical and geometric in shape, drawn with continuous lines that may be straight or wavy and rounded on the edges. With local variations, they are essentially the same. They are generally drawn with dry rice powder or with rice paste whose white colour provides a sharp contrast to the base against which it is used. Also, it serves to feed ants, to show one must take care of other forms of life too, to create a natural balance. The dry, coarsely ground rice powder is placed between the thumb and forefinger and rubbed together and moved along a predetermined design by the creator. This is an art taught to girls from a young age and is difficult to master. Early morning and evening every day, the women of the house can be seen washing the threshold of their houses and drawing Kolams, free hand! On festive occasions, large designs, depicting the occasion are drawn in front of the entrance to the house, and smaller ones inside the house. These are then outlined in red with ‘kavi‘, a red brick paste, to make it look grand and more beautiful. One particular Kolam is the Sun in his Chariot drawn by 8-16 white horses! This is drawn on Pongal or Sankranthi Day – 14^th-15^th January, to depict the apparent move of the Sun from the Tropic of Capricorn northwards to the Tropic of Cancer.
• In the deep South and South West of India is Kerala, where flowers are used to create floor art. This is particularly done on Onam day (an important harvest festival in Kerala) and during the whole Onam week, when designs are changed every day. The designs would start in a small way but as the days go by, more and more artists join in and the designs get bigger and more beautiful. The most popular flowers are indigenous to the area : marigolds, chrysanthemums, daisies, roses, jasmines, besides leaves. A special flower, the THUMPA flower, a small light coloured flower in the shape of a heel and sole of a foot, nicknamed the Vishnu foot, is essential and is used in all flower Kolams during ONAM.
• There are Kolams which are called Yantras. Yantra means an instrument in Sanskrit and these Yantras are energy designs. Such Kolams are drawn around the sacred fire pit during religious ceremonies. One of the most popular Yantras are those drawn to depict and worship the nine planets (Nava Graha Kolams). These are drawn on different days of the week. There are several other very powerful Yantras associated with various deities. Again, these have very accurately drawn geometric designs-triangles, circles, multi-petalled lotus, etc. in beautiful colours.
• In folk art, the mistakes become embellishments and make the art work individual and unique. Each design is a personal experience of its creator. The final effect will be very typical of the designer – a firm hand, a shaky one, a trembling one – can make all the difference to folk art.
• Text : Based on the material available in the internet.

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Issued by India

Issued on Dec 15, 2007

Issued for : The colourful stamps on Season’s Greetings and Happy New Year have been designed to represent different elements of nature, and their synchronic interplay that sustains life on earth. This set of five stamps and five maxim cards are being released to carry the good wishes for a happy and prosperous new year.

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

Type : Stamp, Postal Used

Colour : Multi Colour

Denomination : 500 Paise each

Stamps Printed : 3.0 Million, 3.0 Million, 3.0 Million, 3.0 Million & 5.0 Million

Printing Process : Photogravure

Printer : India Security Press, Nasik

About : 

• Festivities and celebrations with their panoramic hues and shades pass the Indian landscape in a never ending procession. A vast theatre of contrasting seasons, a rainbow of customs and traditions, a colourful garland of languages and costumes, India is a world in itself. After the monsoon clouds retreat filling the rivers, ponds, and fields and the hearts of peasants and farmers with hope, joy and anticipation of a good harvest, the entire country gets into blossoming of joyous raptures to greet the new year.
• While 1^st of January is the New Year’s Day in many parts of the world, different cultures have different interpretations of the new year depending upon the respective calendar system. India still looks at the rain bearing clouds, the solar and lunar movements, the ancient ballads and mythologies and above all the ripening of grains in the fields. The Assamese New Year is Bihu, the Bengali Nabo Varsho is 1^st of Baishakh, Gudipadava is the first day of new year in Maharashtra, Ugadi is celebrated in Andhra Pradesh, Puthandu is the new year in Tamil Nadu, Pooram Vishu in Kerala and, all more or less coincide with the Vaishakh or Chaitra months in March / April.
• The new year is in fact one of the longest surviving festival traditions in the human history. The ancient Babylonians observed this approximately 4000 years ago. The ancient Roman calendar had only ten months and started the year on the 1^st of March. The months January and February were added around 713 BC. In 153 BC 1^st January was considered as the beginning of the year, and it continued even after adoption of the Julian calendar in 45 BC. With the introduction of the Gregorian calendar in 1582 AD acceptance of 1^st January as the new year’s day gradually increased, though it still took a long time. The celebrations, festivities and the tradition of greeting and meeting friends and family apart from prayers and worships etc., is a common feature across the globe.
• The human tendency to greet the onset of the year can perhaps be traced to the primal joy of experiencing the first rain drops of the season, seeing the first leaves germinating from the seeds, hearing the first song of the bird that greets a new dawn, or watching a new rivulet borne out of the melting icicles.

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Issued by India

Issued on Oct 25, 2004

Issued for : To join the festive spirit, the Department of Posts is happy to issue a set of two commemorative postage stamps on the theme of Greetings.

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

Type : First Day Cover

Colour : Multi Colour

Denomination : 400 & 400 Paise

Print Quantity : 8 Million each

Printing Process : Photogravure

Printer : India Security Press, Nashik

About : 

• Greetings, a medium of expressing emotions and feelings, have been playing a vital role not only to celebrate and strengthen relationships but also in social interactions. The exchange of greetings has now become a very common phenomenon in celebrating important occasions. Over the centuries, greetings have assumed myriad forms and shapes from letters written on leaf and bark scrolls, to greetings on gold, silver and copper plaques and modern day greetings by post and electronic medium.
• History has recorded the prevalence of greetings in ancient Egypt and Rome where the New Year was marked by the exchange of symbolic presents of scent, laurel or olive branches coated with gold leaf etc. This practice continued and further developed. A fresh impetus was given to this form of expression with the advent of the printing press, and with the coming of the penny post in 1840, greetings became a common feature and have ultimately become a part of the social matrix, gathering increasing connotation as they passed through the centuries. The modern day greeting cards crystallised in 1843 when the first Xmas card with Season’s greetings was designed in the United Kingdom. The commercial production of greeting cards became fully established by the 1860s.
• India is a land of festivals. Almost all festivals like Diwali, Holi, Pongal, Durga Puja, Baisakhi, Christmas, Bihu, Id etc. are marked by sending of greeting cards through the post which is the most popular and predominant mode of transmission. They are now also used to express a gamut of emotions; love, friendship, sympathy, affection and for conveying congratulations and thanks. Greetings stamps introduced and issued from time to time by the Department of Posts since 1990 carry out the role of harbingers of glad tidings. It is a fact that the visual image leaves a more lasting imprint than the printed word.
• In the festive season, a set of two stamps on the theme of kites and dolls is being brought out for greetings. In India, kites and dolls have been a part of our traditions and cultural beliefs. In a small but significant way, these postage stamps at the first glance convey the feelings that have gone into sending the missive.
• Dolls are the beautiful medium through which the rich cultural heritage through the ages are vividly depicted, although the medium of expression has diffused from stone and canvas to cloth and celluloid. Dolls of various types have fascinated men, women and children all over the world. The history of India beginning from the ancient times to the modern is reflected in its variety of dolls. Dolls act as cultural ambassadors and have evolved through the 5,000 years of Indian civilisation. Today, dolls not only provide a diversion but a colourful canvas for depicting Indian life in its plethora of regional and cultural diversities.
• Kites have been objects of interest and fascination to people throughout the world. The exact origin of kiting is unknown, but it is believed that kites were flown in China 2,000 years ago. Every country has its own style and purpose of flying kite. In India, kiting is a part of a great social festival. The earliest evidence of Indian kite flying comes from miniature paintings from the Mughal period. In the 18^th and 19^th centuries, kites were used as tools for scientific research. Kite played a significant role in helping us understand some of the great aerodynamic principles and today we are able to fly high with the airplanes, parachutes, gliders etc. which uses the same aerodynamic principles. Nothing can beat the excitement of flying a kite with the friends and family. The festivity is splashed on the sky through the colours of the kites as much as the din associated with kite flying.

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Issued by India

Issued on Oct 30, 2003

Issued for : The Department of Posts joins in the festive season by bringing out a set of four special stamps on the theme of Greetings. Happy Celebrations!

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

Type : Se–tenant strip of 4 Stamps, Mint condition

Colour : Four

Denomination : 400, 400, 500 & 500 Paise

Overall size : 2.90 x 2.90 Cms.

Printing size : 2.90 x 2.90 Cms.

Perforation : 13.5 x 13.5

Paper : Matt Chromo

Print Quantity : 0.8 Million each

Number of Stamps per sheet : 40

Printing Process : Photo Offset

Printer : Calcutta Security Printers Ltd.

About : 

• The human species is an evolutionary marvel. Occupying the topmost rung of the evolutionary ladder, it is bequeathed with amazing qualities of head and heart. The development of the brain, especially the forebrain is primarily responsible for these capacities, not only intellectual but also emotional even though the heart is commonly symbolized as the seat of emotion. As the infant sets sail on the journey of life, his emotional repertoire is extremely small but as a consequence of growth and development, it widens and differentiates. Among the most pristine emotions, however, is happiness. Its experience is ethereal and its expression assumes countless hues, each hue unique, liberating the mind and lending vibrance to the spirit. Sample the mirthful farmer who breaks into a dance at the sight of a rich harvest, the revelry of a victorious army, the merriment of a winning cricket team, the euphoric “Eureka!” of Archimedes; each situation is a colourful portraiture of happiness. Another expression of happiness is through the exchange of greetings at festivals or other occasions and has been practised since time immemorial.
• History has recorded the prevalence of greetings from ancient times. The expression of seasonal greetings in Rome was marked by exchange of Roman Lamps impressed with the figures of victory surrounded by strenae inscribed “Anno novo faustum felix tibi sit” (May the new year be happy and lucky for you). Even in ancient Egypt, New Year was celebrated through exchange of symbolic presents such as scent bottles and scarabs inscribed, “Au ab nab” (All goodluck). The practice of sending acknowledgements for the New Year continues in Europe through the early days of Christianity. With the advent of printing press and its commercial use by the 18^th and 19^th centuries, the exchange of New Year cards and calendars by merchants and tradesmen became common. The introduction of penny postage and envelopes in 1840 provided a convenient transmission medium and the exchange of greeting cards became a routine feature. The modern day greeting cards crystallized in 1843 when the first Xmas card with season’s greetings was designed in UK. The commercial production of greeting cards became fully established by the 1860s.
• In India we send greetings on festivals like Deepawali, Baishakhi, Dussehra, Pongal, Christmas, Bihu and Id, besides other personal occasions to express a variety of emotions such as love, sympathy, friendship, gratitude and congratulations. The post remains the most popular and predominant mode of transmission of the cards and letters containing these messages of greetings. And to add value to the message, Greetings stamps introduced & issued from time to time by the Department of Posts since 1990, carry out the role of harbingers of glad tidings. By embellishing the envelope itself these stamps make the message inside more meaningful and convey to the recipient the extra effort and care that have gone in to send the message. It is an established fact that the visual image leaves a more lasting imprint than the printed word; it contributes to a broader view that opens new vistas of perception. The greetings stamps do precisely that; they add an extra dimension to the thought expressed, reinforcing the spirit of the message and making it more eloquent.

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Issued by India

Issued on Dec 18, 2001

Issued for : Department of Posts in happy to release these special stamps on greetings to reinforce and complement the greeting within the envelope and to add greater depth and meaning to the message. In a small but significant way, these postage stamps hope to show the feelings that have gone into sending the missive at the first glance.

Credits :
Stamp : C. R. Pakrashi and Kamleshwar Singh
FDC : Kamleshwar Singh
Cancellation : Nenu Gupta

Type : First Day Cover

Colour : Four Colour

Denomination : 400 & 300 Paise

Overall size : 2.90 x 3.91 Cms.

Printing size : 2.90 x 3.91 Cms.

Perforation : 13.5 x 13.5 mm with elliptical hole on each 39.1 mm sides

Paper : Matt Chromo

Stamps Printed : 3 million each

Number per issue sheet : 40

Printing Process : Photo Offset

Printer : Calcutta Security Printers Ltd.

About : 

• Greetings are an important medium of conveying thoughts and feelings. In a subtle way, they celebrate and strengthen relationships. Celebrations have been woven into the way of life in almost all cultures and greetings have played a significant role not only in celebrating important occasions but also in social interaction between people. Over the centuries, greetings have assumed myriad forms and shapes from letters written on leaf and bark scrolls, to greetings on gold, silver and copper plaques and modern day greetings by post and electronic medium.
• History has recorded the prevalence of greetings in ancient Egypt and Rome where the New Year was marked by the exchange of symbolic presents of scent, laurel or olive branches coated with gold leaf etc. This practice continued and further developed in the early days of Christianity. A fresh impetus was given to this form of expression with the advent of the printing press and with the coming of the penny post in 1840, greetings became a part of the social matrix, gathering increasing connotation as they passed through the centuries.
• In India too, the practice of sending illustrated greetings through the post picked up over the years. Almost all festivals, Diwali, Holi, Pongal, Durga Puja, Baisakhi, Christmas, Id and now even Raksha Bandhan and Valentine’s Day are marked by sending of greetings cards through the post. They are now used to express a gamut of emotions; love, friendship, sympathy, affection and for conveying congratulations and thanks.

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Issued by India

Issued on Jan 1, 2000

Credits :
Stamp and First Day Cover : Based on material furnished by Andaman & Nicobar Administration.
Cancellation : Alka Sharma

Type : Stamp, Mint Condition

Colour : Multi Colour

Denomination : 300 Paise

Overall size : 3.91 x 2.90 cms.

Printing size : 3.55 x 2.54 cms.

Perforation : 13 x 13

Paper : Imported un w/m Adhesive Gravure Coated Stamp Paper in Sheets 50.8 x 53.5 cms.

Stamps Printed : 2 Million

Number per issue sheet : 35

Printing Process : Photogravure

Printer : India Security Press, Nashik

About : 

• Katchal – the sunrise island as it is called now – is a tiny island situated on 8 degree latitude and between 93 degree and 94 degree longitude. It belongs to the Nicobar group of islands, in the Bay of Bengal.
• Katchal, is about 174 sq. kilometres in area and reaches a height of 835 feet on the eastern side, which is composed of hills of calcareous sand stone formed in the sea during the tertiary period. It is on the way to Great Nicobar, the southernmost island of Andaman and Nicobar and Indira point, the southernmost tip of India. The entire Nicobar group of islands including Katchal is declared as tribal area and hence not normally open for tourists. The population of Katchal as per the 1991 census is 5,072. Of these 2491 are indigenous settlers. However estimated population as on date is 9000.
• Katchal which was just another dot on the world atlas, has become the centre of attraction only during the first few months of 1999. Travel agencies, media and tourists from different parts of the world started exploring ways to reach Katchal, as the Royal Greenwich Observatory revealed that it is this islands which is going to witness the first sunrays of the Millennium year 2000. ‘Millennium a Rough Guide to the year 2000’ written by Nick Hanna published the relevant details supporting the news. As recorded, the universal day begins when it is mean midnight at the cross-hairs of the Airy transit circle in the Old Royal Observatory at Greenwich.
• When 1^st January 2000 starts at 00.00 hrs. GMT at Greenwich the first sunrays of that year will be shining down on Katchal Island. The Geological Survey of India has confirmed the reliability of the information and the Hydrographic Office, Dehradun specifically pointed out the place, which is going to receive the first sunrise of the millennium year. It is on 8 degree latitude and 93.09 degree longitude, a place which falls 8 miles west of Katchal Island.
• Considering the uniqueness and historic importance of the occasion, the Government of India has decided to allow foreign as well as domestic tourist vessels to anchor in Katchal waters to view the first sunrise on 1^st January 2000.
• The unique and historical value of the occasion has been portrayed for posterity through this special stamp being issued to commemorate the First Sunrise of The Millennium to be witnessed at Katchal, in the Nicobar group of Islands, of the Indian Subcontinent.
• Text : Based on material furnished by Andaman & Nicobar Administration.

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Issued by India

Issued on Sep 30, 1991

Issued for : To strengthen the spirit of such greetings and to make the message more eloquent, the Department of Posts is issuing a set of two setenant stamps on the theme of greetings.

Description of designs : The two stamps in the denominations of 100 P and 650 P as well as the First Day Cover have been designed by Ms. Bharti Mirchandani. The cancellation has been designed by Ms. Neenu Gupta.

Type : Se–tenant pair of 2 Stamps, Postal Used

Colour : Two Colour

Denomination : 100 & 650 Paise

Overall size : 3.91 x 5.80 cms.

Printing size : 3.55 x 5.43 cms.

Perforation : 13 x 13

Paper : Indigenous Un W/M P.G. coated Gummed Stamp Paper

Number Printed : 10,00,000

Number per issue sheet : 30

Printing Process : Photogravure

Printed : India Security Press

About : 

• Whatever the occasion, the exchange of greetings has today become a very common phenomenon. Apart from conveying greetings on specific occasions, it is now becoming a part of day to day etiquette in most countries to convey greetings at the beginning and end of almost every interaction between two humans. While such greetings can be conveyed through any medium of communication, there is little doubt that the greeting card usually sent by post is increasingly becoming the most popular form for exchange of greetings. The greeting card is an illustrated message that expresses, seriously or humourously, friendship, love, affection, goodwill, gratitude, sympathy or almost any other sentiment.
• However, the exchange of illustrated greetings between friends has been recorded from ancient times. The expression of seasonal greetings in Rome was symbolised by exchange of Roman Lamps impressed with the figures of victory surrounded by strenae inscribed “Anno novo faustum felix tibi sit” (May the new year be happy and lucky for you). Even in ancient Egypt, New Year was celebrated through an exchange of such symbolic presents as scent bottles and scarabs inscribed “au ab nab” (all good luck).
• In India too, as in the rest of the world, we send greetings on occasions of Indian festivals like Deepavali, Baisakhi, Dussehra, Pongal, Christmas, Bihu and Id, besides other personal occasions. The post remains the most popular and predominant mode of transmission of the cards and letters containing these messages of greetings.
• The greetings stamps, first introduced in India in 1990, are designed to complement the card or letter inside the envelope. Although the designs are not tied to specific occasions, they add greater poignancy to message to friends and loved ones at special moments in their lives. What is more, the small, but important effort involved seldom fails to be appreciated for the extra care and concern it demonstrates.
• The message may be for a birthday or an anniversary, a religious festival or a social occasion. It may be an expression of love or of gratitude. It may be to offer congratulations, in time of success, or comfort in time of illness. Whatever the occasion, greetings stamps enhance ‘social mail’ by adding an extra dimension to thoughts expressed to loved ones. The written word, whether in a letter, greetings card or even just a short note, really does take on a very special meaning on such occasions. What the greetings stamp does is to signal that meaning clearly and to highlight its welcome presence, especially among other, more impersonal mail.

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Issued by India

Issued on Dec 17, 1990

Issued for : To strengthen the spirit of such greetings and make the medium of transmission more communicative, the Department of Posts is bringing out a set of two stamps on the theme of greetings.

Description of Designs : The 400 p multicolour stamp has been designed by India Security Press, Nashik Road. The 100 p multicolour stamp and FDC are based on designs by Sh. R.N. Pasricha. Cancellation is designed by Mrs. Alka Sharma.

Type : Stamps, Mint Condition

Colour : Multicolour

Denomination : 100, 400 Paise

Overall size : 3.91 x 2.90 cms., 3.91 x 2.90 cms.

Printing size : 3.55 x 2.54 cms., 3.55 x 2.55 cms.

Perforation : 13 x 13

Paper : Imported U/M Gravure Coated and Gummed Stamp Paper

Number Printed : 1.00 Million each

Number per issue sheet : 35

Printing Process : Photogravure Process

Printed : India Security Press

About : 

• The exchange of greetings between two friends is very common. The most popular medium of exchange of greetings these days is a greeting card usually sent by post. It is an illustrated message that express, seriously or humorously, friendship, love, affection, goodwill, gratitude, sympathy or some other sentiments. Greeting cards are also sent on occasions of birth days, anniversaries and on religious, cultural and social occasions. In addition to get-well and bon-voyage messages, cards are also sent as congratulations and for conveying thanks.
• The exchange of illustrated greetings between friends has been recorded from ancient times. The celebration of New Year in Egypt was usually marked by exchange of such symbolic presents as scent bottles and scarabs inscribed “au ab nab“ (all good luck). In Rome, the medium of expression of greetings was exchange of strenae, normally branches of Laurel or Olive, coated with gold leaf. Seasonal greetings were symbolised by exchanging Roman Lamps impressed with the figures of victory surrounded by strenae inscribed “Anno novo faustum felix tibi sit“ (May the new year be happy and lucky for you). The practice of sending of acknowledgement for the new year with the exchange of goodwill continued in Europe through the early days of Christianity. With the advent of printing press and its commercial use by the 18^th and 19^th centuries, the exchange of new year cards/calendars/greetings by merchants and tradesmen became common place. The introduction of penny postage and envelops in 1840 provided a convenient transmission media and the exchange of greeting card became a normal and routine feature. The modern day greeting card crystalised in 1843 when the first X-mas card with season’s greetings was designed in U.K. The commercial production of greeting cards became fully established by 1860’s.
• Though there are several means of conveying greetings, the post remains the most popular and predominant mode of transmission. In India, too, the practice of sending greetings by way of illustrated messages by post was perhaps started by the British. It has become now an established feature as in most other countries. We send greetings on occasions like Deepawali, Pongal, Durga Puja, Baisakhi, Bihu, Christmas, Id and other regional festivals.

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