Issued by India

Issued on Oct 15, 2019

Issued for : Department of Posts is pleased to release a set of two fragrant Commemorative Postage Stamps each on Agarwood and Orange Blossom on the theme Indian Perfumes.

Credits :
Stamps/Miniature Sheet/First Day Cover/Information Brochure : Smt. Bharati Mirchandani
Cancellation Cachet : Smt. Nenu Gupta

Type : Miniature Sheet, Mint Condition

Colour : Multi Colour

Denomination : 2500 Paise (2) and 2500 Paise (2)

Stamps Printed : 8.0 Lakh each

Miniature Sheets Printed : 2.0 Lakh each

Printing Process : Wet Offset

Printer : Security Printing Press, Hyderabad

About : 

• Perfume basically refers to a scented mixture of essential oils, fixatives and solvents to provide an agreeable scent to the body, food, objects and living spaces. Etymologically speaking, the word “perfume” is derived from the Latin word, “per fumus” meaning through smoke. Perfume and perfumery finds prominence in the Indus Valley Civilization, which existed from 3300 BCE to 1300 BCE. One of the earliest references to distillation of perfume was in the Ayurvedic text Charaka Samhita and Sushruta Samhita and deals mainly with the manufacturer of perfumes. It was also understood that perfumes attracted angels and warded off darkness or evil spirits. Saints and spiritual aspirants would adorn themselves with the finest scents to assist them in their journey towards enlightenment. Some of the prominent lovers of Indian perfumes, also called ittar, were the Mughal nobles of India.
• AGARWOOD perfume, also known as Oud, has a bitter sweet, woody and balsamic nuance. It is reputed to be one of the most expensive perfumes in the world. There are many names for the resinous, fragrant heartwood produced primarily by trees in the genus Aquilaria. Oil extracted from agarwood is used as a high-quality perfume. The Indian sub-continent was the main source of agarwood for many centuries. Today Agarwood plantations exist in a number of countries, including India, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Thailand, Vietnam etc. The best quality oil comes out from the first distillation process and after this, the wood undergoes the second distillation. Hence, it is graded according to the number of times it is cooked. With its warm, smoky balsamic fragrance it is sure to calm, inspire and brighten one’s mood.
• ORANGE BLOSSOM is aromatic, sweet and elegant and is a highly coveted scent in perfumes. It is traditionally associated with good fortune and is often favoured by brides on their wedding day. It is the fragrant flower of Citrus sinensis (orange tree) and is one of the most popular flowers in perfume making. It came to India originally through Chinese travellers and traders and later through the Portuguese and Dutch. Today India, Brazil and China are the largest cultivators of the orange tree. Orange blossom essence is an important component in the making of perfume. The fragrant flower is used by many top perfumers and is usually combined with floral bouquets and oriental scents.
• Text : Shri Pallab Bose.

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Issued by India

Issued on Aug 1, 2019

Issued for : Department of Posts is pleased to release a set of two fragrant Commemorative Postage Stamps each and a Miniature Sheet each on Sandalwood and Jasmine as part of the series on Indian Perfumes.

Credits :
Stamps/Miniature Sheets/First Day Cover/Information Brochure : Smt Bharati Mirchandani
Cancellation Cachet : Smt Nenu Gupta

Type : Miniature Sheet, Mint Condition

Colour : Multi Colour

Denomination : 2500 Paise (2) and 2500 Paise (2)

Stamps Printed : 8.0 Lakh each

Miniature Sheets Printed : 2.0 Lakh each

Printing Process : Wet Offset

Printer : Security Printing Press, Hyderabad

About : 

• Indian perfumery dates back to the Indus Valley Civilization running through the Gupta period up to the Mauryan periods. The great poet Kalidas, makes detailed reference to the use of fragrances by the Protagonist of his plays. In 1469, a ruler Ghiyath Shah the Sultan of Malwa, patronised the book The Ni’matnama, or the Book of Delights, which records two of the ancient world’s most sophisticated traditions of perfumery: that emanating from Persia and Arabia, on the one hand and the ancient Indian tradition that goes back to the time of the Vedas on the other. In the heart of the old city of Delhi, in Chandni Chowk, as also in the old cities of Agra, Lucknow and Hyderabad, there still exist perfumers whose family had been engaged in perfumery and who continue the ancient Indian tradition of ittar-making: oil-based scent manufacturing.
• SANDALWOOD is heavy, yellow and fine-grained and unlike many other aromatic woods, it retains its fragrance for decades. Sandalwood oil is extracted from the woods for use. Both the wood and the oil produce a distinctive fragrance that has been highly valued for centuries in India. Warm, woody and comforting, sandalwood has a lingering quality that makes it the perfect sophisticated unisex fragrance. Its warm notes make it the ideal winter scent and, combined with floral accords, it adds a spicy quality to summer perfumes. Smooth, rich and essentially soft, its notes work well with accords of vanilla, amber, patchouli, lavender and cedar wood. Sandalwood oil has a distinctive soft, smooth, creamy and milky precious-wood scent. It imparts a long-lasting, woody base to perfumes. When used in smaller proportions in a perfume, it acts as a fixative, enhancing the longevity of other, more volatile, materials in the composite. Sandalwood is also a key ingredient in the floral fragrance family when combined with white florals such as jasmine, gardenia, plumeria, orange blossom, tuberose, etc. Sandalwood oil is widely used in India in the cosmetic and perfumery industry since ancient times.
• JASMINE is one of the oldest known and most widely-used botanical scents and is a popular household perfume. Jasmine ittar was the favourite perfume of the Nizams of the Hyderabad State. The perfume is derived from the flower of shrubs and vines in the olive family (Oleaceae). Indian Jasmine grows mainly in Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, Western Ghats and Southern India. It is known as Juhi (Hindi), Jui (Bengali), Usimalligai (Tamil) etc. and holds great significance in Indian culture. Jasmine has a sweet, warm, floral scent that can be both slightly heady and relaxing with fruity undertones. The fragrance of jasmine is synonymous with our culture in the forms of spirituality, tradition and also medicine. Jasminum sambac fragrance has rejuvenating, boosting and energizing properties, which makes it a natural fragrance, while Jasminum grandiflorum is one of the most prominent scents and it has highly unique and incredibly intense aroma. Essential oil in flowers is extracted through enfleurage/solvent methods which is widely used for production of jasmine perfume in India. The perfume is deep brown with a golden tinge with a thick consistency, having a strong aroma and generally blends well with all oils. Jasmine has been concluded as the “King of Oils”. It is also interesting to note that it takes 8,000 carefully hand-picked blossoms to produce 1 gram (about 1 ml.) of Jasmine Absolute.
• Text : Shri Pallab Bose.

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Issued by India

Issued on Apr 23, 2017

Issued for : Department of Posts is pleased to issue a Commemorative Postage Stamp on Coffee as a fragrance stamp.

Credits :
Miniature Sheet/FDC/Brochure/Cancellation Cachet : Smt. Alka Sharma

Type : Miniature Sheet, Mint Condition

Colour : Multi Colour

Denomination : 10000 Paise

Miniature Sheet Printed : 0.2 million

Printing Process : Wet Offset

Printer : Security Printing Press, Hyderabad

About : 

• Coffee is one of the important beverage crops of the world. Coffee is prepared from the seeds of the fruit obtained from the plant. The plant is 3-6 metres in height. It is native to the highlands of southern Ethiopia. Its name has been derived from a highland district of Kaffa, where it was originally grown. From here, it was taken to Yemen, on the south-western parts of Arabia by the Arab traders and was grown at Mocha in 575 A.D. Later from Arabia, coffee plants were taken to other parts of the world, where they were successfully grown. Today, many countries have become major producers of coffee. Coffee has come up as a popular drink for the people across the world.
• Coffee is a tropical plant. It can grow in the region around the equator due to its tropical climate. This region includes Central America, Northern South America, Africa, the Middle East, India and Indonesia. Coffee plants need warm climate and a moderate supply of moisture for its growth.
• The two main species of coffee are Arabica and Robusta. Coffee Arabia is grown in Yemen. Arabica is descended from the original coffee trees discovered in Ethiopia. These trees produce a fine, mild, aromatic coffee and represent approximately 70% of the world’s coffee production. The beans are flatter and more elongated than Robusta and lower in caffeine. It is of excellent flavour, aroma and taste.
• Robusta is primarily used in blends and for instant coffees. The Robusta bean itself tends to be slightly rounder and smaller than an Arabica bean. Robusta coffee packs 50% more caffeine, and a sharp bitter flavour. This is one reason why Arabica coffee is the more desirable of the two.
• Coffee is the second important beverage crop of India. It was during 18^th century that the commercial plantations of coffee were started by the British entrepreneurs. The constraints of agro-climatic environments have forced coffee plantations to be in a small area. It is grown under a canopy of thick natural shade in ecologically sensitive regions of the Western and Eastern Ghats. This is one of the 25 biodiversity hotspots of the world. Coffee contributes significantly to sustain the unique bio-diversity of the region and is also responsible for the socio-economic development in the remote, hilly areas.
• The state of Karnataka dominates in coffee production, followed by Tamil Nadu and Kerala. Coffee is also being grown in Andhra Pradesh, Odisha and North Eastern States.
• The coffees of India are a diverse range of 16 coffees. Grown in different regions, at various elevations, nourished by many different soils and tended to by loving hands of various kinds of people, it is not surprising that the coffees are so different from each other.
• Coffee in India has traditionally been a staple beverage of southern states. Coffee making in these places has taken the form of a fine art and the traditional way of preparing coffee from coffee beans is much respected. However, with the size of instant coffee, its consumption has become more widespread where it is replacing tea as a regular beverage. Increasing global exposure has brought different varieties of coffee in the market. Thus, a cup of aromatic brew connects us to the millions of coffee lovers across the world.
• Text : Based on the material available on internet.

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Issued by India

Issued on Apr 26, 2008

Issued for : India Post is indeed happy to issue a set of two commemorative scented postage stamps on this quintessentially Indian flower, Jasmine.

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

Type : Miniature Sheet, Mint Condition

Colour : Multi colour

Denomination : 500 & 1500 Paise

Stamps Printed :
1500P – 3.0 Million
500P – 1.0 Million

Miniature sheet : 0.5 Million

Printing Process : Photogravure

Printers : India Security Press, Nasik

About : 

• Variously known as Juhi, Chameli, Mogra and Malati in North India and as Malligai and Mallepoovu etc. in the South, the fragrant and delicate Jasmine flower is deeply embedded in the Indian psyche.
• The very name ‘Jasmine’ evokes the romance of balmy summer evenings redolent with the haunting fragrance of the flower in bloom.
• A native to the tropics and warm temperate regions of the world, Jasmine belongs to the family Oleaceae, and may grow as a shrub or as a climbing vine. Typically its leaf shape is simple, trifoliate or pinnate, with upto nine leaflets growing opposite each other. The small and delicate flowers are usually white in colour, though some species bear yellow blossoms. Flowering in the spring and summer, the blossoms bloom in the dark, perfuming the night air with a lingering sweet fragrance.
• Widely used in religious offerings, the flowers are also popular for decorative purposes. Many Indian women wear these flowers in their hair. The flowers are also kept inside homes to perfume the air.
• Commonly grown as a houseplant in much of South East Asia, the plant is now widely cultivated across the globe for commercial purposes. In fact, the aromatic oil distilled from its flowers is prized in aromatherapy, and in the making of joss sticks, cosmetics, and perfumes, etc. It is also used to add flavour to tea and rice in China and in South East Asia. Many believe that daily consumption of Jasmine tea helps in preventing certain cancers.
• Intrinsic to the collective consciousness of the Indian sub-continent, there are numerous references to the Jasmine in Indian poetry and literature in many languages. The flower also finds mention in English poetry, as in the following lines of Thomas Moore:–
  “Plants that wake when others sleep
  timid jasmine buds that keep
  their fragrance to themselves all day,
  but when the sunlight dies away
  let the delicious secret out
  to every breeze that roams about”.

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Issued by India

Issued on Feb 7, 2007

Issued for : The Department of Posts is proud to release a set of four scented commemorative postage stamps on ‘Fragrance of Roses’.

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

Type : Miniature Sheet, Mint Condition

Colour : Multicolour

Denomination : 500, 1500, 1500 & 500 Paise

Stamps Printed : 0.8 Million each

Miniature sheets : 0.4 Million

Printing Process : Photogravure

Printer : India Security Press, Nasik

About : 

• “A rose is a rose is a rose” – Gertrude Stein
• Some words instantaneously suggest beauty because they are associated with things that afford pleasure and delight. The word ‘rose’ is one of them. When one sees a beautiful rose, the first instinct is to smell it as roses are known for their perfume.
• The rose is a flowering shrub of the genus “Rosa” estimated to be more than 30 million years old and the flower has figured in countless myths and legends and in poetry and music throughout the world.
• Roses are distributed in the north temperate, and, the sub-tropical parts of both the hemispheres and there are more than a hundred species of wild roses. As far as the garden roses of the world are concerned, however, only eight species, namely Rosa chinensis, Rosa damascena, Rosa foetida, Rosa gallica, Rosa gigantea, Rosa moschata, Rosa multiflora and Rosa wichuraiana have played an important role. Cultivated roses can also be grouped under two categories – those in cultivation before 1800 A.D. and those after.
• The period after 1800 A.D. was notable because of the influence of perpetually flowering types derived from Rosa chinensis and Rosa gigantean from the Far East. These crossed with new introductions, gave rise to the important groups of the Noisettes and the Bourbons. Further complex crossings also gave rise to the great groups of the Tea Roses and the Hybrid Perpetuals. While the tea roses are prized for their continuous flowering, the Hybrid Perpetuals include varieties of magnificent size and rich perfume.
• In modern times, the rose has attained a wealth of form ranging from the simple, five-petalled flower to the breathtakingly beautiful exhibition type with a spectrum of colours, from miniature forms only a few centimeters high to tall shrubs and rampant climbers and ramblers that can clothe vast stretches of walls or clamber up tall trees.
• In India several rose species are found growing wild, mostly in the Himalayan ranges. The cultivation of roses, however, appears to have been taken up much later than elsewhere. It is treasured as a garden flower and as an ingredient of beautiful floral arrangement, not to mention its value in buttonholes, corsages and the like. The first Prime Minister of India the late Shri Jawahar Lal Nehru, a much-loved person, always wore a red rose in his buttonhole. Today in India, the rose is also largely valued for purposes of worship and for making garlands, and no function in this country appears to be complete without roses.
• Roses have been symbols of love and beauty since ancient times. Different coloured roses have their own symbolic meaning. The red rose is a symbol of love, the pink rose a symbol of grace, the white rose a symbol of innocence, purity and friendship, and the yellow rose a symbol of dying love or platonic love.
• India Post has now brought together fragrance and beauty to create a set of four stamps on ‘Fragrance of Roses‘. The stamps showcase the spectacular variety, beauty and fragrance of roses found in our country, by depicting four Indian varieties.
• Bhim : 
  • This hybrid tea rose is very famous in India. The camellia-like flatness of its form is unusual and its mid-red colour is very attractive. A healthy bush, very free with its flowers, it has dark semi-glossy foliage. The fully open blooms are striking and stands up to cold nights.
• Delhi Princess :
  • A popular Indian-bred variety this rose has cerise-red buds which open to sparkling pink flowers in clusters. Growing in great profusion, the clusters may be small in cool weather, but the individual flowers are 10 cm. across. In warm weather large trusses are formed. It is exceptionally vigorous and free-flowering in all weathers.
• Jawahar : 
  • Free-flowering and good for bedding and exhibition, the velvety, scented ‘Jawahar’ is a creation of the Indian Department of Crops and Agriculture. Growing usually in clusters of three to six, the flowers are perfect creamy white. The vigorous, bushy plant is notable for strange brown prickles and light green flossy foliage.
• Neelam :
  • The Indian Agricultural Research Institute has for some years now been breeding roses especially for Indian conditions, and the gardens of the Indian Rose Society in Delhi display some splendid roses as a result including the ‘Neelam’. It is a large, shapely bloom in silvery pink, with a heady perfume and dark green, glossy foliage.
• Text : Based on ‘The Rose in India‘ by Dr. B.P. Pal, and ‘The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Roses‘ by Mr. Stirling Macoboy.

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Issued by India

Issued on Dec 13, 2006

Issued for : Sandalwood is an integral part of the Indian heritage, which we need to treasure and conserve, and the Department of Posts is proud to issue a perfumed commemorative postage stamp on this national treasure. This stamp, with its unmistakable fragrance of Sandalwood, is the first perfumed stamp brought out by India Post.

Credits :
Stamp : Sankha Samanta (Based on the material provided by the ‘Cauvery‘ Karnataka State Arts and Crafts Emporium, New Delhi.
FDC : Sankha Samanta
Cancellation : Alka Sharma

Type : Miniature Sheet, Mint Condition

Colour : Multicolour

Denomination : 1500 paise

Stamps Printed : 3.0 Million

Printing Process : Photogravure

Printer : India Security Press, Nashik

About : 

• Prized since time immemorial for its fragrance and medicinal properties, Sandalwood enjoys a very special status in India. An intrinsic part of Hindu religious rituals and social customs, Sandalwood finds mention in Indian classical literature and scriptures dating back to 2000 BC, including the “Ramayana“, the poetry of Kalidasa, as also Buddhist texts which attribute it to the Bodhisatva Amitabha.
• The Sandalwood tree is currently found in India, Sri Lanka, Australia, China, Taiwan, Hawaii, and some other South Pacific islands. In India the tree grows in the southern deciduous forests of the Western Ghats and the Deccan plateau, mainly in the States of Karnataka and Tamil Nadu. Botanically known as “Santalum album” the Sandalwood tree belongs to the Santalacea family and is a hemi parasite. This means that the roots derive nutrition from neighbouring plants. Sandalwood is also known to be resistant to insects. As the tree grows, the essential oil develops in its roots and heartwood, which is the core of the sandalwood tree, and this can take upto 15 to 20 years. It is interesting to note that the sandalwood tree is not felled. Instead the tree is uprooted in the rainy season, when its roots are rich in the precious oil. It is said that one ton of the heartwood can yield upto 60 Kgs of oil.
• Apart from its oil, the sandalwood tree is also valued for its wood and bark. The powdered bark is an important ingredient in the making of “Agarbattis” or incense sticks, and the wood is used for carving. Skilled artisans work to fashion the wood into caskets and panels, statues and figurines of deities, and into temple doors. Although not commonly used as a construction material, Sandalwood has also been used to build temples and its aroma has lingered on through the centuries.
• Made into a powder or paste, the wood has been used in traditional medicine, along with the oil, to treat a variety of ailments ranging from snakebites, respiratory treat and digestive complications, to skin problems, and also to nourish and beautify the skin. The fragrance of sandalwood is useful in aromatherapy, to relieve stress and depression, alleviate anger and aggression, and to foster calm and tranquility. Above all the oil is prized for its wonderful fragrance. Its warm, sweet, slightly spicy woodnotes, are long-lasting and distinctive, yet mild enough to blend harmoniously with other aromas to create an endless variety of perfumes.
• Little wonder then that sandalwood is a very precious commodity. Commerce in sandalwood dates back to the beginnings of trade in India and Indian sandalwood is now quite rare and expensive. In 1792, the ruler of Mysore (part of present day Karnataka) had declared the sandalwood as a royal tree and, even today, no individual in India may own a sandalwood tree. All sandalwood trees in India are owned by the Government, and their harvest is strictly controlled. Nevertheless, it is a sad fact that the illegal felling and export of sandalwood is not uncommon, and this poses a serious threat to the tree and its habitat.

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Issued by Bhutan

Issued on Jan 30, 1973

Colour : Multicoloured

Type : Stamps, Mint Condition

Subject : Roses

About : 

• a set of 6 postage stamps consists of 6 different face values [denomination] in commemoration of 6 different types of Rose. The last two denominations i.e. 6nu & 7nu are Air Mail stamps.
  
• This series of stamps are the world’s first scented stamp issued by the Government of Bhutan. Each stamp have an authentic scent of the depicting variety of rose.
• 15ch : Wendy Cussons
• 25ch : Iceberg
• 30ch : Marchioness of Urquijo
• 3nu : Pink Parfait
• 6nu : Roslyn
• 7nu : Blue moon

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