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Showing posts with label Suresh Kumar Achari. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Suresh Kumar Achari. Show all posts
Sunday, February 2, 2020
Saturday, February 2, 2019
India Post Stamp Updates (Jan-Jun 2019)
Update (02 Feb 2019): Firstly, a list of stamps being issued in 2019 can now be found at the end of this post. I will keep adding new releases down below. The year began with the stamp release on CIPET Golden Jubilee by the Vice President of India at an event in Chennai (24th Jan). The stamp was very poorly designed, and is actually worse than the one on BRBRAITT (April 2017).
MoS Communications dedicated the stamp on Mahamati Prannath the very next day in New Delhi. Prannath Ji was a spiritual leader in the 17th century. King Chhatrasal of Bundelkhand was among his followers. His 400th birth anniversary was celebrated in October 2018 and I'm assuming due to excessive number of stamp issues last year, this was moved out to this year. I'd have liked to see a full color image on the stamp, similar to the one on Sant Eknath (2003), but the designer chose muted pastel colors instead. The next two stamp issues provided much needed relief.
Satish Gujral, a well known contemporary artist designed a stamp on Financial inclusion, which was issued by MoS Communications and the Finance Minster in the presence of Mr. Gujral on 30th Jan to celebrate 2 years of the launch of India Post Payments Bank. The stamp shows the artists' take on digital payments, and a postman delivering mail. It was a nice change from the mundane artwork of several artist that have been working with India Post for many decades.
Soon after, on 2nd Feb, MoS Communications dedicated another stamp, this time on the on-going Kumbh Mela in Prayagraj. I'm yet to confirm this, but the stamp was likely designed by Kamleshwar Singh and shows several aspects of the mega religious gathering like bathing in the holy Ganga, tent city, a pontoon bridge, a railway/road bridge, pilgrims and temples. I'm hoping all of the future stamp issues will have artists use such detailed research, original artwork and thoroughness.
Commemorative stamps have been approved on Aero India 2019 (air show and expo in Bengaluru) and Professor Ram Chand Paul. I had informed collectors about the stamp on Paul in early December on Twitter. Somehow the stamp on Republic Day on nonviolence theme was not issued, and there's no clarity on the issue date. A customized MyStamp sheetlet was also issued by the Jharkhand government in mid-January showing Sohrai, a winter harvest and cattle festival.
Forthcoming Stamp Issues
20-23 Feb - Aero India 2019
28 Feb - Professor Ram Chand Paul
Update (19 Jan 2019): Some stamp issues are lining up for issuance in January. The first one appears to be on 50 Years of Central Institute of Plastics Engineering and Technology to be released on 24th January. It will be a Rs 41 stamp in sheets and miniature sheet formats. Next day, 25th January will see the stamp on Mahamati Prannath being released. It's likely the Republic Day crowdsourced stamps will be issued soon after as well. I've included the following stamp subjects in the list below: Children's Day, Independence Day and Republic Day. Will there be a stamp on Kastruba Gandhi's 75th death anniversary in February?
Original Post (15 January 2019): Just beginning to build out the list of approved stamp subjects for the new year. It appears than India Post is continuing to use stamp subjects that were approved a couple of years back, especially the non-personality ones to plan new released. I actually don't mind this approach because it doesn't throw many surprises and relegate approved issues to the back burner. I know several stamp designers have been working on these remaining stamp subjects, so let's hope these come to light. On the other hand, stamps on personalities have been added as the years have gone by, with no particular bias toward the ruling federal government. It has generally been an even distribution for various states and types of personalities.
I've seen some social media posts with a definitive stamp on Atal Bihari Vajpayee (Rupees 2) being sold in some post offices. This is a welcome move. The stamp was possibly released on 25th December 2018, but that's yet to be confirmed.
Do share your thoughts about stamp subjects and releases for 2019. Happy New Year!
Aga Khan Foundation
Children's Day
Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (60 Years)
Eastern Naval Command (50 Years)
HMS Minden & HMS Trincomalee (1810-1811)
Independence Day
Jallianwala Bagh Incident Centenary
Jamshedpur (India's First Industrial City)
India’s Participation in World War I
India-South Korea: Joint Stamp Issue
Induction of Pilatus PC-7 Mk II
Republic Day (Nonviolence/Ahimsa Parmo Dharma)
University of Mysore
Personalities
Acharya Bodhihdharma & Efflorescence of Zen Culture
MoS Communications dedicated the stamp on Mahamati Prannath the very next day in New Delhi. Prannath Ji was a spiritual leader in the 17th century. King Chhatrasal of Bundelkhand was among his followers. His 400th birth anniversary was celebrated in October 2018 and I'm assuming due to excessive number of stamp issues last year, this was moved out to this year. I'd have liked to see a full color image on the stamp, similar to the one on Sant Eknath (2003), but the designer chose muted pastel colors instead. The next two stamp issues provided much needed relief.
Satish Gujral, a well known contemporary artist designed a stamp on Financial inclusion, which was issued by MoS Communications and the Finance Minster in the presence of Mr. Gujral on 30th Jan to celebrate 2 years of the launch of India Post Payments Bank. The stamp shows the artists' take on digital payments, and a postman delivering mail. It was a nice change from the mundane artwork of several artist that have been working with India Post for many decades.
Soon after, on 2nd Feb, MoS Communications dedicated another stamp, this time on the on-going Kumbh Mela in Prayagraj. I'm yet to confirm this, but the stamp was likely designed by Kamleshwar Singh and shows several aspects of the mega religious gathering like bathing in the holy Ganga, tent city, a pontoon bridge, a railway/road bridge, pilgrims and temples. I'm hoping all of the future stamp issues will have artists use such detailed research, original artwork and thoroughness.
Commemorative stamps have been approved on Aero India 2019 (air show and expo in Bengaluru) and Professor Ram Chand Paul. I had informed collectors about the stamp on Paul in early December on Twitter. Somehow the stamp on Republic Day on nonviolence theme was not issued, and there's no clarity on the issue date. A customized MyStamp sheetlet was also issued by the Jharkhand government in mid-January showing Sohrai, a winter harvest and cattle festival.
Forthcoming Stamp Issues
20-23 Feb - Aero India 2019
28 Feb - Professor Ram Chand Paul
Update (19 Jan 2019): Some stamp issues are lining up for issuance in January. The first one appears to be on 50 Years of Central Institute of Plastics Engineering and Technology to be released on 24th January. It will be a Rs 41 stamp in sheets and miniature sheet formats. Next day, 25th January will see the stamp on Mahamati Prannath being released. It's likely the Republic Day crowdsourced stamps will be issued soon after as well. I've included the following stamp subjects in the list below: Children's Day, Independence Day and Republic Day. Will there be a stamp on Kastruba Gandhi's 75th death anniversary in February?
Original Post (15 January 2019): Just beginning to build out the list of approved stamp subjects for the new year. It appears than India Post is continuing to use stamp subjects that were approved a couple of years back, especially the non-personality ones to plan new released. I actually don't mind this approach because it doesn't throw many surprises and relegate approved issues to the back burner. I know several stamp designers have been working on these remaining stamp subjects, so let's hope these come to light. On the other hand, stamps on personalities have been added as the years have gone by, with no particular bias toward the ruling federal government. It has generally been an even distribution for various states and types of personalities.
I've seen some social media posts with a definitive stamp on Atal Bihari Vajpayee (Rupees 2) being sold in some post offices. This is a welcome move. The stamp was possibly released on 25th December 2018, but that's yet to be confirmed.
Do share your thoughts about stamp subjects and releases for 2019. Happy New Year!
Approved Stamp Subjects
Non-personality Stamp Issues
Aquaculture
Non-personality Stamp Issues
Aquaculture
Birds: Endangered & Critically Endangered
Boats of India
Bridal Costumes of India
Four Dhamas (Char Dham)
Bridal Costumes of India
Four Dhamas (Char Dham)
Fragrant Stamps (Chocolate, Strawberry, Fruits and Vegetables)
Historical Gates of Indian Forts
Indian Fashion (Series 2)
Historical Gates of Indian Forts
Indian Fashion (Series 2)
Indian Perfumes
Jataka Tales
Mangalyan
Mehandi (Lawsona inermis)
Minerals of India
Musical Instruments (Chimta, Dotara, Ektara, Khartal, Tumbi)
Palace on Wheels
Puppets
Minerals of India
Musical Instruments (Chimta, Dotara, Ektara, Khartal, Tumbi)
Palace on Wheels
Puppets
Shaktipeeth Temples (Kalighat, Kamkhya, Meenakshi, Vaishno Devi)
Terracotta Temples of India
Traditional Embroideries of India
Tribes of India
UNESCO World Heritage Sites (Series 2)
Traditional Embroideries of India
Tribes of India
UNESCO World Heritage Sites (Series 2)
Wildlife – Flora & Fauna
Aga Khan Foundation
Children's Day
Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (60 Years)
Eastern Naval Command (50 Years)
HMS Minden & HMS Trincomalee (1810-1811)
Independence Day
Jallianwala Bagh Incident Centenary
Jamshedpur (India's First Industrial City)
India’s Participation in World War I
India-South Korea: Joint Stamp Issue
Induction of Pilatus PC-7 Mk II
Republic Day (Nonviolence/Ahimsa Parmo Dharma)
University of Mysore
Personalities
Acharya Bodhihdharma & Efflorescence of Zen Culture
Acharya Konda Laxman Bapuji
Bhairon Singh Shekhawat
Dr. B. P. Radhakrishna
Gaurishankar Govardhan Joshi 'Dhumketu'
Girdharilal Bhargava
Guru Nanak Dev (550th Prakash Utsav)
Lala Thunthee Mull
M. Balamuralikrishna
Mahatma Gandhi (150th Birth Anniversary)
Bhairon Singh Shekhawat
Dr. B. P. Radhakrishna
Gaurishankar Govardhan Joshi 'Dhumketu'
Girdharilal Bhargava
Guru Nanak Dev (550th Prakash Utsav)
Lala Thunthee Mull
M. Balamuralikrishna
Mahatma Gandhi (150th Birth Anniversary)
Pandit Savai Gandharva
Raja Todarmal
Sant Pipaji Maharaj
Swami Karpatri Ji
Vedanta Desikan
India Post Commemorative Stamp Issues 2019
24 Jan - Central Institute of Plastics Engineering & Technology
25 Jan - Mahamati Prannath
30 Jan - Financial Inclusion
02 Feb - Kumbh Mela, Prayagraj
19 Feb - IIT (BHU)
23 Feb - Aero India 2019
06 Mar - Ram Chand Paul
09 Mar - Kubernath Rai
Raja Todarmal
Sant Pipaji Maharaj
Swami Karpatri Ji
Vedanta Desikan
India Post Commemorative Stamp Issues 2019
24 Jan - Central Institute of Plastics Engineering & Technology
25 Jan - Mahamati Prannath
30 Jan - Financial Inclusion
02 Feb - Kumbh Mela, Prayagraj
19 Feb - IIT (BHU)
23 Feb - Aero India 2019
06 Mar - Ram Chand Paul
09 Mar - Kubernath Rai
Wednesday, January 23, 2019
India Post 2018 - Stamp Releases & Designers
Click on the images below to enlarge and right click to save.
Update (23 Jan 2019): Details for India Post stamp issues from October to December 2018 was slow to trickle in, but it appears that design and printing information is now available. Print quantity for most of the stamp issues were increased to about 0.5 million, and only a couple of them were printed in smaller quantities (0.3 million). Stocks for all the stamp issues were generally available in the post offices, except some major delays from the printer (SPP, Hyderabad). India Post appears to have realized this issue late in the year and started indenting some issues with ISP Nashik as well. I truly hope CSP Kanpur and EPP/MSP Chennai, two private printers that supplied postal stamps until 2014, will be used again. It will not only improve supplies to post offices, but will improve paper and print quality and security features as well. Both these printers have superior printing equipment than the government presses. MyStamp lists with most of the print quantities are listed below as well. I've tried to verify the print quantity and designer info, but do let me know if there are any errors. I'll be happy to update.
Update (23 Jan 2019): Details for India Post stamp issues from October to December 2018 was slow to trickle in, but it appears that design and printing information is now available. Print quantity for most of the stamp issues were increased to about 0.5 million, and only a couple of them were printed in smaller quantities (0.3 million). Stocks for all the stamp issues were generally available in the post offices, except some major delays from the printer (SPP, Hyderabad). India Post appears to have realized this issue late in the year and started indenting some issues with ISP Nashik as well. I truly hope CSP Kanpur and EPP/MSP Chennai, two private printers that supplied postal stamps until 2014, will be used again. It will not only improve supplies to post offices, but will improve paper and print quality and security features as well. Both these printers have superior printing equipment than the government presses. MyStamp lists with most of the print quantities are listed below as well. I've tried to verify the print quantity and designer info, but do let me know if there are any errors. I'll be happy to update.
Update (14 Oct 2018): I've finally managed to get around posting details for commemorative stamps and MyStamps issued by India Post from January until September. India Post's philately department was posting regular updates on social media until March this year and has gone completely missing since then and that has made finding print quantities and stamp artist information much difficult. Information brochures don't reach post offices in time to gather this either. Anyways, the tables below cover most of the year, but I will likely add a couple more updates, depending on the number of stamp issues in the last quarter of this year. Until then, enjoy.
Sunday, November 25, 2018
India Post Stamp Updates (Oct-Dec 2018) - Archived
ARCHIVED POST
Click here to the first half of 2018
Last Update (05 Jan 2019): This will be the final post for 2018 stamp issues. India Post delivered a surprise December with 10 stamp issues, majority in last two weeks of the month. After the stamp on Sabri Khan, the ones on Rajkumar Shukla and Gulabrao Maharaj were issued in quick succession. The stamp on Rajkumar Shukla was prematurely available since April 2018 and I'd shared images of letters posted with this stamp much earlier than the issue date on Twitter. MoS Communications dedicated the stamp on Shukla in New Delhi. A stamp was issued on Raj Kumar Shukla in 2000 as well. Print quantity of that stamp in 2000 was only 0.1 million and currently sells at a high premium.
A stamp on philosopher and saint Gulabrao Maharaj was dedicated at a ceremony in Amravati district in Maharasthra. This stamp was approved and issued with no unexpected delays or problems. I'd shared issuance date of this stamp in late-September itself (click here).
Prime Minister of India had dedicated the National Police Memorial to the country on 21st October this year. This day is celebrated as Police Commemoration Day (Customized MyStamp was issued in Oct 2017). Within two months of inauguration of this memorial, the Prime Minister dedicated two stamps on the National Police Memorial at a Police officials conference in Kevadia Colony (where Statue of Unity is situated), Gujarat. The stamp was designed by Alka Sharma and is probably among the only decent design by this artist in the last several years.
A stamp on Paika Rebellion (Paika Bidroha) to celebrate its 200 years was issued on 24th December by the Prime Minister of India in Bhubaneswar. The bicentenary was actually completed in March 2017 itself, so the stamp issue was about 1.5 years delayed. Subir Das designed the stamp, which will likely be his last (information sheet shows his name as Late Subir Das). Alka Sharma helped design the first day cover. The stamp and FDC used images from a memorial in Odisha, and wasn't creatively the best. The stamp Vellore Mutiny (2006) was rather nicely done.
Another two personality stamps were issued last month. One on spiritual duo of the Swaminarayan-Gunatit sect of Hinduism, Kakaji and Pappaji Maharaj and the other on Maharaja Suheldev. Stamp on Kakaji and Pappaji was diamond shaped and dedicated at an event in Vadodara district, Gujarat during Kakaji's birth centenary celebrations. India Post had issued a stamp Kakaji Maharaj in March 2003 as well. This new stamp now includes Pappaji as well. India Post officials were present at the event in Gujarat. Prime Minister of India also dedicated a stamp on King Suheldev in Ghazipur (UP). Issuance of this stamp was announced by MoS Communications in February this year.
Now about the blockbuster stamp issues. It began with initiation of a new stamp series on UNESCO World Heritage Sites in India. The first issue in the series was on Hill Forts of Rajasthan including Amer, Chittorgarh, Gagron, Jaisalmer, Kumbhalgarh and Ranthambore forts. Brahm Prakash designed the stamps in his classical style that uses photos of places/objects. The miniature sheet was in the stamp of UNESCO's logo, becoming the second odd-shaped sheet from India Post. The previous one was on Hockey World Cup in November 2018.
Prime Minister of India dedicated a record fourth stamp in December. This one was a set of three stamps to commemorate 75 years of first flag hoisting in Port Blair (Andaman & Nicobar islands) by Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose. The stamps were appropriately done by Sankha Samanta, depicting several details of the events that may have occurred in 1943 when Netaji visited Port Blair. The first stamp shows his arrival at the airport and receiving a guard of honor. The second stamp shows Netaji saluting the Indian flag and the third stamp has Cellular Jail as the main subject. Netaji had visited Cellular Jail in 1943 and this national monument has remained important for Indian freedom struggle. Similar to the Gandhi 150 stamp issue in October, denominations of these three stamps total to Rupees 75 symbolic of the 75th anniversary of this event.
Yet another series of stamps appeared to have begun. This one on Indian Fashion. Suresh Kumar designed the first set of four stamps titled Indian Fashion - Through the Ages. The stamps show clothing and fashion from Harappan age to the Indian princely states. The stamps cover Harappa, Mohenjo-drao, Mauryan, Sunga, Mughal (Nur Jahan), Awadh (Ghazi-ud-din Haider) periods and Indian princely states.
The final commemorative stamps for the last year were a follow up on the Geographical Indication (GI) stamps. This set of stamps were on Handicrafts of India. All the five stamps show GI registered handicraft products. These along with the Handlooms of India stamps (August 2018) are probably among my favorite of 2018 and were designed by my favorite stamp artist, Kamleshwar Singh. Layout of these five stamp miniature sheet was identical between the Handicraft and Handloom stamps. Blue pottery of Jaipur, Palakkad Maddalam, Karnataka bronzeware, Kutch embroidery and Sikki grass products of Bihar are the five products shown on the handicraft stamps.
Couple of other customized/corporate MyStamp sheetlets were issued as well. This wraps up another mega year in Indian philately. The year saw 117 commemorative stamps totaling to Rupees 1068 were issued. Along with these, 23 miniature sheets (Rupees 876) and 20 sheetlets (Rupees 2295) were also issue. The year saw only 5 se-tenant stamps being issued (CISF, Safdarjung Hospital, Prithviraj Chauhan, MyStamp-Andhra Tourism and MyStamp-IIT Bombay). Let me know if you need any additional information; I will try to find. Happy New Year.
India Post Commemorative Stamps in Dec 2018:
18 Dec - Rajkumar Shukla
19 Dec - Gulabrao Maharaj
22 Dec - National Police Memorial
24 Dec - Paika Rebellion
28 Dec - Kakaji & Pappaji
29 Dec - Maharaja Suheldev
29 Dec - Hill Forts of Rajasthan (UNESCO World Heritage Sites)
30 Dec - 75th Anniversary of First Flag Hoisting at Port Blair
31 Dec - Indian Fashion - Through the Ages
31 Dec - Handicrafts of India (GI Registered Handicrafts Products)
India Post Customized/Corporate MyStamp issues in Dec 2018:
15 Dec - MyStamp - Bangalore Club
18 Dec - MyStamp - SBI Hyderabad Branch (150 Years)
Update (16 Dec 2018): The typical last-minute rush to issue many stamps in December is on again. This is quite typical with India Post, when several stamps are printed, but delayed in issuance. All these stamps end up being released in December, to avoid confusion in the following year.
Toward the end of last month, a set of five stamps was issued during the Hockey world cup that is being played in Bhubaneswar (Odisha). Kamleshwar Singh did the design, which had some elements of local temples, deities etc on the miniature sheet that was shaped like an Olive Ridley turtle. It appears to be the first odd shaped miniature sheet issued by India Post. The stamps were issued by the Chief Minister of Odisha with government officials.
The first half of December did not see much activity, but many issues are planned for the remainder of the month. It began with the issuance of a stamp on Sarangi musician, Ustad Sabri Khan on 13th December by MoS Communications in New Delhi. This stamp was proposed for issuance in July-August this year, and I'd shared two stamp designs by Kamleshwar Singh back then on Twitter. One of these designs was issued as the final design.
Several MyStamps were also dedicated or put for sale in the last few weeks. Prime Minister of India issued the corporate MyStamp on 75 Years of Dainik Jagran, a news daily in Hindi in early December. Coincidentally, commemorative stamps have been issued by India Post on two previous editors (Narendra Mohan and Puran Chandra Gupta) of the newspaper and the new MyStamp shows both the editors as well. Another corporate MyStamp was issued in New Delhi on Maulana Azad Dental Institute. I recently also found a personalized MyStamp on Red Panda being sent to post offices, but I'm yet to see completed sheets out with collectors.
India Post Forthcoming Commemorative Stamps in Dec 2018:
18 Dec - Rajkumar Shukla
19 Dec - Gulabrao Maharaj
22 Dec - National Police Memorial
24 Dec - Paika Rebellion
28 Dec - Kakaji & Pappaji
29 Dec - Maharaja Suheldev
30 Dec - 75 Years of Azad Hind Government (First Flag Hoisting in Port Blair)
India Post Commemorative Stamps in Nov-Dec 2018:
28 Nov - Odisha Men's Hockey World Cup Bhubaneswar 2018 (5 designs)
13 Dec - Ustad Sabri Khan
India Post Customized MyStamps in Nov-Dec 2018:
07 Dec - MyStamp - Dainik Jagran
11 Dec - MyStamp - Maulana Azad Institute of Dental Sciences
November - MyStamp - TNPL - Paper from Bagasse
December - MyStamp - Red Panda
Update (25 Nov 2018): It's been a quiet period last two months for new postage stamps from India Post. Barely any new stamps were issued in most of October and November. It must be a good reprieve for stamp collectors that were inundated with new stamps over the last two years. There are scored of pending stamp issues, which have been delayed or postponed. Maybe some of these will be issued in December 2018, let's see. I'm hoping a properly vetted stamp issue program is put out for 2019 and shared with collectors. In the meanwhile, here's a list of the few stamps that were released recently.
India Post Commemorative Stamps in Nov 2018:
03 Nov - 3rd Battalion The Rajputana Rifles (1818-2018)
14 Nov - Children's Day - Communal Harmony (2 designs)
India Post Customized MyStamps in Oct-Nov 2018:
29 Oct - MyStamp - World Stroke Day
11 Nov - MyStamp - Union Bank of India
Oct - MyStamp - Hyundai
Oct - MyStamp - ICMR-National Institute of Nutrition, Hyderabad
Update (20 Oct 2018): Apart from the circular stamps to start Mahatma Gandhi's 150th birth anniversary celebrations, not much has happened in October. India's Prime Minister dedicated stamps in 7 designs showing different facets of Mahatma Gandhi's life during a sanitation event on 2nd October. These were the first ever circular stamps issued by India Post. A miniature sheet comprised of all 7 stamps (denominations of stamps symbolically total to Rupees 150) and individual sheets of 20 stamps each were issued. Similar to the Ramayana stamp issue last year, these stamps were showcased at all of India's embassies abroad.
Many new stamp proposals and subjects have been approved for issuance, but not much has been done about fixing release dates. In response to an RTI application earlier this year, India Post had indicated a tentative release plan for several stamps, but most of that has not been followed through. Instead of issuing well designed commemorative/special stamps, a steady stream of corporate MyStamps are being issued. These customized MyStamps are quite expensive, and are less likely to be listed in stamp catalogs.
India Post Commemorative Stamps in Oct 2018:
02 Oct - 150th Birth Anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi
India Post Customized MyStamps in Sep-Oct 2018:
30 Sep - MyStamp - Dr. MGR & Selvi Jayalalithaa Memorial
04 Oct - MyStamp - Rayat Shikshan Sansthan
05 Oct - MyStamp - Narayan Seva Sansthan
12 Oct - MyStamp - National Human Rights Commission
Oct - MyStamp - Taj Connemara
Oct - MyStamp - Hyundai
Oct - MyStamp - ICMR - National Institute of Nutrition, Hyderabad
Update (14 Oct 2018): I'm back to add details for commemorative stamps issued in September and possibly cover MyStamps as well. The first stamp in September was issued in Bengalurur on freedon fighter Mahadevappa Mailar (1911-1943). Mailar was the only representative from Karnataka on Mahatma Gandhi's Dandi March in 1930. He was shot by the British along with two others while they were attempting to loot a temple in Haveri, Karnataka. The stamp was requested to be issued by Jagadish Shettar, former CM of Karnataka and MoS Communications obliged by being present at the dedication ceremony. Even though a sheetlet of 9 stamps has been issued, it doesn't seem to be available for sale on ePostOffice or many post offices. I wonder if SPP Hyderabad is still backlogged with this product like the Solar System miniature sheet, which has been unavailable for the last 7 months.
Yet another joint stamp issue was released in September - that's fourth straight month of joint stamps this year. Joint stamps between India and Serbia were planned to be released on 9th October, but then rescheduled for issuance in early September when India's Vice President was to travel to Serbia for an official visit. The trip was postponed due to the demise of Atal Bihari Vajpayee, and as a result the stamp was dedicated a bit later on 15th September when the trip finally happened. I've written a detailed post on these stamps showing Swami Vivekananda and Nikola Tesla, which was definitely a good choice by both the postal administrations. I don't really like the miniature sheet and first day covers prepared by India Post - there's not creativity in either. Gulistaan was the credited designer.
Two other stamps - Hislop College, Nagpur and Sant Ganinath were issued later in September. Minister of Shipping and Roads was present at the ceremony in Nagpur and MoS Communications dedicated the stamp on Ganinath in his parliamentary constituency, Ghazipur. The stamp on Ganinath was decently designed, showing the sage as an incarnation of Lord Shiva, but the one on Hislop College was among the worst stamp designs in recent times. I don't really understand why such low quality work is being approved for printing. Colleges typically have buildings that can be shown on stamps, worst just the logo may suffice. Vinita Sinha, who also did the stamp on Damodar Hari Chapekar designed this dull and lackluster stamp. It's quite disappointing that even though Kamleshwar Singh and Sankha Samanta work with India Post, but are not being engaged often enough to lead the design process.
On to MyStamps now. Let me make it clear that the customized corporate MyStamp sheetlets are probably not as important to collect, but the ones that can be personalized may be good to buy. India Post has been continually put both types of MyStamps for sale over the last few months. A series of 12 sheetlets, one each for zodiac signs was made available for purchase since early July. So was a sheetlet on the Ridge in Shimla. This is the second set of MyStamp sheetlets on Zodiac signs, after the first one in 2011 issued during Indepex 2011. August saw two personalized sheetlets being issued - one on Kurinji flower and another one on Victoria Memorial, Kolkata. Kurinji flower blooms once in 12 years, and a commemorative stamp was released on its last mass flowering in 2006. This is also the second MyStamp on Victoria Memorial after the one in 2015, albeit a new design and a larger MyStamp this time around. For some unknown reason, ePostOffice has stopped selling personalized MyStamp sheetlets and is only selling the corporate ones with pre-printed tabs.
Lastly, the least interesting, customized MyStamp sheetlets. These are the expensive stamps issued at the behest of organizations or companies by making a payment to India Post. There is very little interest in stamp collectors to buy these and Scott catalog is not listing these either. I cover them, just in case some collectors plan to complete their MyStamp collection, given this is still valid postage. July saw a new size of MyStamp being issued. It was on Christ University Bangalore's golden jubilee. The sheet still contains 12 stamps, but the stamps are much longer than the standard size. Indian Paper Traders Association got a MyStamp printed and released on Paper Day, so did Ashok Leyland, the truck manufacturer. Lilavati Hospital got two types of MyStamp sheetlets printed and issued whereas Jharkhand Government paid to get a stamp on Karma Parab, a festival in Jharkhand.
This catches up to end of September for India Post stamps. Leave me a message below if there are any questions or comments. Apart from the circular stamps on Mahatma Gandhi, there hasn't been much activity to report in October.
Update (01 Oct 2018): Here you go. I'll start describing the stamp issues chronologically as they were issued from July onward. The stamp on ICAI - the organization dealing with certified accountants was nicely designed by one of my favorite stamp artists, Kamleshwar Singh. The stamp design clearly elucidates the role of ICAI and that occasion for issuance. It was issued in New Delhi by the President of India to celebrate 70 years of the institute. Will a stamp be issued on the Company Secretary Institute's golden jubilee as well?
Next was a stamp on the 90th birth anniversary of classical singer M. L. Vasanthakumari of the Carnatic music tradition. She was one among the trinity of modern Carnatic singers - other two being M. S. Subbulakshmi and D. K. Pattammal, both were earlier seen on stamps from 2005 and 2014, respectively. Sankha Samanta designed the stamp that was issued in Chennai Music Academy by India's defense minster and MoS Communications. Carnatic musician Sudha Raghunathan led the efforts to get the stamp proposal approved and issued. I remember Ms. Raghunathan also being present at the event for M. S. Subbulakshmi stamp release event at United Nations as well. Well done, madam.
The stamp on Damodar Hari Chapekar, freedom fighter from Pune was issued by the Speaker of Lok Sabha. This stamp along with one on Rajkumar Shukla were prematurely available in some post offices and I've seen several examples of these stamps being used on cover before official issue date. Surprisingly, the stamp on Rajkumar Shukla is yet to be issued and is being freely sold on eBay. I wish the stamp on Chapekar was issued as one that included all three Chapekar brothers and not just the elder one. Their heroic fight against the British rule was a combined effort and it would've been best to recognize them together, as previously done for Murmu brothers (2002) and Pandiar brothers (2004).
The second joint with South Africa within this year was issued in Johannesburg when the Prime Minister of India was traveling for the 10th BRICS Summit. The stamp sheet celebrates the birth centenary of Nelson Mandela and 125th year of Mahatma Gandhi's Pietermarizburg Station Incident. I've posted additional details for this and other joint issues with South Africa here, but here's another point to note. India Post's souvenir sheet for this issue is the size of regular printer paper, which is almost four times the size of South African sheet. I've also noted comments on Twitter about poor paper quality used by SPP Hyderabad. I really hope miniature sheet size is reduced in the future to make them aesthetically pleasing and friendly for stamp collection albums and stock sheets.
Hepatitis B and C are the major types of hepatitis and these two infections may not show for a long period. Timely testing and treatment are required to overcome potential threats from the disease. On World Hepatitis Day (28th July), India Post launched a stamp to create awareness about a new federal government program on Viral Hepatitis Control. The stamp deigned by Suresh Kumar shows a pair of hands acting as a protection for the liver and graphics depicting treatment and hygiene in the bottom half of the stamp.
August began with a set of stamps being issued on National Handloom Day (7th August). A well designed issue, again by Kamleshwar Singh, showed five textiles/products that have Geographical Indication registrations. Textiles/products included were Baluchari saree, Kashmir Pashmina, Ikat, Pochampally and Bhagalpur silk. The dedication ceremony was held in Jaipur, where the main event for Handloom Day was held. Initially the Textile minister, MoS Communications and Rajasthan Chief Minister were to attend, but none of them showed up and instead MoS Textiles came late for a brief stopover. So much, for weavers and artists.
India Post had solicited entries for a photography competition in June and July to showcase some holiday destinations in the country. Several thousand pictures were received and a two stamps along with a miniature sheet were issued on Independence Day (15th August). Crowdsourcing for ideas including the ones on stamps has been a consistent feature of this federal government and is a welcome change. The only gripe with these stamps was the denominations being high for no apparent reason and no mention of the actual placed shown on the stamps and philatelic products.
The stamp on Patna University, which was originally planned for issuance in January/February was finally released by HRD Minister in the centenary closing event in Patna on 25th August. Brahm Prakash designed the stamp exactly the same way as the one on Banaras Hindu University stamp last year - by creating a collage of university buildings. I don't mind this style, but once was enough. Anyways, this is an important school, and the stamp was worth the wait.
Finally, the much delayed joint stamp issue with Armenia was dedicated at an event in Yerevan on 29th August. After the delay in March and June, I was informed by the HayPost staff about a late-August release, and that turned out to be true. I was surprised to see that the Armenian dance form was changed last minute and that resulted in India Post having to redo its first day cover as well. The original plan was to include Manipuri and Berd dances, but eventually Aremnia decided to go with Hov Arek instead of Berd. I've posted details for the joint stamps here, go check it out.
That covers July and August commemorative stamps. I'll post more details for September issues as well as all the MyStamps shortly.
Update (30 Sep 2018): I know its been three months since this post was last updated, but I've been busy at work; also thinking of a couple of better ways to organize future stamp subjects and the BetterPhilately wish list. So here's the path I have in mind: I will continue to share information about the current and announced issues in individual posts, but maintain a separate post for wish list and another one for stamp proposals that have been submitted to India Post and may be considered pending. I have a list of over 500 stamp proposals that were given to India Post over the last decade. These can eventually all be categorized as dead proposals or the ones that still have potential. I will start doing this within 2018. Here's a quick list of stamps that were issued from July to September. I'll come back later and add some interesting details or anecdotes for each of the issues.
India Post Commemorative Stamps in Jul-Sep 2018:
01 Jul - The Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (70th Year)
03 Jul - M. L. Vasanthakumari
08 Jul - Damodar Hari Chapekar
26 Jul - India-South Africa: Joint Issue (Mahatma Gandhi & Nelson Mandela)
28 Jul - National Viral Hepatitis Control Program
07 Aug - Handlooms of India - Geographical Indication registered (5 designs)
15 Aug - Holiday Destinations in India (2 designs)
25 Aug - Patna University (1917-2017)
29 Aug - India-Armenia: Joint Issue (Manipuri and Hov Arek dances)
03 Sep - Martyr Mahadevappa Maliar
15 Sep - India-Serbia: Joint Issue (Swami Vivekananda and Nikola Tesla)
15 Sep - Hislop College, Nagpur
23 Sep - Sant Ganinath
India Post Personalized MyStamps in Jul-Sep 2018:
07 Jul - MyStamp - Zodiac Signs (12 sheetlets)
09 Jul - MyStamp - 'The Ridge' Shimla, Himachal Pradesh
15 Aug - MyStamp - Kurinji
Aug - MyStamp - Victoria Memorial, Kolkata
India Post Customized MyStamps in Jul-Sep 2018:
11 Jul - MyStamp - Christ (Deemed to be University), Bangalore, India
01 Aug - MyStamp - Paper Day (1st August)
24 Aug - MyStamp - Lilavati Hospital (Purple background)
24 Aug - MyStamp - Lilavati Hospital (Blue background)
07 Sep - MyStamp - Ashok Leyland - Ennore Plant (70 Years)
18 Sep - MyStamp - Karma Parab
Stamps Approved for Issuance
Other Issues
Aga Khan Foundation
Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (60 Years)
Eastern Naval Command (50 Years)
HMS Minden & HMS Trincomalee (1810-1811)
India’s Participation in World War I
Induction of Pilatus PC-7 Mk II
University of Mysore
Personalities
Acharya Bodhihdharma & Efflorescence of Zen Culture
Click here to the first half of 2018
Last Update (05 Jan 2019): This will be the final post for 2018 stamp issues. India Post delivered a surprise December with 10 stamp issues, majority in last two weeks of the month. After the stamp on Sabri Khan, the ones on Rajkumar Shukla and Gulabrao Maharaj were issued in quick succession. The stamp on Rajkumar Shukla was prematurely available since April 2018 and I'd shared images of letters posted with this stamp much earlier than the issue date on Twitter. MoS Communications dedicated the stamp on Shukla in New Delhi. A stamp was issued on Raj Kumar Shukla in 2000 as well. Print quantity of that stamp in 2000 was only 0.1 million and currently sells at a high premium.
A stamp on philosopher and saint Gulabrao Maharaj was dedicated at a ceremony in Amravati district in Maharasthra. This stamp was approved and issued with no unexpected delays or problems. I'd shared issuance date of this stamp in late-September itself (click here).
Prime Minister of India had dedicated the National Police Memorial to the country on 21st October this year. This day is celebrated as Police Commemoration Day (Customized MyStamp was issued in Oct 2017). Within two months of inauguration of this memorial, the Prime Minister dedicated two stamps on the National Police Memorial at a Police officials conference in Kevadia Colony (where Statue of Unity is situated), Gujarat. The stamp was designed by Alka Sharma and is probably among the only decent design by this artist in the last several years.
A stamp on Paika Rebellion (Paika Bidroha) to celebrate its 200 years was issued on 24th December by the Prime Minister of India in Bhubaneswar. The bicentenary was actually completed in March 2017 itself, so the stamp issue was about 1.5 years delayed. Subir Das designed the stamp, which will likely be his last (information sheet shows his name as Late Subir Das). Alka Sharma helped design the first day cover. The stamp and FDC used images from a memorial in Odisha, and wasn't creatively the best. The stamp Vellore Mutiny (2006) was rather nicely done.
Another two personality stamps were issued last month. One on spiritual duo of the Swaminarayan-Gunatit sect of Hinduism, Kakaji and Pappaji Maharaj and the other on Maharaja Suheldev. Stamp on Kakaji and Pappaji was diamond shaped and dedicated at an event in Vadodara district, Gujarat during Kakaji's birth centenary celebrations. India Post had issued a stamp Kakaji Maharaj in March 2003 as well. This new stamp now includes Pappaji as well. India Post officials were present at the event in Gujarat. Prime Minister of India also dedicated a stamp on King Suheldev in Ghazipur (UP). Issuance of this stamp was announced by MoS Communications in February this year.
Now about the blockbuster stamp issues. It began with initiation of a new stamp series on UNESCO World Heritage Sites in India. The first issue in the series was on Hill Forts of Rajasthan including Amer, Chittorgarh, Gagron, Jaisalmer, Kumbhalgarh and Ranthambore forts. Brahm Prakash designed the stamps in his classical style that uses photos of places/objects. The miniature sheet was in the stamp of UNESCO's logo, becoming the second odd-shaped sheet from India Post. The previous one was on Hockey World Cup in November 2018.
Prime Minister of India dedicated a record fourth stamp in December. This one was a set of three stamps to commemorate 75 years of first flag hoisting in Port Blair (Andaman & Nicobar islands) by Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose. The stamps were appropriately done by Sankha Samanta, depicting several details of the events that may have occurred in 1943 when Netaji visited Port Blair. The first stamp shows his arrival at the airport and receiving a guard of honor. The second stamp shows Netaji saluting the Indian flag and the third stamp has Cellular Jail as the main subject. Netaji had visited Cellular Jail in 1943 and this national monument has remained important for Indian freedom struggle. Similar to the Gandhi 150 stamp issue in October, denominations of these three stamps total to Rupees 75 symbolic of the 75th anniversary of this event.
Yet another series of stamps appeared to have begun. This one on Indian Fashion. Suresh Kumar designed the first set of four stamps titled Indian Fashion - Through the Ages. The stamps show clothing and fashion from Harappan age to the Indian princely states. The stamps cover Harappa, Mohenjo-drao, Mauryan, Sunga, Mughal (Nur Jahan), Awadh (Ghazi-ud-din Haider) periods and Indian princely states.
The final commemorative stamps for the last year were a follow up on the Geographical Indication (GI) stamps. This set of stamps were on Handicrafts of India. All the five stamps show GI registered handicraft products. These along with the Handlooms of India stamps (August 2018) are probably among my favorite of 2018 and were designed by my favorite stamp artist, Kamleshwar Singh. Layout of these five stamp miniature sheet was identical between the Handicraft and Handloom stamps. Blue pottery of Jaipur, Palakkad Maddalam, Karnataka bronzeware, Kutch embroidery and Sikki grass products of Bihar are the five products shown on the handicraft stamps.
Couple of other customized/corporate MyStamp sheetlets were issued as well. This wraps up another mega year in Indian philately. The year saw 117 commemorative stamps totaling to Rupees 1068 were issued. Along with these, 23 miniature sheets (Rupees 876) and 20 sheetlets (Rupees 2295) were also issue. The year saw only 5 se-tenant stamps being issued (CISF, Safdarjung Hospital, Prithviraj Chauhan, MyStamp-Andhra Tourism and MyStamp-IIT Bombay). Let me know if you need any additional information; I will try to find. Happy New Year.
India Post Commemorative Stamps in Dec 2018:
18 Dec - Rajkumar Shukla
19 Dec - Gulabrao Maharaj
22 Dec - National Police Memorial
24 Dec - Paika Rebellion
28 Dec - Kakaji & Pappaji
29 Dec - Maharaja Suheldev
29 Dec - Hill Forts of Rajasthan (UNESCO World Heritage Sites)
30 Dec - 75th Anniversary of First Flag Hoisting at Port Blair
31 Dec - Indian Fashion - Through the Ages
31 Dec - Handicrafts of India (GI Registered Handicrafts Products)
India Post Customized/Corporate MyStamp issues in Dec 2018:
15 Dec - MyStamp - Bangalore Club
18 Dec - MyStamp - SBI Hyderabad Branch (150 Years)
Update (16 Dec 2018): The typical last-minute rush to issue many stamps in December is on again. This is quite typical with India Post, when several stamps are printed, but delayed in issuance. All these stamps end up being released in December, to avoid confusion in the following year.
Toward the end of last month, a set of five stamps was issued during the Hockey world cup that is being played in Bhubaneswar (Odisha). Kamleshwar Singh did the design, which had some elements of local temples, deities etc on the miniature sheet that was shaped like an Olive Ridley turtle. It appears to be the first odd shaped miniature sheet issued by India Post. The stamps were issued by the Chief Minister of Odisha with government officials.
The first half of December did not see much activity, but many issues are planned for the remainder of the month. It began with the issuance of a stamp on Sarangi musician, Ustad Sabri Khan on 13th December by MoS Communications in New Delhi. This stamp was proposed for issuance in July-August this year, and I'd shared two stamp designs by Kamleshwar Singh back then on Twitter. One of these designs was issued as the final design.
Several MyStamps were also dedicated or put for sale in the last few weeks. Prime Minister of India issued the corporate MyStamp on 75 Years of Dainik Jagran, a news daily in Hindi in early December. Coincidentally, commemorative stamps have been issued by India Post on two previous editors (Narendra Mohan and Puran Chandra Gupta) of the newspaper and the new MyStamp shows both the editors as well. Another corporate MyStamp was issued in New Delhi on Maulana Azad Dental Institute. I recently also found a personalized MyStamp on Red Panda being sent to post offices, but I'm yet to see completed sheets out with collectors.
India Post Forthcoming Commemorative Stamps in Dec 2018:
18 Dec - Rajkumar Shukla
19 Dec - Gulabrao Maharaj
22 Dec - National Police Memorial
24 Dec - Paika Rebellion
28 Dec - Kakaji & Pappaji
29 Dec - Maharaja Suheldev
30 Dec - 75 Years of Azad Hind Government (First Flag Hoisting in Port Blair)
India Post Commemorative Stamps in Nov-Dec 2018:
28 Nov - Odisha Men's Hockey World Cup Bhubaneswar 2018 (5 designs)
13 Dec - Ustad Sabri Khan
India Post Customized MyStamps in Nov-Dec 2018:
07 Dec - MyStamp - Dainik Jagran
11 Dec - MyStamp - Maulana Azad Institute of Dental Sciences
November - MyStamp - TNPL - Paper from Bagasse
December - MyStamp - Red Panda
Update (25 Nov 2018): It's been a quiet period last two months for new postage stamps from India Post. Barely any new stamps were issued in most of October and November. It must be a good reprieve for stamp collectors that were inundated with new stamps over the last two years. There are scored of pending stamp issues, which have been delayed or postponed. Maybe some of these will be issued in December 2018, let's see. I'm hoping a properly vetted stamp issue program is put out for 2019 and shared with collectors. In the meanwhile, here's a list of the few stamps that were released recently.
India Post Commemorative Stamps in Nov 2018:
03 Nov - 3rd Battalion The Rajputana Rifles (1818-2018)
14 Nov - Children's Day - Communal Harmony (2 designs)
India Post Customized MyStamps in Oct-Nov 2018:
29 Oct - MyStamp - World Stroke Day
11 Nov - MyStamp - Union Bank of India
Oct - MyStamp - Hyundai
Oct - MyStamp - ICMR-National Institute of Nutrition, Hyderabad
Update (20 Oct 2018): Apart from the circular stamps to start Mahatma Gandhi's 150th birth anniversary celebrations, not much has happened in October. India's Prime Minister dedicated stamps in 7 designs showing different facets of Mahatma Gandhi's life during a sanitation event on 2nd October. These were the first ever circular stamps issued by India Post. A miniature sheet comprised of all 7 stamps (denominations of stamps symbolically total to Rupees 150) and individual sheets of 20 stamps each were issued. Similar to the Ramayana stamp issue last year, these stamps were showcased at all of India's embassies abroad.
Many new stamp proposals and subjects have been approved for issuance, but not much has been done about fixing release dates. In response to an RTI application earlier this year, India Post had indicated a tentative release plan for several stamps, but most of that has not been followed through. Instead of issuing well designed commemorative/special stamps, a steady stream of corporate MyStamps are being issued. These customized MyStamps are quite expensive, and are less likely to be listed in stamp catalogs.
India Post Commemorative Stamps in Oct 2018:
02 Oct - 150th Birth Anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi
India Post Customized MyStamps in Sep-Oct 2018:
30 Sep - MyStamp - Dr. MGR & Selvi Jayalalithaa Memorial
04 Oct - MyStamp - Rayat Shikshan Sansthan
05 Oct - MyStamp - Narayan Seva Sansthan
12 Oct - MyStamp - National Human Rights Commission
Oct - MyStamp - Taj Connemara
Oct - MyStamp - Hyundai
Oct - MyStamp - ICMR - National Institute of Nutrition, Hyderabad
Update (14 Oct 2018): I'm back to add details for commemorative stamps issued in September and possibly cover MyStamps as well. The first stamp in September was issued in Bengalurur on freedon fighter Mahadevappa Mailar (1911-1943). Mailar was the only representative from Karnataka on Mahatma Gandhi's Dandi March in 1930. He was shot by the British along with two others while they were attempting to loot a temple in Haveri, Karnataka. The stamp was requested to be issued by Jagadish Shettar, former CM of Karnataka and MoS Communications obliged by being present at the dedication ceremony. Even though a sheetlet of 9 stamps has been issued, it doesn't seem to be available for sale on ePostOffice or many post offices. I wonder if SPP Hyderabad is still backlogged with this product like the Solar System miniature sheet, which has been unavailable for the last 7 months.
Yet another joint stamp issue was released in September - that's fourth straight month of joint stamps this year. Joint stamps between India and Serbia were planned to be released on 9th October, but then rescheduled for issuance in early September when India's Vice President was to travel to Serbia for an official visit. The trip was postponed due to the demise of Atal Bihari Vajpayee, and as a result the stamp was dedicated a bit later on 15th September when the trip finally happened. I've written a detailed post on these stamps showing Swami Vivekananda and Nikola Tesla, which was definitely a good choice by both the postal administrations. I don't really like the miniature sheet and first day covers prepared by India Post - there's not creativity in either. Gulistaan was the credited designer.
Two other stamps - Hislop College, Nagpur and Sant Ganinath were issued later in September. Minister of Shipping and Roads was present at the ceremony in Nagpur and MoS Communications dedicated the stamp on Ganinath in his parliamentary constituency, Ghazipur. The stamp on Ganinath was decently designed, showing the sage as an incarnation of Lord Shiva, but the one on Hislop College was among the worst stamp designs in recent times. I don't really understand why such low quality work is being approved for printing. Colleges typically have buildings that can be shown on stamps, worst just the logo may suffice. Vinita Sinha, who also did the stamp on Damodar Hari Chapekar designed this dull and lackluster stamp. It's quite disappointing that even though Kamleshwar Singh and Sankha Samanta work with India Post, but are not being engaged often enough to lead the design process.
On to MyStamps now. Let me make it clear that the customized corporate MyStamp sheetlets are probably not as important to collect, but the ones that can be personalized may be good to buy. India Post has been continually put both types of MyStamps for sale over the last few months. A series of 12 sheetlets, one each for zodiac signs was made available for purchase since early July. So was a sheetlet on the Ridge in Shimla. This is the second set of MyStamp sheetlets on Zodiac signs, after the first one in 2011 issued during Indepex 2011. August saw two personalized sheetlets being issued - one on Kurinji flower and another one on Victoria Memorial, Kolkata. Kurinji flower blooms once in 12 years, and a commemorative stamp was released on its last mass flowering in 2006. This is also the second MyStamp on Victoria Memorial after the one in 2015, albeit a new design and a larger MyStamp this time around. For some unknown reason, ePostOffice has stopped selling personalized MyStamp sheetlets and is only selling the corporate ones with pre-printed tabs.
Lastly, the least interesting, customized MyStamp sheetlets. These are the expensive stamps issued at the behest of organizations or companies by making a payment to India Post. There is very little interest in stamp collectors to buy these and Scott catalog is not listing these either. I cover them, just in case some collectors plan to complete their MyStamp collection, given this is still valid postage. July saw a new size of MyStamp being issued. It was on Christ University Bangalore's golden jubilee. The sheet still contains 12 stamps, but the stamps are much longer than the standard size. Indian Paper Traders Association got a MyStamp printed and released on Paper Day, so did Ashok Leyland, the truck manufacturer. Lilavati Hospital got two types of MyStamp sheetlets printed and issued whereas Jharkhand Government paid to get a stamp on Karma Parab, a festival in Jharkhand.
This catches up to end of September for India Post stamps. Leave me a message below if there are any questions or comments. Apart from the circular stamps on Mahatma Gandhi, there hasn't been much activity to report in October.
Update (01 Oct 2018): Here you go. I'll start describing the stamp issues chronologically as they were issued from July onward. The stamp on ICAI - the organization dealing with certified accountants was nicely designed by one of my favorite stamp artists, Kamleshwar Singh. The stamp design clearly elucidates the role of ICAI and that occasion for issuance. It was issued in New Delhi by the President of India to celebrate 70 years of the institute. Will a stamp be issued on the Company Secretary Institute's golden jubilee as well?
Next was a stamp on the 90th birth anniversary of classical singer M. L. Vasanthakumari of the Carnatic music tradition. She was one among the trinity of modern Carnatic singers - other two being M. S. Subbulakshmi and D. K. Pattammal, both were earlier seen on stamps from 2005 and 2014, respectively. Sankha Samanta designed the stamp that was issued in Chennai Music Academy by India's defense minster and MoS Communications. Carnatic musician Sudha Raghunathan led the efforts to get the stamp proposal approved and issued. I remember Ms. Raghunathan also being present at the event for M. S. Subbulakshmi stamp release event at United Nations as well. Well done, madam.
The stamp on Damodar Hari Chapekar, freedom fighter from Pune was issued by the Speaker of Lok Sabha. This stamp along with one on Rajkumar Shukla were prematurely available in some post offices and I've seen several examples of these stamps being used on cover before official issue date. Surprisingly, the stamp on Rajkumar Shukla is yet to be issued and is being freely sold on eBay. I wish the stamp on Chapekar was issued as one that included all three Chapekar brothers and not just the elder one. Their heroic fight against the British rule was a combined effort and it would've been best to recognize them together, as previously done for Murmu brothers (2002) and Pandiar brothers (2004).
The second joint with South Africa within this year was issued in Johannesburg when the Prime Minister of India was traveling for the 10th BRICS Summit. The stamp sheet celebrates the birth centenary of Nelson Mandela and 125th year of Mahatma Gandhi's Pietermarizburg Station Incident. I've posted additional details for this and other joint issues with South Africa here, but here's another point to note. India Post's souvenir sheet for this issue is the size of regular printer paper, which is almost four times the size of South African sheet. I've also noted comments on Twitter about poor paper quality used by SPP Hyderabad. I really hope miniature sheet size is reduced in the future to make them aesthetically pleasing and friendly for stamp collection albums and stock sheets.
Hepatitis B and C are the major types of hepatitis and these two infections may not show for a long period. Timely testing and treatment are required to overcome potential threats from the disease. On World Hepatitis Day (28th July), India Post launched a stamp to create awareness about a new federal government program on Viral Hepatitis Control. The stamp deigned by Suresh Kumar shows a pair of hands acting as a protection for the liver and graphics depicting treatment and hygiene in the bottom half of the stamp.
August began with a set of stamps being issued on National Handloom Day (7th August). A well designed issue, again by Kamleshwar Singh, showed five textiles/products that have Geographical Indication registrations. Textiles/products included were Baluchari saree, Kashmir Pashmina, Ikat, Pochampally and Bhagalpur silk. The dedication ceremony was held in Jaipur, where the main event for Handloom Day was held. Initially the Textile minister, MoS Communications and Rajasthan Chief Minister were to attend, but none of them showed up and instead MoS Textiles came late for a brief stopover. So much, for weavers and artists.
India Post had solicited entries for a photography competition in June and July to showcase some holiday destinations in the country. Several thousand pictures were received and a two stamps along with a miniature sheet were issued on Independence Day (15th August). Crowdsourcing for ideas including the ones on stamps has been a consistent feature of this federal government and is a welcome change. The only gripe with these stamps was the denominations being high for no apparent reason and no mention of the actual placed shown on the stamps and philatelic products.
The stamp on Patna University, which was originally planned for issuance in January/February was finally released by HRD Minister in the centenary closing event in Patna on 25th August. Brahm Prakash designed the stamp exactly the same way as the one on Banaras Hindu University stamp last year - by creating a collage of university buildings. I don't mind this style, but once was enough. Anyways, this is an important school, and the stamp was worth the wait.
Finally, the much delayed joint stamp issue with Armenia was dedicated at an event in Yerevan on 29th August. After the delay in March and June, I was informed by the HayPost staff about a late-August release, and that turned out to be true. I was surprised to see that the Armenian dance form was changed last minute and that resulted in India Post having to redo its first day cover as well. The original plan was to include Manipuri and Berd dances, but eventually Aremnia decided to go with Hov Arek instead of Berd. I've posted details for the joint stamps here, go check it out.
That covers July and August commemorative stamps. I'll post more details for September issues as well as all the MyStamps shortly.
Update (30 Sep 2018): I know its been three months since this post was last updated, but I've been busy at work; also thinking of a couple of better ways to organize future stamp subjects and the BetterPhilately wish list. So here's the path I have in mind: I will continue to share information about the current and announced issues in individual posts, but maintain a separate post for wish list and another one for stamp proposals that have been submitted to India Post and may be considered pending. I have a list of over 500 stamp proposals that were given to India Post over the last decade. These can eventually all be categorized as dead proposals or the ones that still have potential. I will start doing this within 2018. Here's a quick list of stamps that were issued from July to September. I'll come back later and add some interesting details or anecdotes for each of the issues.
India Post Commemorative Stamps in Jul-Sep 2018:
01 Jul - The Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (70th Year)
03 Jul - M. L. Vasanthakumari
08 Jul - Damodar Hari Chapekar
26 Jul - India-South Africa: Joint Issue (Mahatma Gandhi & Nelson Mandela)
28 Jul - National Viral Hepatitis Control Program
07 Aug - Handlooms of India - Geographical Indication registered (5 designs)
15 Aug - Holiday Destinations in India (2 designs)
25 Aug - Patna University (1917-2017)
29 Aug - India-Armenia: Joint Issue (Manipuri and Hov Arek dances)
03 Sep - Martyr Mahadevappa Maliar
15 Sep - India-Serbia: Joint Issue (Swami Vivekananda and Nikola Tesla)
15 Sep - Hislop College, Nagpur
23 Sep - Sant Ganinath
India Post Personalized MyStamps in Jul-Sep 2018:
07 Jul - MyStamp - Zodiac Signs (12 sheetlets)
09 Jul - MyStamp - 'The Ridge' Shimla, Himachal Pradesh
15 Aug - MyStamp - Kurinji
Aug - MyStamp - Victoria Memorial, Kolkata
India Post Customized MyStamps in Jul-Sep 2018:
11 Jul - MyStamp - Christ (Deemed to be University), Bangalore, India
01 Aug - MyStamp - Paper Day (1st August)
24 Aug - MyStamp - Lilavati Hospital (Purple background)
24 Aug - MyStamp - Lilavati Hospital (Blue background)
07 Sep - MyStamp - Ashok Leyland - Ennore Plant (70 Years)
18 Sep - MyStamp - Karma Parab
Stamps Approved for Issuance
Thematic Issues
Aquaculture
Aquaculture
Birds: Endangered & Critically Endangered
Boats of India
Bridal Costumes of India
Four Dhamas (Char Dham)
Bridal Costumes of India
Four Dhamas (Char Dham)
Fragrant Stamps (Chocolate, Strawberry)
Historical Gates of Indian Forts
Historical Gates of Indian Forts
Indian Perfume
Jataka Tales
Mangalyan
Mehandi (Lawsona inermis)
Minerals of India
Musical Instruments (Chimta, Dotara, Ektara, Khartal, Tumbi)
Palace on Wheels
Puppets
Minerals of India
Musical Instruments (Chimta, Dotara, Ektara, Khartal, Tumbi)
Palace on Wheels
Puppets
Shaktipeeth Temples (Kalighat, Kamkhya, Meenakshi, Vaishno Devi)
Terracotta Temples of India
Traditional Embroideries of India
Tribes of India
Traditional Embroideries of India
Tribes of India
Wildlife – Flora & Fauna
Other Issues
Aga Khan Foundation
Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (60 Years)
Eastern Naval Command (50 Years)
HMS Minden & HMS Trincomalee (1810-1811)
India’s Participation in World War I
Induction of Pilatus PC-7 Mk II
University of Mysore
Personalities
Acharya Bodhihdharma & Efflorescence of Zen Culture
Acharya Konda Laxman Bapuji
Bhairon Singh Shekhawat
Dr. B. P. Radhakrishna
Gaurishankar Govardhan Joshi 'Dhumketu'
Girdharilal Bhargava
Lala Thunthee Mull
M. Balamuralikrishna
Bhairon Singh Shekhawat
Dr. B. P. Radhakrishna
Gaurishankar Govardhan Joshi 'Dhumketu'
Girdharilal Bhargava
Lala Thunthee Mull
M. Balamuralikrishna
Pandit Savai Gandharva
Professor Ram Chand Paul
Raja Todarmal
Sant Pipaji Maharaj
Swami Karpatri Ji
Vedanta Desikan
Stamps Issued from the approved proposals
150th Birth Anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi (02 October)
3rd Battalion Rajputana Rifles (03 November)
Children's Day - Communal Harmony (14 November)
Utkal University - 75 Years (27 November)
Odisha Men's Hockey World Cup Bhubaneswar 2018 (27 November)
Ustad Sabri Khan (13 December)
Rajkumar Shukla (18 December)
Gulabrao Maharaj (19 December)
Kakaji & Pappaji Maharaj (28 December)
Maharaja Suheldev (29 December)
Paika Rebellion (24 December)
UNESCO Heritage Sites (29 December)
Indian Fashion Industry (31 December)
Professor Ram Chand Paul
Raja Todarmal
Sant Pipaji Maharaj
Swami Karpatri Ji
Vedanta Desikan
Stamps Issued from the approved proposals
150th Birth Anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi (02 October)
3rd Battalion Rajputana Rifles (03 November)
Children's Day - Communal Harmony (14 November)
Utkal University - 75 Years (27 November)
Odisha Men's Hockey World Cup Bhubaneswar 2018 (27 November)
Ustad Sabri Khan (13 December)
Rajkumar Shukla (18 December)
Gulabrao Maharaj (19 December)
Kakaji & Pappaji Maharaj (28 December)
Maharaja Suheldev (29 December)
Paika Rebellion (24 December)
UNESCO Heritage Sites (29 December)
Indian Fashion Industry (31 December)
Friday, September 14, 2018
Armenia-India Joint Stamp Issue (2018)
Armenia Post issued the stamps in a sheetlet of 5 se-tenant pairs. HayPost's website stamps.am is selling singles and sheetlets, albeit higher than face value price, which is quite surprising. FDCs have been printed, in an unknown quantity and are not available on their website. Armenian FDCs show Etchmiadzin Cathedral and Taj Mahal. India Post on the other hand printed both the stamps in individual sheets of 45 stamps each, along with a miniature sheet with both the stamps. Suresh Kumar Achari and Vahagn Mkrtchyan designed the stamps for their respective postal administrations.
Hay Post issued 40,000 stamps of each design (280 Armenian Dram each), printed at Cartor Security Printing in France. Indian stamps were printed in SPP, Hyderabad (5 Rupees and 25 Rupees denomination), but print quantity details are still awaited - I will add it here once I get my hands on a brochure.
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| Indian miniature sheet showing two stamps from the Armenia-India joint stamp issue |
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| Armenian stamps from the Armenia-India: Joint Issue (2018) |
Links to Youtube videos: Hov Arek and Manipuri
Update (07 Jul 2018): First day covers for the Indian version of this stamp have been printed and appear to depict Jagoi Manipuri dance from India and Berd from Armenia (like I had predicted in January this year). This issue has been delayed several times and the from the last update, HayPost Armenia indicated they are trying to get it done in August 2018. Let's see where this ends up. Looking forward to a good stamp design.
Update (21 Jan 2018): Just to be clear, the currently proposed date for issuance is 21st March 2018.
Original Post (17 Jan 2018): I've been trying to get details for the joint stamp issue between India and Armenia over the last year and a half. This stamp issue was discussed in bilateral meetings since 2016 and will likely materialize this year. I've been able to confirm from Haypost and India Post that the theme for this joint issue will be Dances. In the recent past, India has used dance as a subject for joint issues with Cyprus (2006), Mexico (2010), Portugal (2017) and Russia (2017). It would have been nice to see some more creativity from the India Post officials to find similarities between the two cultures and then select a subject. All these Indian dance forms can easily be commemorated on a separate set of stamps dedicated to Dances of India.
Diplomatic contact between Armenia and India were established in 1992 and the stamp issue will likely celebrate 25 years of this relationship. The joint stamp is currently scheduled for issuance in third week of March 2018, but I will confirm this as soon as additional information is available.
Possible Armenian Dance forms: Kochari, Berd or Trahag
Any guesses for Indian Dance forms?
Sunday, January 28, 2018
India Post Stamp Subjects for 2017 (Jul-Dec 2017) - Archived
Update on 28 Jan 2018: This will be final addition to this post for last year. I'd been meaning to write a few details for three stamp issues from December. The first one was the joint issue between Papua New Guinea & India. I have another post on this joint issue, which can be found here. The stamp issue was on the theme of National Birds of both the countries and was overall well designed, but poorly planned execution. This joint issuance had been in works for over two years and India Post kept delaying for unknown reasons. Stamps for both the countries were printed at the Security Printing Press, Hyderabad and PNG Post had a hard time locating some of the stamp supply boxed sent to Port Moresby from India. Given that the stamps were already printed, and no proper release event was organized, India Post decided to issue the stamp on 30th December, before the year was over and the stamps would have had to be re-printed. The print quantity of the Indian stamp is quite low (0.21 Million stamps each) and if I may suggest, a full pane of 45 stamps for both the denomination may be a good buy for the future.
Two other stamp sets, one on Stepwells and the other one on Indian Hand Fans were hurriedly issued in December as well. The Hand Fan stamps were printed and were illegally being sold on eBay since September. So it was no surprise that the stamps were put for sale before 2017 was over. Jatin Das who owns a vast collection of Indian Hand Fans (his collection is called Pankha, which is Hindi for fan) designed the stamps. The entire set of Hand Fans stamps consists of 17 designs. It's a bit confusing, but let me try to explain. The main set comprises of 16 designs (square stamps), and one of these designs is on Embroidered Hand Fan from Gujarat. This same Embroidery Hand Fan stamp is also printed in portrait format in a miniature sheet with just one stamps. That's how a total of 17 designs were designated. One other design, Painted Hand Fan from Rajasthan was also released as a single stamp miniature sheet, but the same stamp is also included in the set of 16 designs. I will be writing more about this issue in details in another post, so do check back on the blog.
The final stamp set that I wanted to mention is the one on Stepwells (or Step Wells) of India. Brahm Prakash designed the stamps (like most other large set of stamps in 2017), which is not among my favorite, because these stamps just use edited images and no new art work to prepare the stamps. This set of stamps also contained 16 stamps, depicting stepwells from different states of India. While I will try to write a separate post on these stamps as well, it's worth mentioning that the stamps were printed in three different formats - a miniature sheet of 16 designs, mixed sheetlets and individual sheetlets. The problem lies with the individual sheetlets because only 3150 sheetlets of each design were printed and one is not able to find this set anywhere in the post offices or ePostOffice. The entire set of sheetlets from 2017, which had the scarce sheetlets as well, were made available for a few days on ePostOffice. As more orders started coming in, the postal officials in all their wisdom combined the 2017 set of sheetlets with the largely unpopular set of sheetlets from 2016 to try sell deadstock. This new combo set has remained for sale for almost two weeks now, with no signs of selling out. So, this brings and end to an uber-expensive year in Republic of India stamps. Here's hoping that 2018 will be better planned, with fewer stamps and lower denominations.
Update on 21 Jan 2018: My apologies for delays in posting details for stamps released in December 2017. I'd mainly been waiting on accurate printing information to share and it took longer than expected. India Post also issued excessive number of stamps in the last week of December and it's been difficult to figure out the basics of collecting all of these issues. Anyways, given the number of stamps issued in the last few weeks, I will likely write this in two parts. First up, see the list of stamps issued in December 2017.
Recent Stamp Issues (November/December 2017)
29 Nov - MyStamp - Brihadeeswarar Temple (Dr. MGR Birth Centenary)
Nov - Happy Anniversary
Nov - Happy Anniversary
Nov - Happy Birthday
Nov - MyStamp - Pushkar Fair
Nov - MyStamp - Dargah Sharif, Ajmer
07 Dec - INS Kalvari (Indian Navy Submarine Arm Golden Jubilee)
08 Dec - MyStamp - NMDC Limited
15 Dec - Centenary of 'Mahasamadhi' of Shirdi Sai Baba
18 Dec - MyStamp - Banarsi Dass Gupta Birth Centenary (1917-2017)
23 Dec - MyStamp - Shri Sai Baba Samadhi, Buti Wada
26 Dec - Dr. Shambhunath Singh
29 Dec - Stepwells (16 designs)
30 Dec - India-Papua New Guinea: Joint Issue (2 designs)
30 Dec - Indian Hand Fan - Embroidery (Gujarat) - 1 design in Miniature Sheet
30 Dec - Indian Hand Fans (16 designs)
31 Dec - Justice Mehr Chand Mahajan
Dec - MyStamp - Indian Space Research Organization
I'd thought November was over, but it turned out that many MyStamp sheets (mostly personalized) were put for sale towards the end of the month. Most of these are not on sale in ePostOffice, reasons for which I don't clearly understand.
The month of December began with a much awaited stamp to celebrate the Golden Jubilee of Indian Navy's submarine arm. The President of India dedicated one stamp on INS Kalvari, in two formats (full pane and sheetlet of 3). The stamp and sheetlet were well designed and it's no surprise that most good designs come from Kamleshwar Singh (and Sankha Samanta often as well). Honestly, there was no need for a sheetlet, it could have been a miniature sheet with single stamp. It was likely a commercial decision, to sell more stamps.
Until the very end of the month, there was long lull of almost three weeks before commemorative stamps were issued again. In the meanwhile, three MyStamps were issued. Its a coincident that all three of the MyStamps were dedicated by the Vice-President of India. The one on 60 years of NMDC was dedicated in Hyderabad on 8th December, whereas the one on Basarsi Dass Gupta and Shirdi Sai Baba were issued on 18th and 23rd December in New Delhi and Shirdi, respectively.
A few personality stamps were also issued in December. The one on Hindi poet and freedom fighter, Dr. Shambhunath Singh was originally scheduled for issuance on 09th November, but MoS Communications, finally issued the stamp in Varanasi in late December. The stamp on Dr. Shivajirao Patwardhan was issued on its scheduled date in Amaravati. I had shared the issue date many months back and it turned out to be accurate. Two other stamps, both nicely designed by Sankha Samanta were issued as well. The stamp on Dadabhai Naoroji was scheduled for issuance much earlier, but after all the delays it was finally dedicated at an event in Ahmedabad. The stamp on Justice Mahajan was the last stamp of 2017, which was issued in New Delhi by the Finance Minister of India.
This leaves some notes about the Stepwells, India-Papua New Guinea joint issue and the Indian Hand Fan stamps. I will try to make time this coming week to post these and close out 2017. Even though, this past year was tremendously expensive and somewhat unnerving for Republic of India collectors, there were many more stamp issues that were discussed and eventually not issued. Many of these have been moved to the forthcoming months and years. I've already posted several details for 2018, and I've moved many of the remaining stamp subjects to that post as well. I can confirm that the MyStamp on BHU/Madan Mohan Malaviya that MoS Communications had promised in June 2017 is not being planned. The stamps on ICAR-CPCRI and Goan Tiatr were likely withdrawn and will be re-printed before release in 2018.
Other stamps like the MyStamp on Indian Journal of Ophthalmology was printed but never put for sale in 2017. Barring this, the stamp on Raja Todarmal and GG Joshi Dhumketu were also not issued. I'll move most of these to the updates for 2018.
Update on 03 Dec 2017: I've waited a few days for India Post to share information for forthcoming stamp issues in December, but given their slowness, here's the update from November, including possible stamps that could be released in the last month of this year.
The first stamp was issued on 01st November in Bengaluru to commemorate a Kannada poet, a Telugu poet and a temple in Andhra Pradesh. Even though, I was unable to establish any connection between the three stamps, the designs by Kamleshwar Singh were well planned (as always). Each stamp showed important facets of the subject. Members of Parliament from Karnataka dedicated the stamps, which were originally planned for issuance by a Federal Cabinet Minister (Ananth Kumar).
Then came a mega stamp issue, the largest set of stamps this year celebrating Indian food. The Prime Minister of India dedicated a miniature sheet containing 24 stamps showing popular Indian dishes on 03rd November at World Food India Conference in New Delhi. Foods shown on the stamps were randomly picked from all over the country and categorized in four groups. This mega stamp issue also consisted of four more miniature sheets (6 stamps each) and four sheetlets (24 stamps each). I've listed the dishes on the stamps below.
Two other stamps that were known before, Children's Day and Mahabharat were issued in November as well. Two stamps and two miniature sheets (each Rs 15) were issued on Nest theme to celebrate Children's Day. Honestly, these crowdsourced stamps have become excessive each year, and I wish this would be limited to one design and smaller denominations. The second mega stamp issue this past month was the one to commemorate another Indian epic, Mahabharat. Bharati Mirchandani designed three miniature sheets in collaboration with Santok Ba, Lakshmikanta Dash and Meena Mani. The stamps were dedicated at a conference on Bhagvad Gita in Kurukshetra by MoS Communications and Governor of Haryana on 27th November. If I can get clear images of the stamps, a blog dedicated to the Mahabharat and Ramayana stamps designs can be easily written for the readers.
As has been the trend over the last few months, several MyStamp sheetlets, consisting of two personalized sheetlets on Vaishno Devi Temple and Wedding wishes as well as two customized sheetlets on NBCC (India) Limited and Maluti Terracotta temples were released. The Vaishno Devi stamp was released by the Governor of Jammu & Kashmir in Jammu, the NBCC stamp by MoS Communications in New Delhi and the Maluti temples sheet by the President of India in Ranchi. Even though the customized sheetlets have been put on sale, the two personalized MyStamps have not been made available on ePostOffice at the time of writing this update. There has been some news about potential MyStamp sheetlets on Ananada Nilayam Vimana (Tirumala) and Sabarimala Temple, but these have not been confirmed.
Recent Stamp Issues
01 Nov - Adikavi Nannaya, Draksharamam Temple and Kavi Muddana
03 Nov - Indian Cuisine (24 designs)
08 Nov - MyStamp - Vaishno Devi Temple
14 Nov - Children's Day: Nest (2 designs)
15 Nov - MyStamp - Terracotta Temples of Heritage Village Maluti (Jharkhand Tourism)
15 Nov - MyStamp - NBCC (India) Limited
17 Nov - MyStamp - Wedding Wishes
27 Nov - Mahabharat (18 designs)
Forthcoming Stamp Issues
07 Dec - Indian Navy Submarine Arm (Golden Jubilee)
12 Dec - Gurishankar Govardhan Joshi 'Dhumketu'
18 Dec - Babu Banarsi Dass Gupta
28 Dec - Dr. Shivajirao G. Patwardhan 'Dajisaheb'
Dadabhai Naoroji
Dr. Shambhunath Singh
Goan Tiatr: 125th Anniversary (2 designs)
India-Papua New Guinea: Joint Issue (2 designs)
Indian Hand Fans (more than 16 designs)
Step Wells of India
Uncertain Stamp Issues
MyStamp - Indian Journal of Ophthalmology
MyStamp - Banaras Hindu University / Madan Mohan Malaviya
Pilatus Induction
Raja Todarmal
Update on 29 Oct 2017: First off, some updates for the next several weeks. India Post has yet to issue several stamps like Mahabahrat, Hand Fans, Step Wells, India-Papua New Guinea joint issue and other personalities and there are only two months left in the calendar year. The next two months could turn out to be quite expensive, so be prepared to shell out a few thousand bucks to keep the collections updated. In early November, India Post will issue stamps on Indian Cuisine, which appears to be a set of 24 designs. Let's see what foods make the cut and what designs are in store for the collectors.
I've also gathered that another joint issue, this one with Armenia, could be released in December and possibly again on the theme of dances. If this comes true, it would be the sixth joint issue this year and the third on dances.
No jumbo stamp issues were released by India Post this month, and that could provide a breather to collectors before the last two months of the calendar year begin. Several of the best designed stamps of the year were released in October; all by Kamleshwar Singh. A stamp on the Silver Jubilee of the Rapid Action Force of the CRPF was issued in Meerut by the Home Minister of India on 07th October. A stamp was also issued to commemorate the centenary of the 3rd battalion of the Kumaon Regiment on the 23rd October. General Bipin Rawat of the Indian Army dedicated this stamp in Pithoragarh, the battalion's home base.
One of the stamp that I had been requesting for issuance was on Nanaji Deshmukh. This stamp was finally issued by India Post on 11th October. The Prime Minister of India dedicated the stamp at a function held in New Delhi.
A beautiful set of two stamps was quietly put for sale to commemorate 70 years of diplomatic relations between India and Russia on 26th October. The stamps depict Bhavai and Beryozka folk dances; one from each country. Russia issued stamps in two designs on the same date, albeit in a different design. Kamleshwar Singh designed these stamps, as well as the ones on Rapid Action Force and 3 Kumaon (Rifles). All these three stamp issues are among the most intricately planned and created. Kudos to the designer for using this medium to truly miniaturize art work and showcase the theme to its full potential.
Two stamps were also dedicated in Mumbai to celebrate 75 years of operations at the Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport. Officials from India Post and the Mumbai Airport took part in the event held on 15th October. This was the same date when JRD Tata flew the first international flight in India from Karachi to Mumbai in 1932. This is when Air India or Tata Airlines was born. The stamps were unimpressive. I was expecting the stamps to show some history and the transition from a military base to the current world-class airport terminal, but instead the stamp designer chose to ignore the history and used glossy images supplied by the current operator to advertise the new terminal. Truly, a wasted opportunity.
Several MyStamp issues were also released over the last few weeks. The Governor of Jharkhand dedicated the MyStamp on Central Institute of Psychiatry in Ranchi. The MoS Communications did the same for the sheetlet on Indian Buildings Congress and the Home Minister of the state of Telangana released the MyStamp on Telangana Police. Given that India Post has settled on Rs 500 for each of these customized MyStamp sheetlets, the cost for collecting all MyStamps is quite exorbitant.
Recent Stamp Issues
07 Oct - Rapid Action Force (25 Years)
10 Oct - MyStamp - Central Institute of Psychiatry, Ranchi
11 Oct - Nanaji Deshmukh
15 Oct - Chharapati Shivaji International Airport, Mumbai (75 Years)
17 Oct - MyStamp - Indian Buildings Congress (Silver Jubilee)
21 Oct - MyStamp - Telangana Police (Police Commemoration Day)
23 Oct - 3 Kumaon (Rifles)
26 Oct - India-Russia: Joint Issue (Bhavai and Beryozka dances)
Forthcoming Stamp Issues
01 Nov - Adikavi Nannaya Bhatta, Draksharamam Temple and Kavi Muddana
03 Nov - Indian Cuisine
09 Nov - Dr. Shambhunath Singh
14 Nov - Children's Day (Theme: Nest)
07 Dec - Indian Navy Submarine Arm (Golden Jubilee)
12 Dec - Gurishankar Govardhan Joshi 'Dhumketu'
28 Dec - Dr. Shivajirao G. Patwardhan 'Dajisaheb'
Dadabhai Naoroji
Goan Tiatr (125th Anniversary)
India-Papua New Guinea: Joint Issue (2 designs)
Indian Hand Fans (more than 16 designs)
Mahabharat (18 designs)
Step Wells of India
Uncertain Stamp Issues
MyStamp - Indian Journal of Ophthalmology
MyStamp - Banaras Hindu University / Madan Mohan Malaviya
Pilatus Induction
Raja Todarmal
Update on 07 Oct 2017: Just a quick update on new India Post stamp issues in October. Several new stamps will be released in the next few weeks. Three of these were previously unannounced. A stamp will be issued on 07th October to commemorate 25 years of the Rapid Action Force, which is a specialized police force of the Central Reserve Police Force in India's Home Ministry. A stamp will also be issued on 23rd October on 100 years of 3 Kumaon (Rifles) regiment of the Indian Army.
A postal stamp will be issued on Nanaji Deshmukh on 11th October to celebrate completion of Nanaji's birth centenary. I've been asking for a stamp issue on this personality on Twitter for over a year now. Glad, it's finally approved.
A set of two stamps will also be issued 15th October to commemorate 75 Years of the International Airport in Mumbai. I've posted the stamp designs on BetterPhilately Twitter feed (see it here). The stamp designs are quite ordinary. Neither of the stamps depict the airport buildings in its entirety, and it's hard for me to believe that despite Kamleshwar Singh and Sankha Samanta being available as designers, but India Post keeps churning out some random stamp art. Let's see if the miniature sheet looks any better.
There will likely be other stamp issues in October, albeit unannounced.
Forthcoming Stamp Issues
07 Oct - Rapid Action Force (25 Years)
11 Oct - Nanaji Deshmukh
15 Oct - Chharapati Shivaji International Airport, Mumbai (75 Years)
23 Oct - 3 Kumaon (Rifles)
08 Nov - Raja Todarmal
14 Nov - Children's Day
07 Dec - Indian Navy Submarine Arm (Golden Jubilee)
12 Dec - Gurishankar Govardhan Joshi 'Dhumketu'
28 Dec - Dr. Shivajirao G. Patwardhan 'Dajisaheb'
Dadabhai Naoroji
Goan Tiatr (125th Anniversary)
India-Papua New Guinea: Joint Issue (2 designs)
India-Russia: Joint Issue
Indian Hand Fans (>16 designs)
Mahabharat (18 designs)
MyStamp - Indian Journal of Ophthalmology
MyStamp - Banaras Hindu University / Madan Mohan Malaviya
Pilatus Induction
Step Wells of India
Update on 01 Oct 2017: September turned out to be quite good with several new issues being dedicated and put for sale. The eagerly awaited stamp set on Ramayana (11 designs) was finally issued on 22nd September by the Prime Minister of India in Varanasi. India Post also sent the stamp set to more than 40 embassies around the world to sell the stamps to the Indian diaspora. Images of the stamps had been in circulation since June this year with several speculated release dates, but what came as a surprise was the issuance of the stamp set in two miniature sheets. The stamp set was printed in a sheet with green selvage and another one with a maroon background. India Post refers to the maroon one as a sheetlet, but that's an incorrect nomenclature. Anyways, the stamps were well designed by Sankha Samanta and printed in ample quantity to reach all collectors.
Two joint issues were dedicated in the last month. I had wondered about this first during the last update. A joint stamp was dedicated on 12th September by the Prime Minister of India and the President of Belarus in New Delhi to celebrate the 25th anniversary of diplomatic ties between the two countries. Both countries issued one stamp with the same design showing the respective national symbols. The stamp design was quite ordinary, similar to what Belarus has been issuing all of 2017, showing national symbols. Given the similarity of other Belarus joint issues, it's safe to assume the stamp was designed in Belarus. India also issued a miniature sheet, designed by Kamleshwar Singh. It depicts the Lotus Temple (New Delhi) and the National Library of Belarus (Minsk). The stamp designer's creativity was clearly visible, and I wish he had designed the stamp as well. This could have easily been among the better designs this year.
The other joint issue was the much awaited one between Canada and India, which was issued on 21st September in New Delhi and Toronto. The two countries had decided in February 2017 to prepare a joint issue on Diwali and keeping the plan unchaged, two stamps, one design each from India and Canada were issued to celebrate the festival of lights. Alka Sharma designed the Indian version and Gerald Querubin of Entro Communications designed the stamp from Canada. What made this joint issue special was the issuance of the Siamese twin miniature sheet - Canada Post printed a souvenir sheet that contains one Indian stamp and a Canadian stamp. India Post had done a Siamese twin issue for the first time in 2015 with Singapore Post. Kudos to the philately team that planned this issue. The only gripe with this stamp set was the Indian design on Diwali. This is the third stamp on Diwali (2008, 2012 and 2017) and could have easily depicted something more stylized or another feature of the festival. Alka Sharma had designed one of the other Diwali stamps (joint issue with Israel in 2012) and there are striking similarities in the Canada joint issue as well. I truly wish Kamleshwar Singh or Sankha Samanta had got this project.
Several days after two MyStamps were quietly released in Tamil Nadu in early-September, I found out that these were part of a series of customized MyStamp sheetlets to celebrate Dr. MGR Birth Centenary. So far, four such sheetlets have been issued (Kancheepuarm, Tiruvallur, Vellore and Nagapattinam districts). I'm curious if the state administration ordered the pre-requisite 5000 for each event or if all the sheetlets were in one order. India Post also put two other MyStamp sheetlets (Mathura Refinery and Sringeri Math) on sale on ePostOffice, but no dedication ceremonies have been held so far.
In other news, the joint issue with Russia is now certain to be issued, either in 2017 or next year, with folk dances being the theme. It would be a nice change if India Post considers a larger variety of topics for these joint issues. Fellow collectors have suggested ideas like monuments, prominent political or sports leaders, famous cuisines etc. and we hope to see a change next time around.
Recent Stamp Issues
03 Sep - MyStamp - Pazhaverkadu, Tiruvallur District (Dr. MGR Birth Centenary)
09 Sep - Vellore Fort (Dr. MGR Birth Centenary)
12 Sep - India-Belarus: Joint Issue - National Symbols
18 Sep - Vulnerable Birds
20 Sep - MyStamp - Nagapattinam District (Dr. MGR Birth Centenary)
21 Sep - India-Canada Joint Issue - Diwali
22 Sep - Ramayana (11 designs)
Sep - MyStamp - Mathura Refinery
Sep - MyStamp - Dakshinamanya Sri Sarada Peetham
Forthcoming Stamp Issues
08 Oct - Pilatus Induction
08 Nov - Raja Todarmal
14 Nov - Children's Day
07 Dec - Indian Navy Submarine Arm (Golden Jubilee)
12 Dec - Gurishankar Govardhan Joshi 'Dhumketu'
28 Dec - Dr. Shivajirao G. Patwardhan 'Dajisaheb'
Chharapati Shivaji International Airport, Mumbai (75 Years)
Dadabhai Naoroji
Goan Tiatr (125th Anniversary)
India-Papua New Guinea: Joint Issue
India-Russia: Joint Issue
MyStamp - Indian Journal of Ophthalmology
MyStamp - Banaras Hindu University / Madan Mohan Malaviya
Step Wells of India
Traditional Indian Hand Fans
Update on 10 Sep 2017: Even though India Post hasn't announced dates for any new stamp issues, I've added a few more possible stamp issues in 2017. The President of Belarus will be visiting India on a state visit on 11-12 Sep 2017. Could the India-Belarus joint issue be dedicated during his visit? Belarus Post has announced issuance of one stamp, but there is no update from India Post.
Forthcoming Stamp Issues
21 Sep - India-Canada: Joint Issue - Diwali
08 Oct - Pilatus Induction
08 Nov - Raja Todarmal
14 Nov - Children's Day
07 Dec - Indian Navy Submarine Arm (Golden Jubilee)
12 Dec - Gurishankar Govardhan Joshi 'Dhumketu'
28 Dec - Dr. Shivajirao G. Patwardhan 'Dajisaheb'
Birds: Vulnerable (Series 2)
Chharapati Shivaji International Airport, Mumbai (75 Years)
Dadabhai Naoroji
Goan Tiatr (125th Anniversary)
India-Belarus: Joint Issue
India-Papua New Guinea: Joint Issue
India-Russia: Joint Issue
MyStamp - Indian Journal of Ophthalmology
MyStamp - Banaras Hindu University / Madan Mohan Malaviya
Ramayana (11 designs)
Step Wells of India
Traditional Indian Hand Fans
Update on 02 Sep 2017: There were no new stamps issued by India Post in July, but there were three commemorative and two MyStamp sheetlets issued in August. The first set of stamps was issued by the President of India to commemorate 75 Years of Quit India Movement. This set of stamps comprised of 8 designs by Sankha Samanta. Personally, eight designs for this event appeared excessive and several images on the stamps were did not appear iconic or necessary. A small set of two stamps could have been enough. After a long hiatus, these stamps were printed at the security press in Nashik, but seemed to have grey tones where black ink should have been used.
India Post had organized a photography competition in July 2017 using the theme 'Beautiful India'. Three images were selected based on the entries received and issued as stamps in 2 designs along with a miniature sheet on 15th August, India's Independence Day. The stamps were quite ordinary with no specific mention of the locations or the photographers details. Other than the Taj Mahal on the miniature sheet, the two stamp designs can be easily mistaken for any other country.
The same day, on 15th August, India Post sprung a surprise with the issuance of stamps in 4 designs on Caves of Meghalaya. Suresh Kumar Achari designed these four stamps, which were issued as individual sheets of 45 stamps and as a miniature sheet as well. The stamps depict four caves of Meghalaya, but the stamp designs are quite hard to comprehend. It could be because photographs of the caves were used instead of paintings and printing quality of the Hyderabad security printing press is poor as well. The theme of these stamps was interesting, but better art direction and printing would have made these high quality products.
Other than these commemorative stamps, two MyStamp sheetlets were also issued. The first one was to celebrate 111 years of Indian Bank and the other one was to celebrate Kancheepuram District, Mahabalipuram Shore Temple and birth centenary of Dr. M. G. Ramachandran. The stamp on Indian Bank was dedicated at a ceremony in Chennai and the one on Kancheepuram was dedicated in Kilambakkam, near Chennai.
Towards the end of August, India Post just gave a vague update on several forthcoming stamp issues and these are listed below. Other than the date for India-Canada Joint Issue stamp on Diwali, no other stamp issue dates are known.
Update on 31 Aug 2017: It's been a couple months since this post was updated, but India Post appeared to be in a hiatus for several weeks in July-August as well. There was not much new information to share. Several new stamp issues are planned for issuance later this year. Here's a quick summary for stamps issued since July 2017. I will provide more details for each issue over the next few days in another update.
Recent Stamp Issues
09 August - 75 Years of 1942 Freedom Movement (Quit India Movement)
15 August - Beautiful India
15 August - Caves of Meghalaya
20 August - MyStamp - Indian Bank
30 August - MyStamp - Shore Temple, Mahabalipuram, Kancheepuram District (Land of Lakes)
Forthcoming Stamp Issues
21 September - India-Canada: Joint Issue - Diwali
Birds: Vulnerable (Series 2)
Chharapati Shivaji International Airport, Mumbai (75 Years)
India-Belarus: Joint Issue
India-Papua New Guinea: Joint Issue
Indian Hand Fans
MyStamp - Indian Journal of Ophthalmology
MyStamp - Banaras Hindu University / Madan Mohan Malaviya
Ramayana (11 designs)
Step Wells of India
Update on 01 Jul 2017: This post will provide updates for India Post stamp issues from July to December 2017. News and information for the first six months can be found here.
Forthcoming Stamp Issues
India-Papua New Guinea: Joint Issue
Ramayana (11 designs)
MyStamp - Indian Journal of Ophthalmology
MyStamp - Banaras Hindu University / Madan Mohan Malaviya
Stamps Approved for Issuance
Two other stamp sets, one on Stepwells and the other one on Indian Hand Fans were hurriedly issued in December as well. The Hand Fan stamps were printed and were illegally being sold on eBay since September. So it was no surprise that the stamps were put for sale before 2017 was over. Jatin Das who owns a vast collection of Indian Hand Fans (his collection is called Pankha, which is Hindi for fan) designed the stamps. The entire set of Hand Fans stamps consists of 17 designs. It's a bit confusing, but let me try to explain. The main set comprises of 16 designs (square stamps), and one of these designs is on Embroidered Hand Fan from Gujarat. This same Embroidery Hand Fan stamp is also printed in portrait format in a miniature sheet with just one stamps. That's how a total of 17 designs were designated. One other design, Painted Hand Fan from Rajasthan was also released as a single stamp miniature sheet, but the same stamp is also included in the set of 16 designs. I will be writing more about this issue in details in another post, so do check back on the blog.
The final stamp set that I wanted to mention is the one on Stepwells (or Step Wells) of India. Brahm Prakash designed the stamps (like most other large set of stamps in 2017), which is not among my favorite, because these stamps just use edited images and no new art work to prepare the stamps. This set of stamps also contained 16 stamps, depicting stepwells from different states of India. While I will try to write a separate post on these stamps as well, it's worth mentioning that the stamps were printed in three different formats - a miniature sheet of 16 designs, mixed sheetlets and individual sheetlets. The problem lies with the individual sheetlets because only 3150 sheetlets of each design were printed and one is not able to find this set anywhere in the post offices or ePostOffice. The entire set of sheetlets from 2017, which had the scarce sheetlets as well, were made available for a few days on ePostOffice. As more orders started coming in, the postal officials in all their wisdom combined the 2017 set of sheetlets with the largely unpopular set of sheetlets from 2016 to try sell deadstock. This new combo set has remained for sale for almost two weeks now, with no signs of selling out. So, this brings and end to an uber-expensive year in Republic of India stamps. Here's hoping that 2018 will be better planned, with fewer stamps and lower denominations.
Update on 21 Jan 2018: My apologies for delays in posting details for stamps released in December 2017. I'd mainly been waiting on accurate printing information to share and it took longer than expected. India Post also issued excessive number of stamps in the last week of December and it's been difficult to figure out the basics of collecting all of these issues. Anyways, given the number of stamps issued in the last few weeks, I will likely write this in two parts. First up, see the list of stamps issued in December 2017.
Recent Stamp Issues (November/December 2017)
29 Nov - MyStamp - Brihadeeswarar Temple (Dr. MGR Birth Centenary)
Nov - Happy Anniversary
Nov - Happy Anniversary
Nov - Happy Birthday
Nov - MyStamp - Pushkar Fair
Nov - MyStamp - Dargah Sharif, Ajmer
07 Dec - INS Kalvari (Indian Navy Submarine Arm Golden Jubilee)
08 Dec - MyStamp - NMDC Limited
15 Dec - Centenary of 'Mahasamadhi' of Shirdi Sai Baba
18 Dec - MyStamp - Banarsi Dass Gupta Birth Centenary (1917-2017)
23 Dec - MyStamp - Shri Sai Baba Samadhi, Buti Wada
26 Dec - Dr. Shambhunath Singh
28 Dec - Dr. Shivajirao G. Patwardhan 'Dajisaheb'
29 Dec - Dadabhai Naoroji29 Dec - Stepwells (16 designs)
30 Dec - India-Papua New Guinea: Joint Issue (2 designs)
30 Dec - Indian Hand Fan - Embroidery (Gujarat) - 1 design in Miniature Sheet
30 Dec - Indian Hand Fans (16 designs)
31 Dec - Justice Mehr Chand Mahajan
Dec - MyStamp - Indian Space Research Organization
I'd thought November was over, but it turned out that many MyStamp sheets (mostly personalized) were put for sale towards the end of the month. Most of these are not on sale in ePostOffice, reasons for which I don't clearly understand.
The month of December began with a much awaited stamp to celebrate the Golden Jubilee of Indian Navy's submarine arm. The President of India dedicated one stamp on INS Kalvari, in two formats (full pane and sheetlet of 3). The stamp and sheetlet were well designed and it's no surprise that most good designs come from Kamleshwar Singh (and Sankha Samanta often as well). Honestly, there was no need for a sheetlet, it could have been a miniature sheet with single stamp. It was likely a commercial decision, to sell more stamps.
Until the very end of the month, there was long lull of almost three weeks before commemorative stamps were issued again. In the meanwhile, three MyStamps were issued. Its a coincident that all three of the MyStamps were dedicated by the Vice-President of India. The one on 60 years of NMDC was dedicated in Hyderabad on 8th December, whereas the one on Basarsi Dass Gupta and Shirdi Sai Baba were issued on 18th and 23rd December in New Delhi and Shirdi, respectively.
A few personality stamps were also issued in December. The one on Hindi poet and freedom fighter, Dr. Shambhunath Singh was originally scheduled for issuance on 09th November, but MoS Communications, finally issued the stamp in Varanasi in late December. The stamp on Dr. Shivajirao Patwardhan was issued on its scheduled date in Amaravati. I had shared the issue date many months back and it turned out to be accurate. Two other stamps, both nicely designed by Sankha Samanta were issued as well. The stamp on Dadabhai Naoroji was scheduled for issuance much earlier, but after all the delays it was finally dedicated at an event in Ahmedabad. The stamp on Justice Mahajan was the last stamp of 2017, which was issued in New Delhi by the Finance Minister of India.
This leaves some notes about the Stepwells, India-Papua New Guinea joint issue and the Indian Hand Fan stamps. I will try to make time this coming week to post these and close out 2017. Even though, this past year was tremendously expensive and somewhat unnerving for Republic of India collectors, there were many more stamp issues that were discussed and eventually not issued. Many of these have been moved to the forthcoming months and years. I've already posted several details for 2018, and I've moved many of the remaining stamp subjects to that post as well. I can confirm that the MyStamp on BHU/Madan Mohan Malaviya that MoS Communications had promised in June 2017 is not being planned. The stamps on ICAR-CPCRI and Goan Tiatr were likely withdrawn and will be re-printed before release in 2018.
Other stamps like the MyStamp on Indian Journal of Ophthalmology was printed but never put for sale in 2017. Barring this, the stamp on Raja Todarmal and GG Joshi Dhumketu were also not issued. I'll move most of these to the updates for 2018.
Update on 03 Dec 2017: I've waited a few days for India Post to share information for forthcoming stamp issues in December, but given their slowness, here's the update from November, including possible stamps that could be released in the last month of this year.
The first stamp was issued on 01st November in Bengaluru to commemorate a Kannada poet, a Telugu poet and a temple in Andhra Pradesh. Even though, I was unable to establish any connection between the three stamps, the designs by Kamleshwar Singh were well planned (as always). Each stamp showed important facets of the subject. Members of Parliament from Karnataka dedicated the stamps, which were originally planned for issuance by a Federal Cabinet Minister (Ananth Kumar).
Then came a mega stamp issue, the largest set of stamps this year celebrating Indian food. The Prime Minister of India dedicated a miniature sheet containing 24 stamps showing popular Indian dishes on 03rd November at World Food India Conference in New Delhi. Foods shown on the stamps were randomly picked from all over the country and categorized in four groups. This mega stamp issue also consisted of four more miniature sheets (6 stamps each) and four sheetlets (24 stamps each). I've listed the dishes on the stamps below.
As has been the trend over the last few months, several MyStamp sheetlets, consisting of two personalized sheetlets on Vaishno Devi Temple and Wedding wishes as well as two customized sheetlets on NBCC (India) Limited and Maluti Terracotta temples were released. The Vaishno Devi stamp was released by the Governor of Jammu & Kashmir in Jammu, the NBCC stamp by MoS Communications in New Delhi and the Maluti temples sheet by the President of India in Ranchi. Even though the customized sheetlets have been put on sale, the two personalized MyStamps have not been made available on ePostOffice at the time of writing this update. There has been some news about potential MyStamp sheetlets on Ananada Nilayam Vimana (Tirumala) and Sabarimala Temple, but these have not been confirmed.
Recent Stamp Issues
01 Nov - Adikavi Nannaya, Draksharamam Temple and Kavi Muddana
03 Nov - Indian Cuisine (24 designs)
08 Nov - MyStamp - Vaishno Devi Temple
14 Nov - Children's Day: Nest (2 designs)
15 Nov - MyStamp - Terracotta Temples of Heritage Village Maluti (Jharkhand Tourism)
15 Nov - MyStamp - NBCC (India) Limited
17 Nov - MyStamp - Wedding Wishes
27 Nov - Mahabharat (18 designs)
Forthcoming Stamp Issues
07 Dec - Indian Navy Submarine Arm (Golden Jubilee)
12 Dec - Gurishankar Govardhan Joshi 'Dhumketu'
18 Dec - Babu Banarsi Dass Gupta
28 Dec - Dr. Shivajirao G. Patwardhan 'Dajisaheb'
Dadabhai Naoroji
Dr. Shambhunath Singh
Goan Tiatr: 125th Anniversary (2 designs)
India-Papua New Guinea: Joint Issue (2 designs)
Indian Hand Fans (more than 16 designs)
Step Wells of India
Uncertain Stamp Issues
MyStamp - Indian Journal of Ophthalmology
MyStamp - Banaras Hindu University / Madan Mohan Malaviya
Pilatus Induction
Raja Todarmal
Update on 29 Oct 2017: First off, some updates for the next several weeks. India Post has yet to issue several stamps like Mahabahrat, Hand Fans, Step Wells, India-Papua New Guinea joint issue and other personalities and there are only two months left in the calendar year. The next two months could turn out to be quite expensive, so be prepared to shell out a few thousand bucks to keep the collections updated. In early November, India Post will issue stamps on Indian Cuisine, which appears to be a set of 24 designs. Let's see what foods make the cut and what designs are in store for the collectors.
I've also gathered that another joint issue, this one with Armenia, could be released in December and possibly again on the theme of dances. If this comes true, it would be the sixth joint issue this year and the third on dances.
No jumbo stamp issues were released by India Post this month, and that could provide a breather to collectors before the last two months of the calendar year begin. Several of the best designed stamps of the year were released in October; all by Kamleshwar Singh. A stamp on the Silver Jubilee of the Rapid Action Force of the CRPF was issued in Meerut by the Home Minister of India on 07th October. A stamp was also issued to commemorate the centenary of the 3rd battalion of the Kumaon Regiment on the 23rd October. General Bipin Rawat of the Indian Army dedicated this stamp in Pithoragarh, the battalion's home base.
One of the stamp that I had been requesting for issuance was on Nanaji Deshmukh. This stamp was finally issued by India Post on 11th October. The Prime Minister of India dedicated the stamp at a function held in New Delhi.
A beautiful set of two stamps was quietly put for sale to commemorate 70 years of diplomatic relations between India and Russia on 26th October. The stamps depict Bhavai and Beryozka folk dances; one from each country. Russia issued stamps in two designs on the same date, albeit in a different design. Kamleshwar Singh designed these stamps, as well as the ones on Rapid Action Force and 3 Kumaon (Rifles). All these three stamp issues are among the most intricately planned and created. Kudos to the designer for using this medium to truly miniaturize art work and showcase the theme to its full potential.
Two stamps were also dedicated in Mumbai to celebrate 75 years of operations at the Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport. Officials from India Post and the Mumbai Airport took part in the event held on 15th October. This was the same date when JRD Tata flew the first international flight in India from Karachi to Mumbai in 1932. This is when Air India or Tata Airlines was born. The stamps were unimpressive. I was expecting the stamps to show some history and the transition from a military base to the current world-class airport terminal, but instead the stamp designer chose to ignore the history and used glossy images supplied by the current operator to advertise the new terminal. Truly, a wasted opportunity.
Several MyStamp issues were also released over the last few weeks. The Governor of Jharkhand dedicated the MyStamp on Central Institute of Psychiatry in Ranchi. The MoS Communications did the same for the sheetlet on Indian Buildings Congress and the Home Minister of the state of Telangana released the MyStamp on Telangana Police. Given that India Post has settled on Rs 500 for each of these customized MyStamp sheetlets, the cost for collecting all MyStamps is quite exorbitant.
Recent Stamp Issues
07 Oct - Rapid Action Force (25 Years)
10 Oct - MyStamp - Central Institute of Psychiatry, Ranchi
11 Oct - Nanaji Deshmukh
15 Oct - Chharapati Shivaji International Airport, Mumbai (75 Years)
17 Oct - MyStamp - Indian Buildings Congress (Silver Jubilee)
21 Oct - MyStamp - Telangana Police (Police Commemoration Day)
23 Oct - 3 Kumaon (Rifles)
26 Oct - India-Russia: Joint Issue (Bhavai and Beryozka dances)
Forthcoming Stamp Issues
01 Nov - Adikavi Nannaya Bhatta, Draksharamam Temple and Kavi Muddana
03 Nov - Indian Cuisine
09 Nov - Dr. Shambhunath Singh
14 Nov - Children's Day (Theme: Nest)
07 Dec - Indian Navy Submarine Arm (Golden Jubilee)
12 Dec - Gurishankar Govardhan Joshi 'Dhumketu'
28 Dec - Dr. Shivajirao G. Patwardhan 'Dajisaheb'
Dadabhai Naoroji
Goan Tiatr (125th Anniversary)
India-Papua New Guinea: Joint Issue (2 designs)
Indian Hand Fans (more than 16 designs)
Mahabharat (18 designs)
Step Wells of India
Uncertain Stamp Issues
MyStamp - Indian Journal of Ophthalmology
MyStamp - Banaras Hindu University / Madan Mohan Malaviya
Pilatus Induction
Raja Todarmal
A postal stamp will be issued on Nanaji Deshmukh on 11th October to celebrate completion of Nanaji's birth centenary. I've been asking for a stamp issue on this personality on Twitter for over a year now. Glad, it's finally approved.
A set of two stamps will also be issued 15th October to commemorate 75 Years of the International Airport in Mumbai. I've posted the stamp designs on BetterPhilately Twitter feed (see it here). The stamp designs are quite ordinary. Neither of the stamps depict the airport buildings in its entirety, and it's hard for me to believe that despite Kamleshwar Singh and Sankha Samanta being available as designers, but India Post keeps churning out some random stamp art. Let's see if the miniature sheet looks any better.
There will likely be other stamp issues in October, albeit unannounced.
Forthcoming Stamp Issues
07 Oct - Rapid Action Force (25 Years)
11 Oct - Nanaji Deshmukh
15 Oct - Chharapati Shivaji International Airport, Mumbai (75 Years)
23 Oct - 3 Kumaon (Rifles)
08 Nov - Raja Todarmal
14 Nov - Children's Day
07 Dec - Indian Navy Submarine Arm (Golden Jubilee)
12 Dec - Gurishankar Govardhan Joshi 'Dhumketu'
28 Dec - Dr. Shivajirao G. Patwardhan 'Dajisaheb'
Dadabhai Naoroji
Goan Tiatr (125th Anniversary)
India-Papua New Guinea: Joint Issue (2 designs)
India-Russia: Joint Issue
Indian Hand Fans (>16 designs)
Mahabharat (18 designs)
MyStamp - Indian Journal of Ophthalmology
MyStamp - Banaras Hindu University / Madan Mohan Malaviya
Pilatus Induction
Step Wells of India
Update on 01 Oct 2017: September turned out to be quite good with several new issues being dedicated and put for sale. The eagerly awaited stamp set on Ramayana (11 designs) was finally issued on 22nd September by the Prime Minister of India in Varanasi. India Post also sent the stamp set to more than 40 embassies around the world to sell the stamps to the Indian diaspora. Images of the stamps had been in circulation since June this year with several speculated release dates, but what came as a surprise was the issuance of the stamp set in two miniature sheets. The stamp set was printed in a sheet with green selvage and another one with a maroon background. India Post refers to the maroon one as a sheetlet, but that's an incorrect nomenclature. Anyways, the stamps were well designed by Sankha Samanta and printed in ample quantity to reach all collectors.
Two joint issues were dedicated in the last month. I had wondered about this first during the last update. A joint stamp was dedicated on 12th September by the Prime Minister of India and the President of Belarus in New Delhi to celebrate the 25th anniversary of diplomatic ties between the two countries. Both countries issued one stamp with the same design showing the respective national symbols. The stamp design was quite ordinary, similar to what Belarus has been issuing all of 2017, showing national symbols. Given the similarity of other Belarus joint issues, it's safe to assume the stamp was designed in Belarus. India also issued a miniature sheet, designed by Kamleshwar Singh. It depicts the Lotus Temple (New Delhi) and the National Library of Belarus (Minsk). The stamp designer's creativity was clearly visible, and I wish he had designed the stamp as well. This could have easily been among the better designs this year.
The other joint issue was the much awaited one between Canada and India, which was issued on 21st September in New Delhi and Toronto. The two countries had decided in February 2017 to prepare a joint issue on Diwali and keeping the plan unchaged, two stamps, one design each from India and Canada were issued to celebrate the festival of lights. Alka Sharma designed the Indian version and Gerald Querubin of Entro Communications designed the stamp from Canada. What made this joint issue special was the issuance of the Siamese twin miniature sheet - Canada Post printed a souvenir sheet that contains one Indian stamp and a Canadian stamp. India Post had done a Siamese twin issue for the first time in 2015 with Singapore Post. Kudos to the philately team that planned this issue. The only gripe with this stamp set was the Indian design on Diwali. This is the third stamp on Diwali (2008, 2012 and 2017) and could have easily depicted something more stylized or another feature of the festival. Alka Sharma had designed one of the other Diwali stamps (joint issue with Israel in 2012) and there are striking similarities in the Canada joint issue as well. I truly wish Kamleshwar Singh or Sankha Samanta had got this project.
Several days after two MyStamps were quietly released in Tamil Nadu in early-September, I found out that these were part of a series of customized MyStamp sheetlets to celebrate Dr. MGR Birth Centenary. So far, four such sheetlets have been issued (Kancheepuarm, Tiruvallur, Vellore and Nagapattinam districts). I'm curious if the state administration ordered the pre-requisite 5000 for each event or if all the sheetlets were in one order. India Post also put two other MyStamp sheetlets (Mathura Refinery and Sringeri Math) on sale on ePostOffice, but no dedication ceremonies have been held so far.
In other news, the joint issue with Russia is now certain to be issued, either in 2017 or next year, with folk dances being the theme. It would be a nice change if India Post considers a larger variety of topics for these joint issues. Fellow collectors have suggested ideas like monuments, prominent political or sports leaders, famous cuisines etc. and we hope to see a change next time around.
Recent Stamp Issues
03 Sep - MyStamp - Pazhaverkadu, Tiruvallur District (Dr. MGR Birth Centenary)
09 Sep - Vellore Fort (Dr. MGR Birth Centenary)
12 Sep - India-Belarus: Joint Issue - National Symbols
18 Sep - Vulnerable Birds
20 Sep - MyStamp - Nagapattinam District (Dr. MGR Birth Centenary)
21 Sep - India-Canada Joint Issue - Diwali
22 Sep - Ramayana (11 designs)
Sep - MyStamp - Mathura Refinery
Sep - MyStamp - Dakshinamanya Sri Sarada Peetham
Forthcoming Stamp Issues
08 Oct - Pilatus Induction
08 Nov - Raja Todarmal
14 Nov - Children's Day
07 Dec - Indian Navy Submarine Arm (Golden Jubilee)
12 Dec - Gurishankar Govardhan Joshi 'Dhumketu'
28 Dec - Dr. Shivajirao G. Patwardhan 'Dajisaheb'
Chharapati Shivaji International Airport, Mumbai (75 Years)
Dadabhai Naoroji
Goan Tiatr (125th Anniversary)
India-Papua New Guinea: Joint Issue
India-Russia: Joint Issue
MyStamp - Indian Journal of Ophthalmology
MyStamp - Banaras Hindu University / Madan Mohan Malaviya
Step Wells of India
Traditional Indian Hand Fans
Update on 10 Sep 2017: Even though India Post hasn't announced dates for any new stamp issues, I've added a few more possible stamp issues in 2017. The President of Belarus will be visiting India on a state visit on 11-12 Sep 2017. Could the India-Belarus joint issue be dedicated during his visit? Belarus Post has announced issuance of one stamp, but there is no update from India Post.
Forthcoming Stamp Issues
21 Sep - India-Canada: Joint Issue - Diwali
08 Oct - Pilatus Induction
08 Nov - Raja Todarmal
14 Nov - Children's Day
07 Dec - Indian Navy Submarine Arm (Golden Jubilee)
12 Dec - Gurishankar Govardhan Joshi 'Dhumketu'
28 Dec - Dr. Shivajirao G. Patwardhan 'Dajisaheb'
Birds: Vulnerable (Series 2)
Chharapati Shivaji International Airport, Mumbai (75 Years)
Dadabhai Naoroji
Goan Tiatr (125th Anniversary)
India-Belarus: Joint Issue
India-Papua New Guinea: Joint Issue
India-Russia: Joint Issue
MyStamp - Indian Journal of Ophthalmology
MyStamp - Banaras Hindu University / Madan Mohan Malaviya
Ramayana (11 designs)
Step Wells of India
Traditional Indian Hand Fans
Update on 02 Sep 2017: There were no new stamps issued by India Post in July, but there were three commemorative and two MyStamp sheetlets issued in August. The first set of stamps was issued by the President of India to commemorate 75 Years of Quit India Movement. This set of stamps comprised of 8 designs by Sankha Samanta. Personally, eight designs for this event appeared excessive and several images on the stamps were did not appear iconic or necessary. A small set of two stamps could have been enough. After a long hiatus, these stamps were printed at the security press in Nashik, but seemed to have grey tones where black ink should have been used.
India Post had organized a photography competition in July 2017 using the theme 'Beautiful India'. Three images were selected based on the entries received and issued as stamps in 2 designs along with a miniature sheet on 15th August, India's Independence Day. The stamps were quite ordinary with no specific mention of the locations or the photographers details. Other than the Taj Mahal on the miniature sheet, the two stamp designs can be easily mistaken for any other country.
The same day, on 15th August, India Post sprung a surprise with the issuance of stamps in 4 designs on Caves of Meghalaya. Suresh Kumar Achari designed these four stamps, which were issued as individual sheets of 45 stamps and as a miniature sheet as well. The stamps depict four caves of Meghalaya, but the stamp designs are quite hard to comprehend. It could be because photographs of the caves were used instead of paintings and printing quality of the Hyderabad security printing press is poor as well. The theme of these stamps was interesting, but better art direction and printing would have made these high quality products.
Other than these commemorative stamps, two MyStamp sheetlets were also issued. The first one was to celebrate 111 years of Indian Bank and the other one was to celebrate Kancheepuram District, Mahabalipuram Shore Temple and birth centenary of Dr. M. G. Ramachandran. The stamp on Indian Bank was dedicated at a ceremony in Chennai and the one on Kancheepuram was dedicated in Kilambakkam, near Chennai.
Towards the end of August, India Post just gave a vague update on several forthcoming stamp issues and these are listed below. Other than the date for India-Canada Joint Issue stamp on Diwali, no other stamp issue dates are known.
Update on 31 Aug 2017: It's been a couple months since this post was updated, but India Post appeared to be in a hiatus for several weeks in July-August as well. There was not much new information to share. Several new stamp issues are planned for issuance later this year. Here's a quick summary for stamps issued since July 2017. I will provide more details for each issue over the next few days in another update.
Recent Stamp Issues
09 August - 75 Years of 1942 Freedom Movement (Quit India Movement)
15 August - Beautiful India
15 August - Caves of Meghalaya
20 August - MyStamp - Indian Bank
30 August - MyStamp - Shore Temple, Mahabalipuram, Kancheepuram District (Land of Lakes)
Forthcoming Stamp Issues
21 September - India-Canada: Joint Issue - Diwali
Birds: Vulnerable (Series 2)
Chharapati Shivaji International Airport, Mumbai (75 Years)
India-Belarus: Joint Issue
India-Papua New Guinea: Joint Issue
Indian Hand Fans
MyStamp - Indian Journal of Ophthalmology
MyStamp - Banaras Hindu University / Madan Mohan Malaviya
Ramayana (11 designs)
Step Wells of India
Update on 01 Jul 2017: This post will provide updates for India Post stamp issues from July to December 2017. News and information for the first six months can be found here.
Forthcoming Stamp Issues
India-Papua New Guinea: Joint Issue
Ramayana (11 designs)
MyStamp - Indian Journal of Ophthalmology
MyStamp - Banaras Hindu University / Madan Mohan Malaviya
Stamps Approved for Issuance
Aquaculture
Birds: Endangered &
Critically Endangered
Boats of India
Bridal Costumes of India
Central Plantation Crops Research Institute (ICAR)
Four Dhamas (Are these Char Dhams?)
Bridal Costumes of India
Central Plantation Crops Research Institute (ICAR)
Four Dhamas (Are these Char Dhams?)
Fragrant Stamps (Chocolate, Strawberry)
Goan Tiatr
Historical Gates of Indian Forts
Holiday Destinations
India’s Participation in World War I
India-Armenia: Joint Issue
Indian Fashion Industry
Historical Gates of Indian Forts
Holiday Destinations
India’s Participation in World War I
India-Armenia: Joint Issue
Indian Fashion Industry
Indian Perfume
Jataka Tales
Jataka Tales
Mangalyan
Mehandi (Lawsona inermis)
Minerals of India (Innovative)
Musical Instruments (Chimta, Dotara, Ektara, Khartal, Tumbi)
Palace of Wheels
Pilatus Induction
Puppets
Minerals of India (Innovative)
Musical Instruments (Chimta, Dotara, Ektara, Khartal, Tumbi)
Palace of Wheels
Pilatus Induction
Puppets
Shaktipeeth Temples (Kalighat,
Kamkhya, Meenakshi, Vaishno Devi)
Solar System
Terracotta Temples of India
Traditional Embroideries of India (Innovative)
Tribes of India
Terracotta Temples of India
Traditional Embroideries of India (Innovative)
Tribes of India
UNESCO Heritage Sites
University of Mysore
Wildlife – Flora & Fauna
University of Mysore
Wildlife – Flora & Fauna
Acharya Bodhihdharma &
Efflorescence of Zen Culture
Acharya Konda Laxman Bapuji
Bhupesh Gupta
D. Devaraj Urs
Gaurishankar Govardhan Joshi
Acharya Konda Laxman Bapuji
Bhupesh Gupta
D. Devaraj Urs
Gaurishankar Govardhan Joshi
Jyoti Basu
Lala Thunthee Mull
M. Balamuralikrishna
O. P. Jindal
Raja Todarmal
Sant Pipaji Maharaj
M. Balamuralikrishna
O. P. Jindal
Raja Todarmal
Sant Pipaji Maharaj
BetterPhilately Wish List
Amritlal Nagar
Amritlal Nagar
B. D. Jatti
Balasaheb Thackarey
Balasheb Deoras
Chinmayananda Saraswati (1916-1993)
Dr. Muthulakshmi Reddy
Eknath Ranade
Gopal Swarup Pathak
I. K. Gujral
J. Jayalalithaa
K. R. Narayanan
Khushabhau Thakre (1922-2003)
Mohammad Hidayatullah
N. Sanjeeva Reddy
P. V. Narasimha Rao
Shivmangal Singh Suman
Siyaram Sharan Gupt
Swami Abhedananda
V. P. Singh
100 Years of Kheda Movement
Auroville (Golden Jubilee)
Bhandarkar Oriental Research
Institute
Bishop Cotton School, Bengaluru
Bombay Scottish School, Mumbai
Dayalbagh
Gir Wildlife Sanctuary
Human Organ Donation Awareness
Programme
Lions International Centenary
Presidency University, Kolkata
Stamps Issued from the Approved
List
350th Anniversary of Guru Gobind Singh
India-Portugal: Joint Issue
Samrat Vikarmaditya
Headgears of India
Beetles of India
Yogoda Satsanga Society of India
The Poona Horse
Means of Transport through Ages
Republic Day (Nature India)
Deekshabhoomi of Dr. B. R. Ambedkar
Eminent Writers: Krishan Chander,
Balwant Gargi, Kummari Molla, K V Puttappa, Bhisham Sahni, Viswanatha
Satyanarayana, Srilal Sukla, Tarigonda Vengamamba
Srimad Ramanujacharya
Jhala Manna
Srimad Rajchandra
Fragrant Stamp (Coffee)
Banaras Hindu University
1942 Freedom Movement
Caves of Meghalaya
1942 Freedom Movement
Caves of Meghalaya
Independence Day - Beautiful India (Photography Contest)
India-Belarus: Joint Issue
Vulnerable Birds
Ramayana
India-Russia: Joint Issue
Kavi Muddana
Nannaya Bhatta & Draksharamam Temple
Indian Cuisine
Stamps Issued from BetterPhilately Wish List
Vulnerable Birds
India-Canada: Joint Issue
India-Russia: Joint Issue
Kavi Muddana
Nannaya Bhatta & Draksharamam Temple
Indian Cuisine
Children’s Day
Mahabharat
Dr. Shivajirao G. Patwardhan
Mahabharat
Dr. Shivajirao G. Patwardhan
Step Wells of India (Rani ki Vav, Agrasen Baoli, Chand Baoli, Adalaj ni Vav, etc.)
Dr. Mehr Chand Mahajan
India-Papua New Guinea: Joint Issue
Traditional Hand Fans
M. G. Ramachandran (Birth Centenary)
Montfort Anglo-Indian Higher Secondary School, Yercaud
100 Years of Champaran Movement
Nanaji Deshmukh
Submarine Arm of Indian Navy (Golden Jubilee)
Nanaji Deshmukh
Submarine Arm of Indian Navy (Golden Jubilee)
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