The year 2014 is Lunar Year of Horse
Happy New Year !!
Shimla January 2014 Vol. VII Issue # 73
Monthly e-Stamp Bulletin Edited by Jeevan Jyoti for free circulation among philatelists
Readers are requested to send reports of philatelic activities in their area for publication. Short write ups by the readers about their journals, societies, publications and philatelic requirements can be sent for inclusion in this bulletin to j.jyoti9@gmail.com and by post to –
Ms. Jeevan Jyoti, c / o Mr. Ajay Srivastav, CCF, GHNP , SHAMSHI, Kullu -175126. (H.P.) India
Note- This bulletin is only for circulation among a limited group of philatelists without any commercial purpose. The bulletin will be sent to the readers only on request. Those who wish to receive it regularly please reply giving the name of your city / country with the subject SUBSCRIBE RAINBOW
Dear Reader,
With the first issue of Rainbow Stamp News of the year 2014 , I wish you all a very Happy and Prosperous New Year.
In the year 2013, total 142 stamps, Miniature sheets and sheetlets were issued. It is the biggest number of stamps issued by India Post so far in a single year . 50 stamps on iconic personalities of Indian Cinema issued by India Post at a time on completing 100 Years of Indian Cinema is also a record. It is a milestone for Indian Philately with such a big number of stamps issued in a calendar year.
Let’s welcome New Year with a hope of some more beautiful issues in the year 2014 on a variety of subjects , more philatelic activities across the country and a good number of philatelic exhibitions and giving a chance to the philatelic community to interact with each other and promote philately in its own way….
This is all for this month…More in next issue…
Happy New Year & Happy Collecting !!
-- Jeevan Jyoti
Contents·
· From the Desk of Naresh Agarwal
· Recent Indian Issues
· In The News
· Beginners’ Section
· Specialized Section
· New Issues from Other Countries
· The Lighter Side
· Reader’s Right
· Philatelic Clubs and Societies
· Editor’s Mail Box
· Blogs & Websites on Philately
· Promotional Section
· Current Philatelic Magazines - Newsletter
IT’S TIME FOR MAKING 4th GENERATION THEMATIC EXHIBIT
It was nice personal conversation over phone with Mr. Madhukar Jhingan, National Commissioner of India Brasiliana 2013, the world Philatelic Exhibition, in Rio de Janeiro in Brazil,a beautiful city of large country of North America who discussed about various aspects of the show. According to him, the exhibition had superb displays with exhibits of high order and philatelists of great sense and was a treat to watch, an open book to learn and enjoy & and a place worth visiting.
We often talk about dark future of philately with the incoming of new technology communication systems in the world which is making life of physical light weight mail harder. Letters are seldom written by hand and email has now taken over at most of the places even surpassing Telex, Fax , and Phonograms where as one has seen that Telegram to has gone back to its shell for ever at least in India.
It was gathered that FIP had conducted a One Day Jury Seminar for philatelists and Training Workshop for judges on Thematic Philately open for all qualified judges and also allowed to be attended by the foreign delegates of other participating countries. The aim with the workshop was to establish the new concept as the FIP Thematic Commission would adopt for training judges. The workshop focused on a limited numbers of judging criteria and work with them "in deep".
In other words the aim of the workshop was to improve the quality of exhibiting viz a viz quality of judging. The program was well organized with different presentations associated with discussions where in different elements of thematic philately were discussed. The jury discussed on three selected exhibits from the ones which were on display at the exhibition and were awarded too. I must say I am lucky enough to be the one of those whose exhibit was selected for necessary discussion by the jury in that workshop. I hope my detailed discussion with Mr. Jhingan will certainly bring good result and fruit for me for bettering my said exhibit on “Mail and Its Movement” as I have been given to understand various aspects of the same had been discussed in detail by the jury during the workshop discussing about the shortcoming in the exhibit and the area where the exhibit needed improvement and the ways to improve. Genuinely this is very highly appreciable move of FIP. This will certainly help exhibitors to improve the quality of exhibits not only in terms of presentation but in other aspects too to make impact on the jury and to make exhibit easy to understand by the common viewer.
It is an imperative for thematic philatelists to know that FIP jury talked about exhibits to be of 2.5G, 3G,4G (G refers to Generation Process) order. Which means, the jury now look forward for exhibits of very high order with write up in proper but short and sweet form and giving statistical data in tabulated / graphical form wherever necessary and possible, usage of high quality display material, new protecting techniques, high order vocabulary to write short, better and knowledge of computer graphics and writing in a far better way and of course variety of philatelic material of highest available quality and extreme rarity & short but well researched thematic and philatelic text..
One must understand that jury at this level has to prepare itself in a far better way to adjudge the exhibit. Jury too has to be well updated in all respects such as philatelically, thematically and postaly. Only few days back, I wrote in one of my mail to Mr. Sandeep Jaiswal of ISC that like “India Study Circle” we should think about formation of “Exhibit Study Circle of India” so that before the exhibits are sent to higher level shows, they are adjudged by the highly experienced philatelists to guide the exhibitor for bettering the same. There are such circles already working at many places of the world but we need it to be in India. We should also think in terms of conducting seminars or workshops to discuss and design the methodology of preparing so called 2.5G,3G,3.5G,4G,… exhibits so that we may perform better in such philatelic shows.
I would like to recall my opinion written on Rainbow where in I showed my serious concern on the results of BRASILIANA 2013 where performance of Indian participants apparently did not appear quite satisfactory in Indian scenario. The reasons may be many. As gathered, when there are talks of 2.5G, 3G, 3.5G, 4G exhibits, certainly we are bound to get lower medals not because the exhibit is of low quality but there is a need of making necessary changes in exhibiting to stand at par with the generation process in progress. Though presentation has only 5 marks but proper presentation gives better impact on other aspects too as it helps the viewer to better understand both the thematic as well as philatelic elements of the exhibit. We can well understand that our exhibit has to be of at least 2 generations ahead. In other words, if we go back to about 2 generations and think upon the methodology of preparing exhibits, reflection of knowledge, completeness of subject, concept, treatment and development of theme; and further the quality of search / research and the variety and rarity of material used, we find that Ist generation exhibiting comprised of just fixing / display of stamps of simple and common topics like animals, birds, ships etc.( so to say topical philately) either on plain sheets or pre-printed albums irrespective of condition, presentation or any information. The period normally spanned from 1920’s to 1940’s. The 2nd generation exhibiting spanned between 1940 to 1970’s which comprised of addition of some text mainly related to the stamps affixed by the exhibitor but no proper placement, no elaboration of thematic or philatelic aspects. The text too written with pen pencil and in whatever way. Paper quality was not of that high standard. The 3rd generation exhibiting spanned between 1970’s to 2000.s when one saw vastly improved exhibits as some new variety of material like cancellations, postal stationery, stamp booklets and covers was used and there was better illustrated text and text placement. Type writers came in to play. It was the time when topical philately turned in to thematic philately. Then came the 3.5G, a little better both in terms of quality and variety of philatelic material with well researched specific text illustrations and then the 4G which required better knowledge, better search and research both thematically and philatelically, usage of even better and more variety of material strictly in line with the storyline in most suitable and befitting manner. It also calls for better development and overall balance of every aspect of exhibit. So to say well advance quality thematic exhibiting.
In all, in the last 15 years, there has been vast change in thematic philatelic exhibiting and the ways to judge such exhibits. There was lack uniformity in past but now there is standardization in every aspect of philatelic exhibiting. There are electronic means to get information and acquire knowledge, there are computers to make presentation better and best utilize the space with the usage of desired font and language and letter style, there is variety of philatelic material which has been searched and so can find place in the exhibit and above all, there are variety of subjects which can be chosen and exhibited. Hence, today is the time of high quality advance exhibits. Comparative analysis with the exhibits world over has too become easy and so the competition so to say has increased calling for betterment and quality in every aspect of exhibiting.
This also calls for a better understanding by the exhibitor of every aspect of his exhibit so that with the same material, a better exhibit may be prepared which calls for change in presentation, shuffling material, changing plan by acquiring more knowledge and slight change in the plan, of course. For sure the same exhibit can get better award by slight changes, if done properly. It is time that we should come forward and discuss on this generation process in thematic exhibiting. Let’s conduct workshops and seminars on this. Let’s write and make philatelists aware of this standard of exhibiting .
- Naresh Agarwal : email : nareshkumar1992@yahoo.co.in
Recent Indian Issues
· 5 November 2013 : Boys’ High School, Allahabad – Rs 5
· 7 November 2013 : Bhartiya Vidya Bhawan – Rs 5
· 8 November 2013 : 50 Years of Indian Academy of Pediatrics – Rs 5
· 11 November 2013 : Central Bureau of Investigation – Rs 5
· 13 November 2013 : 175 years of Times of India – Rs 5
· 14 November 2013 : Sachin Tenulkar – 2 x Rs 20 + MS
· 14 November 2013 : Children’s Day – Rs 5
· 23 November 2013 : Satya Sai Baba – Rs 5
· 23 November 2013 : Intelligence Bureau – Rs 5
· 26 November 2013 : Railway Workshops at Kanchrapara and Jamalpur – Rs 5
· 29 November 2013 : Sashastra Seema Bal – Rs 5
· 1 December 2013 : 50 Years of Nagaland - Rs 5
· 4 December 2013 : INS Vikramaditya - Rs 5
· 5 December 2013 : The visit of Emperor and Empress of Japan – SS – Rs 20
· 10 Decembr 2013 : Indian Institute of Foreign Trade – Rs 5
· 17 December 2013 : Beant Singh – Rs 5
· 23 December 2013 : Shaheed Gulab Singh Lodi – Rs 5
· 27 December 2013 : Eklavya – Rs 5
· 31 December 2013 : Babu Banarsi Das – Rs 5
Recent Special Covers
· 1 November 2013 : Save the Future – Pune
· 13 November 2013 : XXVII National Sub Junior Badminton Championship – 2013, Cuttack
· 9 November 2013 : St. John’s School, Chandigarh
· 9 November 2013 : Trichur Philatelic Exhibition
· 9 November 2013 : Banerji Memorial Club Building
· 18 November 2013 : 25 Years of Commissioned service by TU 142M Aircraft at Arakkonam.- Arakkonam
· 21 November 2013 : JABALIPEX 2013 : St. Aloysius Senior Secondary School, Jabalpur
· 22 November 2013: Stanislaus High School Mumbai
· 23 November 2013 : St. Mary's School, I.C.S.E. Mumbai
· 26 November 2013 Golden Jubilee Celebration of Carmel Girls Higher Secondary School, Thiruvananthpuram
· 7 December 2013 : Golden Jubilee Reunion, National Defence Academy, Khadagwasla, Pune
· 7 Decmber 2013 Shashsan Samrat Jain Acharya Shree Vijay Nemisurji pad Centenary - Ahmedabad
· 11 December 2013 : Special Cover and Cancellation on last sequential date of 21st Century 11.12.13 on 11th December 2013
· 13 December 2013 : Buddha Enlightenment 2556 Years – Kushinagar
· 16 December 2013 : Maulana Azad Institute of Dental Sciences,New Delhi
· 19 December 2013 : MAPPEX 2013 – Bhopal : Princely States of Central India, sponsored by India Post
· 19 December 2013 : MAPPEX 2013 – Bhopal : Gaur reintroduction in Bandhavgarh sponsored by M. P. Forest Department
· 20 December 2013 : MAPPEX 2013 – Bhopal : All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Bhopal, sponsored by AIIMS Bhopal
· 21 December 2013 : MAPPEX 2013 – Bhopal : 4 special Covers on Mandu, Bhimbetka, Orchha and Kanha sponsored by M. P. Tourism Dept
· 22 December 2013 : Shri Govindram Seksaria Institute of Technology and Science (SGSITS)(GSTI), Indore
In The News
Special Cancellation on 11.12.13 at Vadodara and Ahmedabad
A Special Cancellation was provided on 11th December 2013 at Vadodara and Ahmedabad Philatelic Bureau to celebrate one of the last sequential date of 21st Century i.e. 11.12.13. Cancellation depicts Mahatma Gandhi's portrait with message "My Life is my Message".
Special Cover and Cancellation on 11.12.13 at Pune
A Special Cover and two cancellations were provided at Pune on last sequential date of 21st Century i.e. 11.12.13 on 11th December 2013. Special Cover depicts famous Paithani Saree which is considered as one of the richest saris in Maharashtra.
Special Cover and Cancellation on 11.12.13 at Chennai
A private special cover was issued by South India Philatelists' Association to mark last sequential date of 21st Century i.e. 11.12.13 on 11th December 2013. Pictorial cancellation dated 11th December 2013 of Mylapore H. O. was provided on special cover. For further inquiry, readers may contact sipagold@gmail.com
Special Cancellation 'Save Water - Save Life' - 30th December, 2013 - Patna
On the occasion of Water Conservation year, a special cancellation was provided at Patna on 30th December 2013 with bilingual slogan 'Save Water - Save Life'.
India Post launches two new parcel services
New Delhi: India Post on Monday launched two new parcel services, under which it will provide free pick up for orders above Rs.7,500 and cash-on-delivery for consignment value of up to Rs.50,000, with an aim to generate additional revenue of Rs.100 crore in a year.
“Many e-commerce companies have shown interest to use parcel services of India Post. They have been demanding for more value addition to existing parcel service. Hence, we are launching Express Parcel and Business Parcel service,” department of post (DoP) secretary P. Gopinath said while launching the two services -- express and business.
The Express Parcel is an air mail service which will be shipped through airlines, while business parcel will be delivered using surface transport system.
India Post has fixed service charge for Express Parcels in the range of Rs.30 (local service) to Rs.80 (for delivery in other state) for items weighing up toRs.500 gram. It will charge Rs. 8 to Rs.20 for additional 500 gram up to 5 kg andRs.10 to Rs.22 for every additional 500 gm thereafter.
For business parcels, customers will have to pay in the range of Rs.45 toRs.115 for items weighing up to 2 kg, Rs.12 to Rs.30 for additional 1 kg up to 5 kg and Rs.14 to Rs.32 thereafter for every 1 kg. “We expect business of about Rs.100 crore from this service within a year from now,” Gopinath said.
Though Business Parcels will have a nationwide coverage, the Express parcels will be initially available between 20 identified cities—Agra, Bangalore, Bhubaneshwar, Chennai, Delhi NCR, Patna, Guwahati, Hyderabad, Indore, Jaipur, Jammu, Kolkata, Lucknow, Ludhiana, Mumbai, Pune, Parwanoo, Shillong, Surat and Thiruvananthapuram.
Gopinath said that Express Parcel will be expanded across the country by end of 2014 in a phased manner. “These services will be available for all not just for e-commerce companies. There will be free pick up facility for parcels where we can get minimum business of Rs.7,500 from that order. Pick-up services will be initially available for customers who enter into agreement with us,” she said. “Parcels booked under both the services will be delivered at most in 72 hours,” DoP’s director for mail and speed post service Pranav Kumar said.
Postal scheme for wedding invites
ALLAHABAD: One of the biggest worries for someone getting married is timely distribution of invitation cards to loved ones. With the wedding season on, the Department of Posts has come forward to make this task simple and convenient. Director, Postal Services, Allahabad Region Krishna Kumar Yadav said under Business Post Service, Postal Department will not only collect cards from customers from home but also ensure their insertion into envelopes, sealing, address writing and special delivery by charging the lowest possible price.
This service is available in Head Post Offices under the name Business Post. He said Business Post provides 'total mailing solution' to the businesses- from mail preparation to mail delivery
It is a service that manages entire mail-out process, for small businesses as well as large companies. Customers can choose from a range of cost-effective and professional mailing services, including collecting, inserting, sealing, and addressing to meet their specific business needs. In order to speed up the mail delivery, special dispatch direct to destination post office and special delivery arrangements can also be made under Business Post. Regarding wedding invitation cards, Yadav said under this service, either customer may hand over the marriage invitation cards to the postal employee or may have it collected from home itself. Along with invitation cards, the customer will have to provide list of their guests' addresses.
Employees of post offices will insert the card in envelope by sealing and paste/write the specific addresses on each card. He said Business Post handles all business mail processing to make the task easy and convenient for those customers, who are worried for sending their wedding cards. He further added that Department of Posts will charge nominal prices for this service. In case of ordinary post, it will be Rs 1, whereas for registered post it will be Rs 1.80.
Philatelic Exhibitions
BIRDPEX 2014 – International stamp exhibition on Birds
BIRDPEX is an international philatelic exhibition on "birds" that takes place every four years. After Christchurch (New Zealand , 1990), Rosenheim (Germany, 1994), London (United Kingdom, 1998), Leek (the Netherlands, 2002), Nørresundby (Denmark, 2006) and Antwerp (Belgium, 2010), the 7th edition will take place in Poitiers (France)
Every "bird" exhibitor can participate - no qualification needed - in the classes thematic philately, maximaphily, open class, postal history, traditional philately, one frame and youth.
Entry forms and regulations you may find on the website or if you contact the addresses below.
Hope to see you and your exhibit on BIRDPEX 7 and POITIERS 2014 from 1th to 4th of May 2014 in Poitiers !
- The organization committee BIRDPEX
http://philapoitiers2014.online.fr/
Contact :
Jean-Francois Duranceau
2 rue de Berry, 86170 AVANTON (France)
email : jean-francois.duranceau@orange.fr
PHILAKOREA 2014 - World Stamp Exhibition will be held in COEX Hall A, Seoul from 7-12 August 2014.
Website : http://www.philakorea.com/
Mr Surendra A. Kotadia is the National Commissioner for India. He may be contacted at following address.
SURENDRA A. KOTADIA
DIMPLE DRUMS & BARRELS PVT LTD , 1119 MAKER CHAMBER – V ,221 JAMANALAL BAJAJ ROAD , NARIMAN POINT
MUMBAI 400 021 INDIA TELEPHONE + 91 22 22024130/31 MOBILE + 91 98199 03789 FAX + 91 22 22843275
E-MAIL - surendrakotadia@gmail.com
Saudi 2013 - New date for exhibition
Website : http://www.saudi2013.com/
Mr Umesh Kakkeri , the National Commissioner for this exhibition may be contacted at : Email: umesh_kakkeri@hotmail.com (M) +919969571767
Correction
Mr Binod Kumar Jain got 79 Marks for his One Frame Exhibit, “Streamer Service 1882-1904” at Braziliana 2013. His name was missing in the list of winners of BRAZILIANA 2013, published in last issue of Rainbow. The mistake is highly regretted.
Entry of Rainbow Stamp News at BRASILIANA 2013
The Organizing Committee of Brasiliana 2013 is reimbursing the entry fee of the lost entry of Rainbow Stamp News . The entry was found missing at the time of judging so could not be entered in the competition.
Philatelic Exhibition at Thiruvananthapuram
Ananthapuri Philatelic Association, is organising a Philatelic Exhibition at Thiruvananthapuram from 28th February to 2nd March 2014. The venue will be YMCA Hall, Statue, Thiruvananthapuram. The exhibition will remain open from 9.30 am to 7.00 pm on all days.
For more details contact V.Balakrishnan Nair, President,( Mobile No.09446028188) / P.Mohanachandran Nair, Secretary (Mobile No.09387801948) Email:apa.tvpm@gmail.com
EUROPA 2014 Theme
“ National Music Instruments ” is The Theme for Europa 2014 stamps. The last year Europa 2013 was “ The Postman Van ”.
SEPAC 2014 theme
The theme for SEPAC 2014 is Flowers. SEPAC or The Small European Postal Administration Cooperation is an association of 13 European postal authorities. They are Åland, the Faroe Islands, Gibraltar, Greenland, Guernsey, Iceland, the Isle of Man, Jersey, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Malta, Monaco, San Marino and Vatican City. SEPAC is smaller than PostEurop. Luxembourg was not originally a member of SEPAC but it joined at the end of 2006. Also Vatican City joined subsequently.
Artist sues over Lady Liberty stamp mix-up
LAS VEGAS, Nev. - An embarrassing mistake involving a Statue of Liberty stamp could come back to haunt the U.S. Postal Service. The "forever" stamp design released in 2011 was not based on the statue in New York Harbor, as intended, but on a replica outside the New York-New York casino hotel in Las Vegas. Now, the sculptor who made the Lady Liberty of the Las Vegas Strip is suing the government for copyright infringement.
Attorneys for Robert Davidson argue in a suit filed last week that the Sin City statue was more "fresh-faced" and "sultry" than the original. They say these differences led the government to prefer Davidson's statue.A spokesman for the Postal Service did not immediately return calls. The Statue of Liberty in New York Harbor has appeared on more than 20 stamps.
Davidson's attorneys say the Lady Liberty who welcomes weary gamblers has a more feminine form. The original, they say, was just an "inspiration" that provided "loose height, width and depth requirements." The claim notes that Davidson never visited the New York statue while creating his diminutive copy. The two ladies do look unmistakably different. The Las Vegas sister has more stylish hair, and appears to be smirking slightly. Her crown also features a plaque, visible but not legible in the stamp, that reads, "This One's For You Mom."
Davidson's attorneys did not respond to calls from The Associated Press, and it's unclear why the sculptor waited so long to sue.In September, the artist who created the Korean War Veterans Memorial in Washington won a settlement of more than half a million dollars from the Postal Service on similar copyright infringement grounds.The post office selected the close-up photograph of the statue's head and crown from a photography service and did not find out about the error until a stamp magazine ran an expose.
When they were alerted, officials said they still liked the design and had no plans to pull it out of circulation. By late 2011, the Postal Service had already printed more than 5 billion copies of the Las Vegas Lady Liberty forever stamps, according to the complaint.
Auction
Earliest known letter from Hong Kong in the Interasia Auctions
The earliest known letter from Hong Kong will be part of Interasia Auctions large philatelic auction for 2014.The 3,600-lot auction to be held January 11 to 14, 2014, at The Excelsior Hotel, is expected to bring in more than US$7.7 million (HK$60 million).
Interasia holds semi-annual sales of philatelic collectibles with a focus on rare stamps from Hong Kong and mainland China. One of this year’s Hong Kong highlights is the earliest known letter ever sent from the city, estimated at US$32,000 – 38,000 (HK$250,000-300,000).
The well-documented September 9, 1839, letter from missionary Reverend J.R. Morrison to his sister in England was written aboard a ship in Hong Kong’s harbor housing British refugees expelled from Canton at the outset of the First Opium War.
The lengthy letter describes the evacuation of the British refugees from Macau, which had been unwilling to let them remain after their leaving Canton, and notes “the feeling of the Chinese [that the British were] protecting the opium trade.” Written at a time when Hong Kong was little more than a series of villages, the letter was privately carried to Singapore, from where it was sent through to England via India.
Stamp on Philatelic Award
Monaco Post issued a stamp to commemorate the 2013 ASCAT Grand Prix. ASCAT, the worldwide society of the leading publisher of catalogues, albums and magazines for stamp collectors, had chosen to award Count Jacques Rogge the 2013 ASCAT Grand Prix. The Honorary President of the International Olympic Committee received the trophy during the Gala dinner of the exhibition “Monaco Phil 2013″ held from 5th – 7th December 2013.
New Pictorial Cancellation from Germany
On May 2nd , 2014, a new pictorial cancellation will be issued in 20535 Hamburg.The cancellation is featuring a Salmon(Salmon salar) for the "Day of fish" during the philatelic exhibition NORDPOSTA 2014 at Hamburg. Interested philatelists may please contact: Wolfgang Beyer, Vice Chairman of the German Philatelic Collector Group ARGE ZOOLOGIE. Mail: Wolfgang.beyer1@aol.de . Postage rates: 0,75 Euro AIRMAIL, 2,90 Euro Registered AIRMAIL.
MAPPEX-2013 - M. P. State level Philatelic Exhibition
M. P. Postal Circle organized 11th state level Philatelic Exhibition ‘MAPPEX 2013’ from 19th to 21st December at Ravi Shankar Nagar Community Hall, Bhopal. About 300 frames were exhibited in this exhibition. Philatelic Workshop, Letter writing Competition, Philatelic Quiz, Painting Competition etc. were also organized during MAPPEX - 2013. During the exhibition 7 Special Covers were released. Mr. A. P. Srivastava, CPMG (Chairpeson of the Jury), Mr. Dhananjay Desai and Dr. S. P. Gupta were the members of Jury team. Mr. Umesh Kakkeri was an Apprentice Jury. 6 Large Vermeil, 5 Vermeil, 11 Large Silver, 9 Silver, 12 Silver Bronze, 8 Bronze and 20 Diploma were awarded to participants. Question answer session was organized for the exhibitors and it was conducted by Mr. Umesh Kakkeri.
Mr. Sudhir Jain - Thematic (Jainism), Mr. O. P. Kedia - Postal Stationary (Gwalior State Stationary), Mr. Dhirendra Singh Chauhan - Thematic (Mahatma Gandhi), Mr. Arun Bindal - Postal Stationary (FDC of Post Independence Definitive), Mr. Akash Kedia - Gwalior State Cancellations and Mr. Madan Midda - Literature (Year Book of Philately) were awarded Large Vermeil medals. Mr. O. P. Kedia was awarded CM trophy for his exhibit on Postal Stationery of Gwalior state.
Highest Medal for Literature
A literature entry at the recently concluded MAPPEX 2013 exhibition at Bhopal (M.P.), is among the exhibits adjudged winners of the highest medals at the show. “Year Book of Indian Philately” by Madan Middha has been awarded a Large Vermeil at this regional philatelic exhibition held from December 19th to 21st. A total of 6 Large Vermeil, 5 Vermeil, 11 Large Silver, 9 Silver, 12 Silver Bronze, 8 Bronze and 20 Diploma were awarded to participants. Large Vermeil was the highest medal awarded by the learned jury of the show, Year Book was one of the winners of this award. Along with this, the Year Book of Indian Philately has a great track record of winning a medal at every philatelic exhibition it has participated so far.
Literature entries are establishing new records for quite some time. In beginning of 2013 the Rainbow Stamp News won a vermeil at the National Stamp Show INPEX 2013, a record at that time. Winning a large Vermeil at a regional exhibition may not be compared with an international or national award but in spite of this, winning the highest award at a state show is significant. This also reflects the increasing interest and importance of the Philatelic Literature in India.
- Madan Middha
The 4th edition of Stamps of India National Exhibition was held NDMC Convention Centre , New Delhi from 6-8 December 2013.
New philatelic club at Tiruchirapalli
A new philatelic club 'Tiruchirappalli Philatelic Club' has been formed at Tiruchirappalli in November 2013 with the efforts of Mr. M. Nassar who is also one of the founder members of Club In the executive body Dr. Daniel Vincent is a President, Mr. R. Kasinath is a Secretary and Mr. G. Satheesh Babu is a Treasurer of the club. Monthly meeting of the club is scheduled on every 4th Sunday of the Month at Bishop Heber Higher Secondary School, Trichy, 3 PM onwards. Second monthly meeting was held on 22nd December 2013. For more details contact : Secretary: Mr. R. Kasinath (M) +919994162516 : email : kasinath80@gmail.com
Beginners’ Section
World's First Christmas Stamp
Jonathan Dean writes on Great Britain's Lethbridge Herald website, "In 1898 Canada became the first country to issue a postage stamp which had a connection to Christmas. Originally, it was not meant to be a Christmas stamp, but the Postmaster-General of the time, William Mulock, was caught in a dilemma. He had presented the design of a stamp, which displayed a map of the British Empire, to Queen Victoria for her approval. The stamp was to be issued for the inauguration of the Imperial Penny Postage rate."
He goes on to say, "Mulock proposed to issue the stamp to “honour the Prince” (meaning the Prince of Wales) but when Queen Victoria asked him in a displeased manner “what Prince?,” he had to think quickly. “Why, the Prince of Peace, Ma’am,” Mulock replied. Mulock then had the inscription “XMAS 1898″ printed on the bottom of the stamp which has since come to be considered as the world’s first (unofficial) Christmas stamp." Read More…
Specialized Section
Some Remarkable Cancellations and Postmarks – 16
The Northern, Punjab & Bombay Circle Cancellations (Type 8b)
In Type 8b there is a capital letter over the figure framed by the rectangle of the normal type 8b with the following combinations have been seen: “A/35”(Malligaum),”A/52”,”A53”, ”A/64” (Sholapur), “B/52”, “C/53” (Poona Sub-Offices). “U/22” & “U/26 emanating from Kashmir State.Renouf also informs about the existence of 8b cancellations “B/52”, “C/52” &”C/53” for Poona Sub-Offices and “A/23”,”A/35”& “A/85”. He is however not sure about the use of similar cancellations with “ZY” over the numbers “6”, “8”, “12”,“15” & “20” in the early 70’s and “V” over “9” and “Z” over “8”.Jal Cooper reports of further numbers: 2, 3, 7, 8, 9, 19 over the letter “U”. These are however Cooper N0.8f.
18XX Postal stationery cover from Sholapur to Madras QV Half Anna, die obliterated by “A/64” Type 8 cancellation of Sholapur B/S “SHOLAPUR CITY/15 MY” + “1 DELy/MADRAS/MAY 18”
1867 A combination cover with Kashmir State (S87, Laid Paper, Half Anna, Black) with East India adhesive QV/Half Anna, Indian adhesive cancelled by “A/26” at Sialkot, back-stamped “TOO LATE”+”UMRUTSAR/MA 26/1867” & SEALKOT /26 AP/1867”
1868 Two covers originating from the Punjab Circle with “U/9” & “U/26” Type 8b cancellations.
- Dr Avinash B Jagtap : email : abjagtap@hotmail.com
Hindu Gods & Goddesses and Their Vahans
(Part II) : Brahma and Vishnu
In the Hindu pantheon each god and goddess is associated with an animal as a vehicle. Symbolically the vehicles represent the animal energies or qualities or skills which need to be strengthened or sublimated in our lower nature with the help of the divinities who can transform them. The knowledge of vehicles is therefore very useful in knowing which divinity can help us in transforming our inner energies.
In first part of this article by Dr Satyendra Kumar Agrawl, published in Rainbow Stamp News Dec 2013, the vehicles of Shiva and his family were explored. Rest of the two belonging to Hindu Trinity is explored here.- Editor
BRAHMA
Lord Brahma is the Creator of the universe and the first member of the Hindu Trinity that also includes Lord Vishnu and Lord Shiva. He is the creator of life on the earth, who created eleven 'Prajapatis' for fathering the human race. He himself is believed to have taken birth from the navel of lord Vishnu- the Preserver, which emphasizes the closeness of Creation and Preservation. He is said also to be the son of the Supreme Being, Brahman and the female energy known as Prakrti or Maya. The Vedas are attributed to Brahma, and thus he is regarded as the father of dharma. The four faces of Brahma represent the four Vedas. He sits on a lotus which is a symbol of purity, as the lotus usually grows in muddy waters but is untouched by the dirt and mire from which it emerges. So also the true Yogi (one who practices Yoga and is an evolved being), should be unaffected by the world around him.
Lord Brahma himself is believed to have taken birth from the navel of lord Vishnu
As creation is the work of the mind and the intellect, Lord Brahma symbolizes the Universal Mind. From the standpoint of an individual, Brahma symbolizes one's own mind and intellect. Since an individual is naturally gifted with the mind and intellect, he or she may be said to have already realized Brahma. For this reason the worship of Brahma is not very popular among all Hindus. Mythological episodes also exist for non worship of Brahma.
His divine consort is Saraswati, the Goddess of learning and knowledge that provides Lord Brahma with knowledge that is necessary for the process of creation.
Lord Brahma’s divine consort is Saraswati, the Goddess of learning and knowledge
Brahma uses the ‘Hamsa’- a white swan as a vehicle which is known for its unique faculty of separating pure milk from a mixture of milk and water. Hamsa also means ‘pure’ and Lord Brahma himself is sometimes called Hamsa because he can grasp the essence of everything. This conveys the idea that, there is only one Supreme Reality from which the entire universe emanates and Brahma can help us to transform our intelligence, or our ability to discriminate the right from the wrong so that we can select the correct path to achieve salvation.
The bird hamsa is also very beautiful, peaceful and graceful. It is suggestive of the fact that Brahma is the master of all the beauty and grace in the world, and He can help us in our effort to acquire these qualities.
Some references indicate that Brahma's swan carrier is akin to the vimanas (celestial spacecraft) run by mantric hymns, i.e., that Hamsa is a subtle mechanism of this kind, and not a sentient living entity.
Lord Brahma on his vehicle – a Swan
In Thailand, the Lord Brahma images are represented in many places and are highly venerated by Buddhists. Brahma is known for his great boon-giving power.
The ‘Suphanahongse Royal Barge’ has a huge swan carved into its bow as a symbol of the mount of Brahma. The royal barge enforced the image of the king as the equivalent of the trinity of gods known as Trimurti (Vishnu the Protector, Shiva the Destroyer and Brahma the Creator), a symbol that would ensure victory in times of war.
The ‘Suphanahongse Royal Barge’ has a huge swan carved into its bow as a symbol of the carrier of Brahma
SARASWATI
In the “Devi Mahatmya”, Goddess Saraswati is in the trinity of Maha Kali, Maha Lakshmi and Maha Saraswati. In the folklore of Durga Puja in Bengal, Saraswati is considered to be a daughter of Shiva along with her sister Lakshmi and her brothers Ganesha and Karthikeya.
Saraswati is known as a guardian deity in Buddhism who upholds the teachings of Gautama Buddha by offering protection and assistance to practitioners. She is known in Burmese as ‘Thurathadi’ or ‘Tipitaka Medaw’, Chinese as ‘Biàncáitiān’, in Thai as ‘Surasawadee’ and in Japanese as ‘Benzaiten’.
She is represented in Hindu mythology as the divine consort of Lord Brahma, the Creator of the universe. Since knowledge is necessary for creation, Saraswati symbolizes the creative power of Brahma. Saraswati is considered to be the "mother of the Vedas.
Saraswati symbolizes the creative power of Brahma
Saraswati is considered to be the "mother of the Vedas
She is also the Goddess of arts, music, knowledge, and wisdom. She is usually depicted near a flowing river(which may be related to her early history as a river Goddess) holding in her hands a book and a stringed instrument called a Veena riding either hamsa(swan) or the peacock.
The peacock represents arrogance and pride “Hamsa-vahini”
The peacock represents arrogance and pride over its beauty, and by having a peacock as her mount, the Goddess teaches not to be concerned with external appearance and to be wise regarding the eternal truth. It also eats snakes, which symbolically means that Saraswati can help those who are accustomed to eating desires or for a better expression pursuing desires, by providing them with the divine knowledge and learning for which she is famous.
Goddess Saraswati is also known as “Hamsa-vahini”, which means "she who has a swan as her vehicle". In Sanskrit Hamsa means swan. A swan is said to have a sensitive beak that enables it to distinguish pure milk from a mixture of milk and water. A swan, therefore, symbolizes the power of discrimination, or the ability to discriminate between right and wrong or good and bad. Saraswati uses the swan as her carrier. This indicates that one must acquire and apply knowledge with discrimination for the good of mankind. Knowledge that is dominated by ego can destroy the world.
VISHNU
In the basic Hindu Trinity of Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva, Lord Vishnu is the preserver and protector of creation and is often seen seated on Adi Shesha, the primal thousand hooded serpent god, who represents the desire consciousness in us and floats on the cosmic ocean. His consort Lakshmi , the goddess of wealth and fortune, emerged from the “Samudra manthan” (Churning of the ocean of Milk), and is depicted massaging his feet.
Lord Vishnu on Sheshnag with Lakshmi and Garuda
He is said to be the cosmic ocean Nara, meaning water, which was the only thing in existence before the creation of the universe. For this reason, he is also known as Narayana, or "one who moves on the waters".
Lord Vishnu
The Padma Purana states that Vishnu, wanted to create the universe. To this end, he divided himself into three parts: from his right side, he produced Brahma the creator; from his left, he produced Vishnu, the preserver; and from his middle, he produced Shiva, the destroyer.
Hindu Trinity Brahma-Vishnu-Mahesh Ten Incarnations of Lord Vishnu
Whenever there is an imbalance between good and evil on earth, Vishnu, as the preserver, is born to re-establish the balance. His most popular Ten Incarnations are in true sense a story of Evolution of Life on Earth (“Dashavatar : A clue to Evolution Theory”, Rainbow Stamps News, January 2010).The first four incarnations are of animal forms, then heroic acts and finally two with ‘savior qualities’.
Garuda is the carrier of Lord Vishnu. He is a gigantic mythical bird with a human body and bird-like wings, legs and a thick curved beak with bulging eyes; his lower body is covered with feathers and he has the claws of an eagle; he wears a diadem and jewellery. Garuda is the king of birds and also a Hindu God.
Carrier of Lord Vishnu- the Garuda
How he became carrier of Lord Vishnu is an interesting episode of Mahabharat. According to this, Vanita, the wife of Kashyap, the proenitor of gods and men, laid an egg and became the mother of this bird-god. As soon as Garuda was born,his body expanded and touched the sky, his eye were like lighting; the mountains trembled with the spread of his wings. His body shone with brilliant luster that many gods mistaken him for an incarnation of the god of fire, Agni. Garuda vowed to liberate his mother from her servitude, who, having lost a foolish bet, found herself enslaved to her sister Kura, the cunning matriarch of serpents, "those persecutors of all creatures." He negotiated with Nagas by bringing them the Amrita (elixir of immortality) in exchange for his mother’s freedom. Carrying with him the pot of Amrita, a troop of gods led by God Indra attacked, but Garuda too powerful, even the ‘Vajra’, the lightning bolt, the most powerful weapon of Lord Indra, was broken. The fights intervened by the great God Vishnu (Narayana). The two are very powerful and no one can defeat another. The two then came to terms. Lord Vishnu gave Garuda a boon which made Garuda immortal, and promised him a higher seat than his own. In turn, Garuda agreed to become the vehicle of Vishnu.
Lord Vishnu riding Garuda
In this form he can be found in every South Indian temple dedicated to Vishnu and even in the temples of South-East Asia. However, his stature is far greater than this apparent submissiveness. Garuda remained the symbol of such attributes as speed, impetuosity, violent force, and martial prowess. As a carrier, Garuda represents the human thoughts which can fly in all directions at incredible speed and Lord Vishnu can help us to control our thoughts. Also a man who does not deviate from the path of Dharma develops the two wings of devotion and knowledge and the tail that propels him forward is the Karma Yoga. Such an individual rises like an eagle with Lord Vishnu always on top and the Lord helps him in navigating through the tough terrains of earthly existence before merging with the Supreme Soul.
LAKSHMI
Goddess Lakshmi is the goddess of prosperity, purity, chastity and fortune, both material and spiritual. She is the consort of Lord Vishnu. Her previous existences, described in the Vedas, make her the wife of Varuna or of the sun. Alternatively, like Saraswati, she is said to have issued from Prajapati. In the early times she is associated with both good and bad fortune.
Lakshmi is now generally thought to have existed first as the daughter of the sage Bhrigu and to have taken refuge in the ocean of milk during a period when the gods were exiled from their kingdom as a result of a sage's curse. She was reborn during the churning of the milk ocean as Lakshmi, one of the fourteen precious things. When goddess Lakshmi rose from the ocean of milk, She found Vishnu, the detached guardian of the cosmos, to be worthy of her. She became his Shakti, source of his strength and splendor. Lord Vishnu is the soul of the universe; Lakshmi its substance. He is the protector; she is the provider. They are the divine couple who look after life.
Goddess Lakshmi rose from the ocean of milk
Goddess Mahalkshmi is also the sister of the great Guru Sukracharya as well as the great planet Chandra. Alakshmi, the goddess of misfortune, is Lakshmi's elder sister.The word '' Lakshmi '' has been derived from the Sanskrit word Lakshay, meaning "aim" or ''goal''. Goddess Lakshmi suggests the aim of life, which includes all worldly and spiritual success.
Mahalakshmi
According to Hindu mythology, to re-establish the balance between good and evil on earth, Vishnu appeared on earth in various forms. The last three being human in the list of 10 most popular incarnations of Lord Vishnu known as “Dashavatar”. In each of his incarnations, his wife Lakshmi has accompanied him: she was Padma to his Vamana, Sita to his Rama and Rukmini to his Krishna. The love stories of these divine couples are among the most beloved tales in Hinduism.
Goddess Lakshmi as Bhoodevi, the earth-goddess, nurtures life; as Shreedevi, the goddess of fortune, she bestows power, pleasure and prosperity on those who deserve her grace.
Laxmi as Bhoodevi Laxmi as Shreedevi
The sacred name of Lakshmi is ''Shri''. Whether in written or verbal form, ''Shri'' always suggests presence of goddess Lakshmi in it. ''Shri'' is written at the top of most of the documents. It is usually spoken before addressing a god, or any revered individual. The usage of ''Shri'' itself evokes grace, affluence, abundance, authority and auspiciousness. The word ''Shri'' is spoken or written, an aura of holiness is established. Sri is associated with the material side of life, just like the word ''Om'' is associated with the spiritual side of life.
On the auspicious night of Deepawali, Hindus worship Lakshmi ceremonially at home, pray for her blessings. It is believed that on this night the goddess herself visits the homes and replenishes the inhabitants with wealth.
Hindus worship Lakshmi on Deepawali
She is generally depicted as a beautiful lady in the standing or sitting posture with golden complexion, dressed in red color attire and adorned with precious jewels. Her four hands represent four spiritual virtues. She sometimes is also depicted sitting on a fully blossomed lotus with two elephants standing next to the Goddess symbolize the name and fame associated with worldly wealth.
Two standing elephants and Goddess Lakshmi
According to the sculptures and paintings and saying that have come down from ancient times, Owl called ‘Uluka’ is the carrier of Goddess Lakshmi. If she travels with Lord Vishnu, she travels on the Garuda (eagle). Now these two different situations signify two different aspects of prosperity. In some regions, Uluka symbolizes wisdom and intelligence because of its ability to foretell events. But in majority of the regions, owl is a bird of ill omen and symbolically represents darkness, disgrace, inauspiciousness and misfortune. If someone is suffering from adversity, he should pray to Shri Mahalakshmi, who controls all ill-omens and with her grace can remove all negative, inauspicious and adverse influences from our lives bringing prosperity.
Goddess Lakshmi travels on owl called ‘Uluka’ when alone and with Vishnu on ‘Garuda'
Garuda is a mythological bird and represents the human thoughts which can fly in all directions at incredible speed. Lord Vishnu can help us to control our thoughts. And when she travels with Vishnu, then the person acquires wisdom along with wealth.
- Dr Satyendra Kumar Agarwal – email : rosephila@hotmail.com
New Issues from other countries
Estonia
9 December 2013 : 90thanniversary of the Estonian Olympic Committee
The Estonian Olympic Committee was established on December 8, 1923. Then head of state, Dr. Karl Akel, was elected chairman of the organization and he worded the aims of the Olympic Committee as introduction and promotion of physical culture as a result of which the people of Estonia could be healthier, more determined and self-confident.
These values worded ninety years ago are still being born by the Estonian Olympic Committee, the umbrella organization of domestic sports today.
Germany
5 December 2013 Mourning Stamp
Deutsche Post issued a mourning stamp for the condolence letters. A condolence letter is not an ordinary letter, it differs markedly from the usual correspondence. Although sincere words of sympathy can’t stifle the pain, they let connectedness arise. It’s not about the mourning of the loss, but the gratitude for the beautiful and intense time passed together shows the true appreciation. The letter of condolence is thus an obituary in miniature, an appreciation of that special that every human being dwells.
Glistening sunlight breaks through the dark black clouds, just as breathing of the sky. Likewise sincere words of sympathy penetrate the gloomy grief of the relatives.
When a dear person passes away, a condolence letter can brighten up the dark days like a streak of light. Finally, the word “condolence” means that we sympathize the pain of another. This pious word deserves a special environment. With the grief stamp from Deutsche Post, which was issued in December 2013, a person can stylishly say “I am with you”.
New Zealand
8 January : 2013 Year of Horse – 4 val + MS
The year of Horse will begin on 31 January 2014 and will bring celebrations of Chinese New Year in China and around the world.
Russia
30 November 2013 : Olympic sports venues of the XXII Olympic Winter Games and XI Paralympic Winter Games 2014 in Sochi
The Fisht Olympic Stadium is located in the Olympic Park so that the spectators have a magnificent view on both mountain peaks in the north and the sea in the south. The stadium capacity is 40,000 spectators. The opening and closing ceremonies of the Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games will take place at the stadium. After the Olympics, the Fisht Olympic Stadium will be used as a venue for Russian national football team matches and as a training center. It will also be hosting mass entertainment events and shows.
The Bolshoy (“big”) Ice Dome is part of the ice hockey complex of the Olympic Park venues in Sochi. The Palace capacity is 12,000 spectators. In the course of the Games, the Ice Dome will be hosting competitions in ice hockey, and it will be used as a training rink.
The Shayba (“puck”) Arena is part of the ice hockey complex of venues in the Olympic Park in Sochi. The Arena capacity is 7,000 spectators. The venue will be hosting the Olympic ice hockey competitions and Paralympic ice sledge hockey competitions.
The Iceberg Skating Centre capacity is 12,000 spectators. The Palace will be hosting the Olympic competitions in figure skating and short-track skating.
The “RusSki Gorki” Jumping Center is located in the Esto-Sadok village on the northern slope of the Aibga Ridge. The facility location at the junction of two ridges has been selected by the international experts in order to make ski-jumping facilities harmonious with the surrounding landscape and to protect the athletes from side winds. The complex capacity is 7,500 spectators. Within the framework of the Games, the Center will be used for competitions in ski jumping and nordic combined. After the Winter Olympic Games, the RusSki Gorki Complex will become a national training center.
The “Laura” Cross-Country Ski & Biathlon Center is located on the crest and slopes of the Psekhako Ridge, within 6.5–10 km north-east of Krasnaya Polyana. The Center includes two separate stadiums, each with their own start and finish zones, two separate track systems for skiing and biathlon, a shooting range and warm-up zones. The Cross-Country Ski and Biathlon stadiums’ capacity is 9,600 spectators each.
Taiwan
2 December 2013 : 2014 – The Year of Horse
To welcome in 2014, the year of the horse, Taiwan Post issued a set of two stamps and a souvenir sheet featuring the upcoming year’s animal sign. The vividly depicted striding and galloping horses convey a sense of New Year’s festiveness and auspiciousness.
The Lighter Side
How much India Post cares for the needs of Indian philatelists?
On 11th December, it was a golden opportunity for the philatelists all over the world to perpetuate a golden opportunity, to get a special date cancellation with the “magic” date “11-12-13” from the local post offices. Many philatelists did make the most of this golden opportunity to get their own cancellation for their philatelic treasures. A friend of mine in Ludhiana was kind enough to send me a cover with a stamp affixed to it and got it cancelled at the local post office. Naturally, the postman at the counter only knows to deface the stamp in such a way that it will not be used again for postage. This view has not been changed since more than a century, when Indian postage stamps came into existence. My friend naturally had no possibility to instruct the postman how to can cancel the stamp. So he as well as I myself, were waiting for this magic cancellation of the century.
After about 12 days the cover reached its destination and you can have a glance over that magic cancellation. The date “11-12-13” is indeed there, but appears impressed twice or thrice and the other text of the name of post office etc. is almost untraceable! I had sent a similar cancellation from my residential place in Switzerland. The philatelic bureau here had opened a special window for the philatelists two-three days in advance so that they could hand over their covers duly affixed with stamps and submit them for that “magic date”. After 4 days I got my cover with the miniature stamp sheet nicely obliterated by the “magic date”, “BASEL/ 11-12-13-14” (where “14” represents the time in hours, i.e. 2 PM). It is just a clear contrast in comparison to the care offered by India Post to their clients! I hope that other philatelists had more luck than either that of my friend or mine for that Indian cancellation !
- Dr. Avinash B. Jagtap, Binningen, Switzerland
Reader’s Right
A LOOK AT INDIAN PERFORMANCE IN BRASILIANA 2013 - My views
In recent issue of Rainbow Stamps News,Dec 2013 my friend Naresh Agrawal tried to analyse the achievements of Indian participants in ‘BRASLIANA 2013’,and raised few important points out of which one is very important-.’ Is the judgment at National Level Shows in India up to the standard to match International quality judgment or is quite lenient?’
I raised this point earlier in one of my post on face book dt 27th Sept 2013 when I read two news side by side , one published in ITS Stamp News and second as result of ‘Australia 2013’ stating : The Championship Awarded collection during Inpex 2013 receives only Large Silver during Australia 2013 - Is this the standard of our JUDGING ? Is this 'THE HIGHEST EVER AWARD EVER IN THIS COUNTRY TO ANY THEMATIC EXHIBIT '..... “.
In reply Vijay Seth ji also commented on 1st Oct 2013 , “you have raised a very pertinent question for which no one has any answer, the standard of judging in India has no value and is very low, what need to be done is a radical change in the system. Who is responsible, who is to be blamed. Let’s find the answers among ourselves or look at people outside for guidance”. Alas, no other philatelist came forward to continue this discussion, why, a surprise for me.
Though I prepared a note on this subject, immediately, but left unpublished. But when I again learned the praising in philatelic blogs and magazines adorning with meaningless titles like, “one of the highest number of entries ever sent from India in any such level of philatelic show”, I could not resist keeping my views unshared with my fellow collectors who are ‘Day Dreaming’, and posted on the wall of ‘Indian Philatelist Forum’ on 2nd Dec 2013.
Yes, I hate philatelic politics and decided for ‘Ekla Chalo re…’but sometimes my love for philately revolts against such ‘Glittering Remarks’ proven ‘fusss…’ soon, and compelled to share my experiences of philatelic journey I gained while preparing my exhibit ‘A Rose is a Rose is a rose…’ which is till date the only Indian Thematic Exhibit received highest LV + 88 numbers (in 5 Frames), in a World Exhibition.
Remember, any collection should be a working collection. Once it becomes the final effort, it becomes stale and you lose interest. Keep looking for new materials and keep making changes. Hence remounting of your exhibit for every exhibition not only adds beauty but also new ideas for better use of any item at some other place. Of course it needs thorough subject and philatelic studies in which Indian collectors have no belief.
The results of last few years of National and International exhibitions are self proof in which all the prestigious medals are gone to some old exhibits exhibiting from years without any change and up gradation. Rest of the entries either gone one or two steps down limited to Diploma, Bronze or Silver medals only. These are also in limited numbers.
-Dr.Satyendra Kumar Agrawal – Varanasi email rosephila@hotmail.com
I read the article A LOOK AT INDIAN PERFORMANCE IN BRASILIANA 2013 by Naresh Agarwal with much interest. It is the same sad story where exhibitors from India are complaining about their achievement at the International level. Judging at the FIP and FIAP level is usually very consistent and one seldom finds an unexpected drop / rise by more than one medal level. The problem lies in the fact that judging in India at the local, State as well as the National level needs much improvement as medal level awarded at these shows are not consistent (often two to four medal level higher than merited). I have attended several State level and National level shows in India and am often blown away at the medals awarded at these shows. Such indiscriminate & unjustified medal handouts are only setting up exhibitors for failure and despair. Consistency is key and lack of consistency often gives false expectation to the exhibitor in India.
Here in the States organizations like the AAPE (American Association of Philatelic Exhibitors) and APS (American Philatelic Society) offer seminars in philatelic exhibiting as well as philatelic judging and exhibit critiquing. Furthermore becoming a philatelic judge is not an easy task, one has to go thru rigorous training here in the USA. Here in the States each exhibitor is required to provide a title page and or synopsis at least a month in advance – thus giving the jury enough time to study & research on the subject matter of the exhibit they are to judge . I personally feel that the system of creating judges in India needs a complete overhaul and consistency will only be attained when all the judges are on the same page.
Sandeep Jaiswal - USA
Stamps on living personalities
Madam,
It is mentioned under the title "DO YOU KNOW?" in Beginners section that DoP released so far five stamps on, living personalities.
I think in this famous list we have to include one more personality, Shri G.S.Dhillon of Indian National Army in whose honor one commemorative stamp was released on 15th August 1997. The stamp also featured Shah Nawaz Khan and P.K.Sahgal. The following excerpt from Wikipedia shows that the freedom fighter died on 6th February 2006.
Gurbaksh Singh Dhillon (18 March 1914 – 6 February 2006) was an officer in the Indian National Army (INA) who was charged with "waging war against His Majesty the King Emperor". Along with Shah Nawaz Khan and Prem Kumar Sahgal, he was tried at the end of World War II in the INA trials that began on 5 November 1945 at Red Fort. Dhillon also played an important role in the Indian independence negotiations.
All the best,
Balasundaram S
Asst.Postmaster General (Retd.), Member PCI and SIPA, Chennai
Editor’s Mail Box
Dr Avinash B. Jagtap, Switzerland
The Vehicles of Hindu Gods & Goddesses by Dr. Satyendra Agrawal
is very interesting article this time.
Shrikant Parikh, Ahmedabad
As always, your December issue was extremely informative. Wish, you continue your efforts for long long time.
Promotional Section
Buddha Cover from Gorakhpur
Special Cover on Buddha issued from Gorakhpur is available with Postmaster, Golghar, Gorakhpur – 273001. Ph. 8004958478
Sachin Tendulkar 200th Test Match Presentation Pack by India Post
India Post has issued a presentation pack, comprising of one sheetlet of 16 stamps, one first day cover, one miniature sheet and a brochure of Sachin Tendulkar 200th Test Match issue; priced at Rs. 700/-. Available at all philatelic bureaux.
1. Welcome to the World of Indian Philately - http://www.indianphilately.net/
An exclusive website created by Mr Prashant Pandya dedicated to Indian Philately .The philatelists can register for “ Online Philatelists’ Directory ” on this website.
2.Virtual Stamp Club http://www.virtualstampclub.com/index.html It is website for On Line collectors. Membership is free. Many collectors around the world are its members.
3. Stamp Magazine - http://blog.stampmagazine.co.uk/ This blog is updated by Adrian Keppel every Friday with new Articles on a variety of subjects.
4.Indian Thematics - http://www.indianthematics.blogspot.in/ - A new blog created by noted Thematic Philatelist Mr Dinesh Chandra Sharma. This blog is all about Thematic Philately.
5. Indian Philatelists’ Forum - http://groups.yahoo.com/group/indianphilatelists/
This is an electronic discussion forum dedicated exclusively to Indian Philately that allows members to engage into meaningful discussions on all aspects of Indian Philately. Membership to the forum is open to all philatelists who have interest in Indian Philately. Members can share and discuss their ideas, knowledge, research, collections, events, exhibitions, auctions, publications exclusively related to Indian Philately.
6. The best stamps - http://thebeststamps.blogspot.co.uk/ It’s a beautiful blog created by Julian Fernandes of Pune ( Now living in UK) featuring lovely stamps of birds with the photos of the same birds giving a wonderful look !!
7. Robin Stamps Criticism : http://robin-stamps.blogspot.in/ : This blog is about new issues of postage stamps and the critical study of their design
8. Numismatic & Philatelic Association - http://numismaticphilavellore.site40.net/index.htm - This Numismatic & Philatelic Association is a nonprofit and non-trade motive association that aims to promote the hobbies – Philately (Stamp Collection) and Numismatics (Coin Collection) among children, students, interested individuals among the general public and especially for the budding philatelists and numismatists.
9. How to Collect Stamps - http://www.howtocollectstamps.com/ : The Complete Guide To Stamp Collecting
10.GANDHI Stamps & Philately Study Circle : http://gandhistampsclub.blogspot.in/ - A new Blog by Ketan Patel .…. Saving Gandhi Philately by trying to bring awareness and exposing illegal activities in Gandhi Stamps and Philately.
11. Europa Stamps : http://europa-stamps.blogspot.in/ : A blog on Europa, cept, norden & sepac stamps
12. Phila Mirror : http://philamirror.info/ : The Indian Philately Journal
13. Se- tenant Stamps of India - http://setenantsofindia.blogspot.com/ It is a specialized Blog on se-tenant stamps.
14. Flags & Stamps - http://flagstamps.blogspot.com/ - It is a specialized blog on Flag Theme .
15. Glimpses of Modern Indian Philately : http://modernindianphilately.blogspot.com/ - It is a specialized blog on Modern Philately, created by Mr Prashant Pandya .
16. Question & Answers on Philately : http://en.allexperts.com/q/Stamps-Philately- 1610/indexExp_69442.htm - It is a site based on Question & Answers on Philately. Mr Prashant Pandya replies to queries.
17. Philatelic Journalists Forum - http://philatelicjournalistsforum.blogspot.in/ “The Philatelic Journalists” is an initiative by a few enthusiast philatelists, who love the hobby to the deepest.
18. The Philatelist - http://o-filatelista.blogspot.in/ - A blog with lot of info about stamps and philatelic activities around the world.
19. Phila India - http://philaindia.info/index.html - Website created by Mahesh Reddiar with lot of info and articles on philately .
Philatelic Clubs & Societies
Baroda Philatelic Society - http://www.vadophil.org/
Deccan Philatelic Society – Pune, Maharashtra
Eastern India Philatelists’ Association - http://www.filacapsule.blogspot.com/
India Study Circle - http://www.indiastudycircle.org/
Indian Stamp Ghar - http://www.indianstampghar.com/
Indian Thematic Society, Ludhiana - http://indianthematicstamps.webs.com/
Ludhiana Philatelic Club
Mobile Philately - http://www.mobilephilately.webs.com/
Numismatic & Philatelic Association of Vellore Fort http://numismaticphilavellore.site40.net/index.htm
Philatelic Society of Rajasthan, Jaipur
Rainbow Stamp Club - http://rainbowstampclub.blogspot.com/
Rajkot Philatelic Society – Rajkot, Gujarat
Gujarat Philatelic Association - Ahmedabad
South India Philatelists Association - http://www.sipa.org.in/
Stamps of India - http://www.stampsofindia.com/
The Army Philatelic Society, Pune
Current Philatelic Magazines – Newsletters
Stamp of India Collectors’ Companion - India’s first weekly e-newsletter edited by Madhukar and Savita Jhingan from Stamps of India, New Delhi. E-mail: mjhingan@yahoo.com Website: www.stampsofindia.com
India Post – Quarterly Journal of the India Study Circle publishes original articles submitted by members of ISC.
ITS Stamp News - Quarterly - Editor: Suraj Jaitly Publisher: Indian Thematic Society website - http://itsstampnews.blogspot.com/
VADOPHIL, Editor - Prashant Pandya and published by Baroda Philatelic Society, Vadodara. Website -http://www.vadophil.org/
Journal of the Army Philatelic Society : Editor – Col Jayanta Dutta
SIPA Bulletin Editor - Mr G. Madan Mohan Das and published by South India Philatelists’ Association, Chennai website : http://www.sipa.org.in/
GPA News – Editor - Ilias Patel and published by Gujarat Philatelists’ Association, Ahemadabad.
RAINBOW STAMP CLUB
This is a blog of e-stamp Club www.rainbowstampclub.blogspot.com . The idea of this blog is to extend philatelic fraternity in all corners of the world. Readers may write about themselves with their collecting interests and share new ideas with other philatelists. New Post on recent issues, news on stamp activities and Contribution by members are published every day on this blog.Readers may also express their views on any philatelic matter which will be published under Club News at Rainbow Stamp Cub Blog. Philatelic Clubs and Societies may also send brief write ups. News about new issues of India and abroad and other information related with Philately are regularly posted on this blog. Readers may send reports on new issues, special covers, cancellations & philatelic activities of their area for inclusion in this Blog. - Editor
Courtesy - News and Image Resource to this issue –Stamps of India, International Stamp News; Indian Philately Digest ; Mansoor B.- Mangalore; Prashant Pandya – Vadodara; Sreejesh Krishnan – Trivandrum; Ashwani Dubey – Gorakhpur; Arvind Kumar Mullick – Jabalpur; OP Kedia – Indore; Sudhir Jain – Satna ; Kasinath R. – Tanjore ; Pradip Jain – Patna; Umesh Kakkeri - Mumbai
Address for communication:
Jeevan Jyoti, c / o Mr. Ajay Srivastav, Chief Conservator of Forests, GHNP, Shamshi, Kullu (H.P.) PIN 175126 India
E-mail – j.jyoti9@gmail.com
Last date for receiving write ups – 25th of every month. Kindly send images in jpg compressed format & text in MS Word only.
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If you liked this issue please forward it to your friends and help in promoting philately.
A Request to Readers & Contributors -
Kindly specify your contribution such as article/News/ Reader’s Right / Beginners’ Section/ Lighter Side etc.
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Attention -
Please send limited number of images in compressed jpg format only with your article. Please send text and images separately. Please do not send text or image for publication in PDF.
Any material from this newsletter may be reproduced only with the written permission from the editor.
…..Happy Collecting…………………………………………………………………
Rainbow Stamp News is edited and published monthly by Jeevan Jyoti, from Kullu (Himachal Pradesh) India.
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