Durrell & Darwin
25 Years of the Darwin Initiative
This Souvenir Sheet will be issued by Jersey Post on 14
June 2017, celebrating the legacies of famous naturalists Gerald Durrell and
Charles Darwin. The Miniature Sheet, which has been printed on FSC
certified sycamore, features a portrait of Charles Darwin and is the first
Jersey stamp to be printed on wood.
Dehradun June
2017 Vol. X No. 114
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 the editor : j.jyoti9@gmail.com
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
Here is June 2017 issue of
Rainbow Stamp News for you. Last month we lost our regular contributor and
renowned philatelist Dr Satyendra
Agrawal. His articles will always be missed in Rainbow. As a tribute to great
philatelic writer some of his best articles will be re-published in the year
2017. Let the fragrance of his great work be spread in the world.
For a Thematic stamp collector, the stamp
design and the quality of the stamp is very important. For a novice collector a
specific theme is the prime attraction. They hunt for a particular stamp. These
days aromatic stamps as well as stamps having a genuine touch of fabric, wood, metal
and other specific textures are very popular among philatelists of all age
groups. Some postal administrations have made their own identity in the world of stamps for
issuing finest quality of stamps with wonderful designs. Postal Administrations
of Finland, Poland, USA, Australia, Austria New Zealand, Israel, France and many
more postal administrations have issued some of the finest stamps in the world
using advance printing technology. To produce unique stamps there are different
processes and technology which are to be followed in order to give the
particular texture to the stamps. India Post has issued some special stamps
claiming to have the unique features. But these stamps lack the quality .The
recent Coffee stamp with Rs 100 denomination does not have the aroma of Coffee
however it is said to be a scented stamp. There is need to improve the quality
of stamps and reduce the quantity. Not only the quality, India Post still needs
to make improvement in stamp designs too. To make this possible it is very important that
only a limited number of stamps are issued in a year. If a large number of
stamps are issued per year, the quality can never be maintained.
This is all for this
month.....More in next issue.
Contents
§
From the Desk of Naresh Agrawal
§
Recent Indian Issues
§
In The News
§
Doon Philatelic Diary
§
Beginners’ Section
§
Specialized Section
§
New Issues from Other Countries
§
Lighter Side
§
Philatelic Clubs and Society
§
Blogs & Websites on Philately
§
Current Philatelic Magazines –
Newsletter
 |
Philately and Numismatics move together
Philately,
Numismatics, Miscellaneous collectibles like artifacts, etc. are all hobbies.
Philately, the king of hobbies is now under the shadow of Numismatics and other
such hobbies. Pure philatelic exhibitions are not pure as these have
numismatics collections on display and numismatic material on sale. This trend
started about 8-10 years back. The effect is so high that separate numismatic
shows are now being organized regularly. Even, this class of hobby has started
dominating philately. There are several reasons for the same such as
commercialization of philately or if I say, turning of philately in to trade.
Further
to , the point which I want to discuss here is that to add to this, another new hobby has started spreading its wings in to the
fold of philately . Collection of antiques like medals, tokens, small
sculptures and other artifacts. Even Paintings are also on display and sale. By
this philately is being pushed back. It is loosing is luster, charm,
attraction, real essence, its grace and its honor. The king is no more a king
now. This intervention or clubbing of hobbies is be treated as serving many
dishes on one table. But by this taste of individual dish is lost.
To
add to this high prices, medal buying, unhealthy competitiveness has defamed
the name of philately. Recently I visited New Delhi attended a show which was
told to me as a combined philatelic and numismatic show. But to my surprise, I
could find only 6 philatelic stalls, about 8 stalls of antiques and artifacts, a few stalls of paintings and about 30 stall
of numismatics. All around paintings were displayed on wall. The other displays
related to Numismatic and paintings. Hardly one display related to philately. I
mean philately was just lost. Recently concluded hobby fair at Ahmedabad also
served people in the same fashion.
Here India Post apparently doing all efforts
to promote philately but with an intention to earn more from it. The prices of
the products being issued / released are
high .This is one reason that new hobbyists, even philatelists are turning
towards other hobbies. I won’t say that philately has lost its charm. No it is
still same colorful and beautiful hobby but is passing through a lean phase of
its liking, its development.
I
have seen that Philatelic and Numismatic clubs are coming on the surface. This
way, philately alone will lose its kingdom. What will happen ,if this process
keeps on going. Slowly philately will remain with pocketful of philatelists. As
we see already the new generation is inclined towards other electronic
/internet based hobbies.
Under
present scenario, I see now philately and numismatics/ notaphily are going
together. I for see philatelic clubs
becoming philatelic and numismatic clubs. Role of India Post is vital now. It should see that philately regain its
crown of hobbies. Good quality, reasonable quantity and reasonably priced
philatelic products will help in this cause. More activities in schools will
help promotion at grass root level.
-Naresh
Agrawal Ph. 09425530514
Recent Indian Issue
14
April 2017: Deekshabhoomi – Se-tenant pair 2 x Rs 5
22
April 2017 : Bharat
Ratna Bhim Rao Ambedkar Institute of Telecom Training, Jabalpur – Rs 15
23 April 2017 : Coffee (Scented stamp) – Rs 100 MS
26 April 2017 : Telugu Writers – 3 x Rs 5
1 May 2017 : Ramanujacharya – Rs 25
13 May 2017 : Champaran Satyagraha Centenary –Rs 5, Rs10, Rs 25 +
MS
5 May 2017 : Telecom Regulatoy Authority of India – Rs 5
31 May 2017 : Eminent Writers – 5 x Rs 10 + MS
Recent Special Covers
23
April 2017 : Centenary Celebration of
State Central Library, Bangalore
23
April 2017 : World Book and Copyright Day - Bangalore
12
May 2017 -
Biddatanda Hockey Namme – 2017 – Madikeri
In The News
Unique, First-of-a-Kind Stamps Mimic Sports Ball Textures
WASHINGTON — The U.S.
Postal Service will soon release first-of-a-kind stamps with the look — and feel — of actual balls used in eight popular sports. Available
nationwide June 14, the Have a Ball! Forever stamps depict balls used in baseball,
basketball, football, golf, kickball, soccer, tennis and volleyball.
A special coating
applied to selected areas of the stamps during the printing process gives them
a texture that mimics the feel of a:
·
baseball’s stitching;
·
golf ball’s dimples;
·
tennis ball’s seams;
·
soccer ball or volleyball’s textured panels; and,
·
the different raised patterns of a football, basketball and
kickball.
Face of
Finland
Unique stamps in a Booklet form issued by
Finnish Post on 9th May 2017 featuring Public Faces to mark Finland's centenary
of independence. The thousands of photos come together like a mosaic to form
different stamps, which are positioned on the sheet in the form of the map of
Finland.
Finish Post, Posti ran a campaign in fall 2016
to collect photos of faces from the public for a special stamp publication to
mark Finland's centenary of independence. The thousands of photos come together
like a mosaic to form different stamps, which are positioned on the sheet in
the form of the map of Finland. Each stamp and booklet is unique.
"These stamps are worth a close look, as receivers and senders might spot their own face or the faces of acquaintances on them," .
Recent Stamp
Exhibitions
BRASILIA -2017
Brasilia-2017 is a
Specialized World Stamp Exhibition. The Exhibition will open on 24 October
2017 and close on 29 October 2017. Mr Ajay Kumar Mittal is the
National Commissioner. Interested philatelists may contact him at email : ajaymittal1957@gmail.com
BANDUNG
2017
+91 674 2432251 (LL)
News from Philatelic Societies
Ananthapuri Philatelic Association
APEX-2017
The
APEX-2017 the Second Philatelic Exhibition of Ananthapuri Philatelic
Association was inaugurated by Shri.Sukumaran Nair, Asst. Postal Director
(Philately) Kerala circle on 26.05.2017 at YMCA Hall, Thiruvananthapuram.
In connection with the exhibition a special cover on 80th Anniversary of Gandhiji's
last visit to Travancore was released.
Karnataka
Philatelic Society
KARPHILEX-2017 State Level Stamp Exhibition
Dates
: 14,15,16 July, 2017
Venue : Rajarajeshwari Kalyana Mantapa 2nd Block, Dr Rajkumar Road, 80 Feet Road, Rajajinagar, Bangalore – 560010
Enquiries/Details: Contact
K.Chaitanya Dev- +919900196728
Mr Mani Muthu Krishnan - +918904003936
Mr Nikhilesh Melkote - +917760995362
e-mail : karphilex2017@gmail.com
KARPHILEX-2017 State Level Stamp Exhibition
Organised by Karnataka Philatelic Society
Venue : Rajarajeshwari Kalyana Mantapa 2nd Block, Dr Rajkumar Road, 80 Feet Road, Rajajinagar, Bangalore – 560010
Enquiries/Details: Contact
K.Chaitanya Dev- +919900196728
Mr Mani Muthu Krishnan - +918904003936
Mr Nikhilesh Melkote - +917760995362
e-mail : karphilex2017@gmail.com
Stamp Exhibition at Lucknow
5 June 2017, World Environment Day -
District Level Stamp Exhibition and Quiz at GPO Lucknow organized by Chief
Postmaster, GPO Lucknow. A special Cover will be released during the
exhibition.
Doon Philatelic Diary
DOON
RAILWAYS
- Abhai Mishra
After
the Anglo-Gurkha war of 1814, and subsequently signing of the Treaty of
Sigauli, Dehra Dun became part of the British Garhwal. Municipality of Dehra
Dun was established in 1867. Soon Mussoorie became a favourite place for the
British. People coming to Mussoorie used to come up to Sharanpur by Railway and
from there till Dehra Dun by Dak Gharris. The requirement of railway
line up to Dehra Dun was urgently felt.
The
first railway opened was the North-Western Railway in 1869, which entered the
district at the middle of the southern boundary and passed north-west through
Saharanpur city. In 1886 the Oudh and Rohilkhand Railway main line was extended
through Roorkee to Saharanpur, its terminus, and a branch line was opened from
Laksar to Haridwar, the great pilgrim centre. The railway line between Dehra
Dun and Haridwar was sanctioned on 18th November 1896. Haridwar-Dehra railway
company was formed and the contract with the government was signed on 26th
March 1997 for constructing the railway line. Land for the railway line was
made available by the government to the company. The railway line was completed
in 1900 and was formally opened on 01st March 1900. The cost incurred in the
entire project was of the tune of 26 lakhs. This line immediately boosted the
tourism and trade in the region. Dehradun and Mussoorie became part of the All
India Postal Network in the year 1900 when the District Postal System was
abolished.
Special cancellation (6.5.2000) : 100 Years of Railways in Doon Valley
( Cover posted at Temporary P.O. Rly Stn Dehra Dun)
( Cover posted at Temporary P.O. Rly Stn Dehra Dun)
The
line was operated by the Oudh & Rohilkhand Railways and very soon it
started generating profits. By 1920 the profit was 12% of the total capital
outlay of the project. The total length of the railway line from Haridwar to
Dehra Dun is 51.26 kms. and passes through the picturesque landscape of Rajaji
National Park. There are two tunnels with a total length of approximately 478
metre and 236 bridges along the route. The line has 15 curves, the sharpest
being 4.5 degrees and ruling gradient of 1 in 75.
WP-7015 steam engine
being prepared for the Doon Railway centenary celebration
Initially
Howrah-Dehradun (Doon Express) and Delhi-Dehradun (Mussoorie Express) was
operated. The first "Annapoorna" dining car was opened in 1953, by
Shri Lal Bahadur Shastri, then Minister for Railways and Transport between
Delhi and Dehra Dun. At present Dehra Dun railway station is well connected by
other part of the country through number of trains. In 2000 during the
centenary celebration of the Doon Railways, WP-7015, powerful broad gauge steam
engine ran between Dehra Dun and Harrawala staion. This is the same engine
which was also used during the shooting of the Gadar film.
Initially
there was a post office and RMS at the Dehra Dun railway station. After Independence this RMS was closed.
Recently the RMS has again been started and operates from the vicinity of Dehra
Dun GPO.
Beginners’ Section
Total solar Eclipse Stamp from USA
A
new United States forever stamp will commemorate the total eclipse of the sun
that will be visible on Aug. 21 in a path that traverses the United States.
Total
Solar Eclipse foreverstamp(49c) is printed with a thermochromic material that
will normally appear as a black disk on the stamp, representing the moon
blocking the sun, as viewed from Earth.Using the body heat of your thumb or
fingers and rubbing the eclipse image will reveal an underlying image of the
Moon. The image reverts back to the eclipse once it cools.
The
stamp is pictured at left as it will appear normally; when warmed, an image of
the moon will appear, as shown in the illustration at right.
Printed
on the back of the Total Solar Eclipse stamp pane is a map of the United States
showing the path of totality: those locations where the sun will be completely
blocked as the moon passes between it and earth.
Heat-sensitive
thermochromic inks have been used earlier also on stamps that turn colour when
heated by slight rubbing with a finger. Some examples are:
Before
and after heating- the lower cloud colour change
Before and
after heating- check out the pan Before and after heating- black turns grey revealing the
inner molecule and Chemistry inscription.
Before heating- pink lei turns white when
warm
Courtesy – Dr Satish Sondhi, San Diego, USA
Specialized SectionIn Memory of Dr Satyendra Kumar Agrawal….
In
great philatelic memory of Dr Satyendra
Kumar Agrawal, I am re-publishing some of his best articles every month this
year.- Editor
- © Dr.Satyendra Kumar Agrawal
On 1st August 1986, the Department of
Posts, India came out with a new time-bound, fast, guaranteed, economical and
reliable service termed as ‘Speed Post ‘which is available for inland and
international mail.
First Day postmark showing three Arrow Heads heading towards right is
indicative of speed and was designed for the first day of introduction of this
“Speed Post” service
It is an express mail service for letters and documents offered in league
with the international EMS service.
International format of POD
Later on Speed Post service has been
developed more and more to cope with the fast pace of globalization and the
commercial and industrial expansion taking place in India which generated a new
class of customers with their specific
type of demands to deliver the mails, samples, articles, documents and
specimens from one pace to another, in time.
Beginning with 7 inland (Ahmedabad,
Bangalore, Kolkata, Chennai, Delhi, Hyderabad & Mumbai) and 5 international
centers (from New Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata and Chennai to UK, Federal Republic of
Germany, Hong Kong & Japan and to USA from 6 Oct 1986 on 1.8,1986, now it
links more than 1200 towns in India, with 315 centers in the national network,
around 1000 centers in the state network and 97 international centers. For
regular users, Speed Post provides delivery ‘anywhere in India’ under
contractual service.
For corporate customers, Speed Post
provides ‘Home collection’, credit facilities, on-line tracking, account
management and personalized services. Presently 89 sorting hubs are functioning
for fast mail transmission. The mails are transmitted through air, train and
roads, and for internal transmission MMS (Mail Motor Service) vehicles are
used. The articles addressed to Metro cities may be delivered in next day means
booking day + 1(one) day.
Every article and bag is documented,
tracked and traced through Speed net at all stages of handling and transmission
point to ensure prompt sorting, transmission and delivery are confirm to the
prescribed norms.
To monitor efficiency and accountability
of Speed Post Service, India Post launched Speed Net Service on 3rd Jan 2002
which is web based on-line track and trace service to keep track of all stages
of handling and transmission point to ensure prompt sorting, transmission and
delivery are confirm to the prescribed norms for every article booked. Tracking
can be done by entering barcode number of article booked made available to the
customer on booking receipt.
During early days of Speed Post
services, if desired the Acknowledgement card used for registered mail were provided as Proof of Delivery card to
the sender with additional postal charge of Rs.0.50 but the Acknowledgement
slip was not treated as a Speed Post article and after signature of the
recipient this card was delivered to sender by ordinary post. Soon it was
replaced by printed “Speed Post Proof
of Delivery” slip which was soon replaced by a larger size POD acknowledgement
slip.
Speed Post PODs
To make available this trace and track facility,
Speed Post Business Office at Mangalore, commenced on 18.01.1988 given birth to
two unique philatelic elements introducing Illustrated “Proof of Delivery Card”
and “Intimation Card”.
Though not issued nationwide, these cards are not
only important for Postal History exhibits but for Thematic too as one side of
each card are illustrated and depicting cultural and architectural heritage of
Karnataka on them.
Illustrated PROOF OF DELIVERY CARDS
Proof of Delivery cards were attached to the Speed Post booked article
and when it reaches the destination and received by the addressee, the postman
makes him sign this card as Proof of Delivery (POD), and is sent back to the
sender if desired.
The first POD I found depicts
Picture of Postal Inspector with Speed Post banner atop
"Kalapathar" with Mount Everest in the background.
Postal Inspector with Speed Post banner atop
"Kalapathar" with Mount Everest in the background
Everest base camp trek is the most popular
adventure activities in Himalaya ever since Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay
Sherpa climbed the Mount Everest in 1953. Trekking to the Everest base camp in
Nepal is an ultimate goal for trekkers and a beginning of the expedition bid
for the climbers. The journey to base camp and Kalapathar is once in a lifetime
adventure of great challenge and achievement with thrill of being so close to
stand next to the tallest mountain on planet.
This theme is representative of the high ambition
of newly introduced Speed Post service and its commitments towards safe and
timely delivery-whatever the area is.
PODs illustrating rich cultural heritage of
Karnataka were also issued by Speed Post Business Office at Mangalore.
Yakshagana
YAKSHAGANA is an enchanting rich traditional
operatic theatre of coastal Karnataka. In YAKSHAGANA the music, dance, spoken
word, movement, costume and stage craft are woven into a unique type of
dramatic production. The rich aspects of Yakshagana have their own distinct
style. The stories called as ‘prasangas’ (episodes) are chosen from classical
and mythological sources like Ramayana, Mahabharatha and Bhagavatha. The verses
provide the script. They are sung with an orchestra of drums and gongs. The
characters dance to the music and then present the dialogue, which is extempore
and highly improvised. This art has a history of seven centuries. It has
received international recognition and appreciation during the last few
decades.
Rakshasa (the demon) as depicted in Yakshagana performances
Gommateshwara
It is a monolithic statue of Bhagavan
Bahubali,a 57 feet (17 m) monolith in height and with a width of 13 feet across
the hips, situated above a hill in Shravanabelagola, in the Hassan district of
Karnataka state, India. It was built in the 10th century AD by the Ganga
dynasty minister and commander Chamundaraya.
Hundreds of thousands of pilgrims, devotees and tourists from all over
the world flock to the statue once in 12 years for an event known as
Mahamastakabhisheka.
On August 5, 2007, the statue was voted by
Indians as the first of Seven Wonders of India. 49% votes went in favour of
this marvel.
A POD also illustrates
beautifully this statue of Bhagavan Bahubali showing to the world the way of
knowledge and austerity for thousands of years.
Gommateshwara
Local Festival, Karnataka
(Images courtesy SUDHIR JAIN, Satna, MP)
United States 1902-1903 Definitive Issues
- Col J
Dutta & Dr Anjali Dutta
These
definitives are known as the “Gingerbread
Definitives” because of their ornate borders, the regular issues of stamps
released between 1902 and 1908 in several series marked a departure for the
Bureau of Engraving and Printing (BEP). These stamps are also known as the Second Bureau Issue. The previous BEP definitive stamps had
used the old American Banknote dies, these stamp were entirely fresh designs.
The 14 different denominations featured some faces not seen on U.S. stamps
before, including Martha Washington (the first famous American woman to appear
on a stamp), Benjamin Harrison the 23rd President, and Civil War hero Admiral
David Farragut.
They were the first U.S. stamps to give the
birth and death years of each person being honoured. Two denominations appeared in November and December 1902 and the other
twelve were released between January and June of 1903.
Also considered part of the series is a fifteenth stamp which appeared in November 1903, a second version of the 2¢ value.
George Washington. Issue of 1903, 2c
This series, particularly noted for its exceptional
ornateness and opulence of design, remained in circulation until late 1908, when it was
superseded by the Washington-Franklin Issues.
The 1 cent, 4 cent, and 5 cent denominations were issued imperforate, between 1906 and 1908. All known examples of the imperforate 4 cent
denomination were perforated with large oblong perforations (Shermack Type III)
at the sides.
1906-1908 1 cent, 4 cent, and 5 cent imperforate
The imperforate 1 cent denomination stamp is common, the 5
cent denomination stamp is scarce, and the 4 cent denomination stamp is
exceedingly rare, with only a few examples being known.
Many people complained about the originally issued 2 Cent George Washington
denomination, because of the red shading on his nose and cheek.
As a result, the US Post Office Department re-issued the 2 cent denomination in late 1903, featuring a touched-up vignette and a new frame. The new 2 cent stamps were issued perforated 12 in 1903 and imperforate in 1906.
As a result, the US Post Office Department re-issued the 2 cent denomination in late 1903, featuring a touched-up vignette and a new frame. The new 2 cent stamps were issued perforated 12 in 1903 and imperforate in 1906.
2 cent stamps were issued perforated
12 in 1903 and imperforate in 1906
These 2-cent
denomination US stamps, during their production period, approximately
1903-1911, were printed in a number of different colours. The listed colours,
noted are carmine, bright carmine, carmine lake, lake, carmine rose, and
scarlet. These stamps
also come in two types, with the most obvious feature on Type I being the outer leaf to the left of the left hand numeral "2"
breaks the outer frame line. On Type II, the leaf does not break the frame line.
The new 2-cent stamps were also issued as booklets containing panes of six
stamps. The booklet panes of this issue also come in most of the colours
noted above. By this time, the sale of stamps in booklets was becoming
more commonplace, thus they are reasonably affordable for most US stamp collectors.
Beginning in early 1908, the US Post Office
Department began experimenting with the production of postage stamps printed in coil rolls for use in vending
machines.
The 1 cent and 5 cent denominations were printed in vertical coils, perforated 12 horizontally. The 1 cent and 2 cent denominations were also printed in horizontal coils perforated 12 vertically.
The 1 cent and 5 cent denominations were printed in vertical coils, perforated 12 horizontally. The 1 cent and 2 cent denominations were also printed in horizontal coils perforated 12 vertically.
It may be safely
assumed that any unauthenticated examples of these coil stamps are probably
forgeries. Jumbo margin sheet stamps, imperforate stamps, and even stamps
from the booklet panes have been altered and passed-off as the coils. The
government-issued coil stamps are all exceedingly rare. They rarely
appear on the market, and then only occasionally are offered by the major auction
houses. Examples of these coil stamps must be authenticated to ensure
they are genuine.
The coil stamps
New
issues from other Countries
Australia
16 May 2017 : Street Art
In recent decades there
has been an explosion of art practice in the urban environments. Street art
describes public artistic expression that appears outside traditional art
venues, such as galleries. Beginning as unsanctioned graffiti in the
1980s, street art has now evolved into a sophisticated range of practices,
including stencil art, poster art, spray painting, yarn bombing and
installation art. Australia has a particularly vibrant street art culture and this
issue features four portraits by internationally respected artists painted
in the streets of Melbourne and Adelaide.
Croatia
7
June 2017 : 100th Anniversary of Lions Clubs International
13
June 2017 Israeli Music Love songs
The people of Israel love to sing songs of love: love for God, love for their homeland, love for the world, love between a man and a woman. Some of the most beautiful poetic verses about love are found in the biblical Song of Songs. The Levites sang songs of love for God in the Temple. Through good and bad, throughout the world, during the Holocaust and the subsequent revival of the Jews, in war and in peace, the Jewish people have never stopped singing love songs.
The Israel Philatelic Service has selected 12 romantic
love songs from a wide range of genres and times, songs that remind everyone of
wonderful moments.
Jersey
14 June 2017
Six stamps and a Miniature Sheet, will
be issued by Jersey Post on 14 June 2017, celebrating the legacies of famous
naturalists Gerald Durrell and Charles Darwin.
The animals and birds that feature on
the stamps are subjects of conservation projects undertaken by the Durrell
Wildlife Conservation Trust with support from the Darwin Initiative, a United
Kingdom Government grants scheme that helps to protect biodiversity and the
natural environment, and which this year celebrates its 25th anniversary. The
Miniature Sheet, which has been printed on FSC certified sycamore, features a
portrait of Charles Darwin and is the first Jersey stamp to be printed on wood.
The Durrell Wildlife Conservation
Trust was established as an international charity by naturalist and author,
Gerald Durrell OBE in 1959. It has partnered with the Darwin Initiative on many
occasions during the course of its conservation programme as Lee Durrell,
Honorary Director of Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust explains:
“The Darwin Initiative has provided
significant support to the Durrell mission for a quarter of a century, and I am
delighted to see the relationship commemorated in this set of stamps produced
by Jersey Post. The images depict the creatures we are helping to recover from
the brink of extinction, all of which are ‘typical’ Durrell species, from a
very large frog to a tiny pig – the small and less showy animals which Gerald
Durrell said, have just as much right to exist as the big, cuddly ones. Thanks
once again to Jersey Post for bringing attention to our work in this unique
way!”
Featured on the stamps are: the
mangrove finch, Livingstone’s fruit bat, Telfair’s skink, the mountain chicken,
Hispaniolan solenodon and the pygmy hog. The accompanying Miniature Sheet,
printed on FSC certified sycamore wood, features a portrait of Charles Darwin,
a source of inspiration for naturalists and conservationists all over the
world: “This is the first time a Jersey stamp has been printed on wood,”
comments Melanie Gouzinis, Head of Philatelic at Jersey Post. “We felt the
technique was a perfect fit for this issue and the fact that the wood grain can
be seen through the image means that each of the Miniature Sheets is unique.”
Latvia
16 May 2017 : My Family
The new stamp
design contest My Family –
Superteam held by Latvijas Pasts and the
parents’ organisation Mammamuntetiem.lv, the winner is Ervīns Elliņš. The winning stamp of the
contest was released on the 15th of May, the
International Day of Families, in whose honour Latvijas Pasts implemented
the concept of a parents-friendly post office in the second of its post offices.
Acknowledgement
Ananthapuri Stamp
Bulletin May 2017 from Ananthapuri Philatelic Association
Vadophil Issue No. 150
from Baroda Philatelic Society
Lighter
Side
The Grammarian’s Post Office
- Anil Dhir
I
have visited and written about unique post offices which were the smallest,
largest, and most remote and in weird spots, at high altitudes etc. Some post offices were grand, decorated with
granite columns and marble floors, while others were no bigger than a cubby
hole in the wall.
I
have also found out intriguing and interesting stories about their origins,
i.e., why the post offices were set up in these places. Most of them were set up for the business
they would generate, or as intermediate pit stops for long postal routes. Some
of them were for logistical reasons, for administrative and military purposes.
However one small post office in rural Odisha had been set up only for a
Grammarian, a school teacher who had written a set of grammar books.
The
small post office at Bari Cuttack had been first opened sometime in the early
1900’s. It lay on the important Jajpur-Kendrapada Route, and was an important
post office. It had its own building and a small attached house for the
postmaster. There were a few Branch Post Offices under it, one of them being in
the village of Kalamatia, just two kilometres away. Because of its proximity to
the main Post office, the Branch Office became defunct and was closed after
independence.
Why
the Kalamatia Branch Office was reopened and became one of the busiest post
offices of the division is a story which many postal lovers and philatelists
will find interesting.
Kedar
Chandra Mohanty was the son of a poor farmer who had studied at the small Urdu
School in Bari. He has migrated to Baripada, and being educated, was employed
by the Maharaja of Mayurbhanj. He was in the Maharaja’s service when a son was
born to him. Krupa Sindhu Mohanty, the son, was put up at the school in
Baripada and completed his Matriculation in 1947. Post- Independence, with the
merger of the princely states, his father lost his job and moved back to the
village. Young Krupa Sindhu could not study further, there were no colleges in
the vicinity and his father could not afford to send him to the Ravenshaw
College at Cuttack.
He
got a job as a teacher at the village school. He was asked to teach English to
the students and he took up the effort will all devotion and sincerity. Even
though it was a low paid job, he was soon held in great esteem by the
villagers. The simple village folk, who were generally illiterate, would gather
around him for the news of the day. He read out the newspapers to the
villagers, they believed that he was the only person who could give them up-to-date
information about what was going on in other parts of the world. He wrote
letters and other documents for them. The villagers carried their small
disputes and troubles to him. He acted as the judge, whose decisions were
generally accepted.
The
villagers had implicit faith in him. He was a courteous and polite man, the
villagers provided him with most of his needs. He was simple in dress and
habits and took pains with the students, taking special classes for them after
school hours.
In
those olden days, village school masters were very harsh and strict towards
their students. They used the rod freely and frequently, believing in the
maxim, 'Spare the rod and spoil the child.' The school children were terribly
afraid of the teachers as most of them struck terror in their hearts. But not
Krupa Sir, he was just loved by his students. He was gentle and patient, and
all that he wanted from them was that they would learn English.
He
taught English, but for his students it seemed like a nightmare. Grammar was
tough, even the students who enjoyed reading and writing had a difficult time
getting all the rules right. Don’t split infinitives. Don’t end a sentence with a preposition. Be careful to use “who” as a subject pronoun
and “whom” as an object pronoun. A bunch of words sounded the same but were
spelled differently, or a bunch of words that were spelled the same but had
different meanings, or a bunch of different words had similar meanings but
different connotations.
The
complexity of the English Grammar made it difficult to remember. His students
were a confused lot, and Krupa Sindhu was futile in all his attempts. Most of
his students failed in the class exams, and once when the District Inspector of
Schools paid a visit, the young teacher had to cut a sorry figure as his
students could not answer even the basic questions that were put to them.
It
was then that Krupa Sindhu decided to write a set of books that would help his
wards. Till then he followed the Nesfield's English Grammar, a book originally
written for students in colonial India. Nesfield’s Junior Course in English
Composition and Senior Course in English Composition had proved really
successful in the British colonies. In 1934, Wren & Martin published their
High School English Grammar and Composition, written for the children of
British officers residing in India.
However,
these books were widely adopted by Indian schools in the post-colonial era too.
Krupa Sir too followed these books, but most of it went over the heads of his students.
He
went to Cuttack to meet publishers, but none of them showed any interest in the
diminutive schoolmaster and his books. Printing of books was not an easy affair
in those times. The printing presses at Cuttack wanted cash up front and the
poorly paid Krupa Sindhu did not have the money. He sold five acres of his
agricultural land to print his first set of books. The first book that he wrote
was “The Common Knowledge in English” which he published in 1960. While writing
this Grammar book, he kept steadily in view the class of students for whom it
was written. It was written in a simple and lucid style. The experienced
teacher knew the best way to stimulate his students and used a unique approach.
I will not elaborate on the methods he adopted to drive home the correct
grammar of the English language, but his book and the later books he wrote
proved to be an immense success.
His
books contained hundreds of sentences for his students to work through, and the
randomness of these sentences amused me greatly. Krupa Sindhu knew what would
stimulate his students, something which Nesfield and Wren and Martin did not
know. Students and teachers from all over the State just could not have enough
of his books. He priced them at Rs 2/- each, which was affordable even to the
poor students. Krupa Sindhu was a happy man.
Word
of the village schoolmaster’s book spread, and many students came to him,
asking him copies of the books. Someone in the village suggested to him that he
should advertise in the newspapers, a suggestion that he took up.
In
1964, the first advertisement for his books appeared in the daily Samaj, the
premier Odia newspaper published from Cuttack.
He offered to sell the books by V.P.P; such was the deluge of response
that the Post office at Bari had to deliver sacks full of letters to his small
home. Just packing the small parcels and posting them took up most of the
school masters time.
He
soon gave up his job and opened a small bookshop in the Bari market. The
advertisement for his Grammar books would appear once every month. The sheer
deluge that followed, made the Post Master at Bari Cuttack to write to the
authorities for additional staff as they could not manage the huge amount of
mail that passed thru them, all for the village schoolmaster. More than 2500
VPP book packets were sent all over the State from the small post office every
month, and the return money orders of these packets were an additional burden.
Very
soon, the old Branch Office at Bari Kalamatia was revived, and two assistants
posted there. The new Post office was set up in a small hut right next to the
Krupa Sindhu’s house. The Grammarian would post all his parcels there;
sometimes the load was such that it has to be carried to the main post office
in a bullock cart.
The
Kalamatia Branch Post office was kept busy for the next thirty years. Krupa
Sindhu’s Grammar books kept the post office going. In 1995, the last
advertisement appeared in the “Samaj”. There had been major reforms in the
education system, grammar was no longer taught as it had been. The Government
had started to print text books, and Krupa Sir’s books were no more wanted.
When
I saw the old Grammar books, they were
brittle and frayed, as they had been were printed on thin paper and loosely
bound. Age was a factor in their condition: the first of the grammar books
dated to 1960, the later spanned the period from the 60’s to the 70’s.
Half
a dozen generation of students of Odisha, who found it difficult to travel
English Grammar's road of nouns and pronouns, adjectives and prepositions,
conjunctions and interjections, verbs
and adverbs, followed Krupa Sindhu’s books. They did not know of the role of
the small post office in the village which made it possible for them to learn
the rules of punctuation.
Krupa
Sindhu Mohanty died in 2007 at the ripe age of 80 years. His family was left
holding a huge stock of his books. Most of them were given away, his son Kedar
Chandra Mohanty reminiscences of the days when he would help his father make
the book packets which went all over the State and country. Money Orders and VPP have become things of
the past, but the small post office at Kalamatia still exists.
I
had come to know of the background of this little post office from Shashank
Das, an intrepid collector who has the largest collection of different
newspapers in the country. Shashank is from the same village. We had to make
three trips to the village; the books were collected from his son and a few
other villagers, the newspaper advertisements from the State Archives. We even
met many persons in their sixties who remembered and cherished the grammar
books; some of them had even preserved them for years. As for the little
village post office, it still exists in a small room in the village school
where the grammarian once taught.
-Anil Dhir : email : anildhir2k5@hotmail.com
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