Indian Themes on Foreign stamps…

 

 

On 28 January 2013, UNPA issued a "Greetings from New York" personalized stamp sheet. The sheet is composed of ten US$ 1.10 denominated stamps which feature various pictures of United Nations Headquarters. The background of the sheet shows a picture of the UN General Assembly building.

One of the 1.10 stamp depicts the India Flag.

Kenneth Sequeira – Dubai (UAE)

email : kenneth.sequeira@hotmail.com

New Blogs and Websites

 

Rajpipla State Post : http://www.rajpiplapost.com/

The Website has been created by Mr Prashant Pandya of Vadodara.The stamps and Postal History of Rajpipla State  can be viewed on the Website. The Website gives complete details about its stamps postal stationery, Revenue stamps and other philatelic items related with the state. 

Rajpipla is a town in the Narmada district of Gujarat.It was the capital of the former Kingdom of Rajpipla.Rajpipla State, which had an area of 1517 square miles, was founded in about AD.1470 by Chokarana, son of the Raja of Ujjain, who left that place after a quarrel with his father and established himself about 150 miles to the west in the hills at Pipla. Later the capital moved to Nandod - which was renamed Rajpipla in 1947. One of Chokarana's grandsons founded Bhavnagar State in Kathiawar. After the Mogul period of rule the State became tributary to Baroda.

Club News

Auction

ITS Postal Auction No.60

Last Date: 13th April 2013

Indian Thematic Society
MIG # 3464, Phase Two, Dugri Rd, Ludhiana – 141 013
Phone: +91 161 2521244 Mobile: +91 98728 51244
http://indianthematicstamps.webs.com/ OR http://itsstampnews.blogspot.com/

Emails: indianthematicsociety@gmail.com OR  surajjaitly@hotmail.com

Scans of some lots are available at http://www.flickr.com/photos/its_offers/

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Dubai International Holy Quran Award..

 

Indian theme on foreign stamps

 

Dubai International Holy Quran Award

Sheikh Mohammed established the Dubai International Holy Quran Award (DIHQA) in 1998  following instructions from Sheikh Maktoum bin Rashid Al Maktoum.

Annually, the DIHQA is given to people who memorise and recite the Quran. In addition, an Islamic Personality of the Year Award is presented to an eminent Muslim personality or an outstanding Islamic organisation.

The Award was established in order to encourage young Muslims to memorise and understand the Holy Quran, and to spread the Quranic values of peace and love.

Each competition of the DIHQA commences on the first day of the Holy Month of Ramazan. During the first week, Muslim scholars deliver lectures on a variety of Islamic and ideological issues. Between the 8th and the 18th  day of Ramazan, the Holy Quran Recitation and Memorisation Contest (Hifz) takes place, with a panel testing six to eight contestants daily. Only one contestant per country can participate in the memorisation competition.

The awards ceremony takes place on the 20th day of Ramazan under Sheikh Mohammed's patronage.

Emirates Post released a set of commemorative stamps in 2000. The 50 fils stamp features  India Flag on the medal strap which shows flags of different nations.

: Kenneth Sequeira – Dubai (UAE)

email : kenneth.sequeira@hotmail.com

From our Readers…

Special Cover

On 11-03-2013, Vadodara celebrated the 150 years of Birth Anniversary Celebration of Maharaja Sayajirao Gaekwad III ( end of year long celebrations ).

Mr Timir Shah of Vadodara  designed sp. cover on this occasion.  Special  cover is cancelled with Permanent Pictorial Cancellation of Equestrian Statue of Maharaja Sayajirao Gaekwad  III popularly known as "Kala Ghoda" near Sayaji Garden, Vadodara.

 

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Indian theme on foreign stamps…

 

The Diamond Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II was a multinational celebration throughout 2012 marking the 60th anniversary of the accession of Queen Elizabeth II to the thrones upon the death of her father, King George VI , on 6 February 1952. She is today queen of 16 sovereign states, 12 of which were British colonies or Dominions at the start of her reign. Queen Victoria is the only other monarch in the histories of the United Kingdom, Canada,Australia, New Zealand and a few other Commonwealth realms to have celebrated a Diamond Jubilee, which she did in 1897.

 

To mark this occasion, St.Kitts released a set of 5 stamps and 2 MS on Oct 1st 2012. One of 10c stamp depicts the Indian Flag among other commonwealth countries.

- Kenneth Sequeira : email : kenneth.sequeira@hotmail.com

Club News

New special Cover

ANATHAPEX-2013 - District Philatelic Exhibition, Trivandrum District concluded on 01-03-2013. Shri A. Govindarajan, director of Postal Services(HQ), Trivandrum released a Special Cover on State Central Library, Thiruvananthapuram on 01-03-2013.

STATE CENTRAL LIBRARY, THIRUVANANTHAPURAM - Established in 1829, during the reign of His Highness Swathi Thirunal Maharaja of Travancore, the State Central Library, Thiruvananthapuram(also known as the Public Library), is one of the oldest libraries in India.  The Kerala Government took over the Library in 1948, and in 1958 it was declared the State Central Library.  Since 1900 the Public Library is housed in a beautiful, gothic style heritage building in the heart of the Capital, it has many rare books and gazettes.  It is the first State Library to be fully computerised in the country.

: Sreejesh Krishnan, Trivandrum : email : sreejesh.nt@gmail.com

 

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France – Sweden Joint Issue…

The joint issue between France and Sweden honors the Opera Garnier in Paris and the Opera House of Stockholm as well as a French opera composer and a dramatic historic event in Stochholm. The background of the French block shows the staircase of the Opera Garnier. The Sweden block’s background illustrates the hall of the Opera House.

The first joint stamp features a portrait of Daniel Francois Esprit Auber, French composer, born in Caen January 29, 1782 and died in Paris May 12, 1871. He composed the opera "Gustav III, or The Masked Ball".

The second stamp evokes Olof Westring, principal dancer at the Royal Swedish Ballet, in the role of Gustav III in a ballet with the same name from 2008.

"Masked Ball" is a historic opera in five acts retracing and depicting the last hours of Gustave III and his murder. The opera had its premier in the theater of the Royal Academy of Music, Paris on February 27, 1833.

Club News

Niyogi Books Unfurls National Flag through Philately

New Delhi 20^th December, 2012

Jawhar Sircar, Chief Executive Officer, Prasar Bharati released Niyogi Books’s latest publication, ‘The Indian National Flag Unfurled through Philately’ on 20th December 2012 in New Delhi. Lt Cdr. K V Singh, CEO, Flags Federation of India was the Guest of Honour on the occasion. The Book tells a fascinating history of the National Flag through the medium of flags and stamps.

Written by Sekhar Chakrabarti, an acclaimed philatelist, the book on Indian stamps is a fine blend of painstaking research of philately and lucid pictures of flags, which led to the Indian National Flag’s birth. The pictures trace an account of the early Indian rulers; the European colonizers; the struggle for independence etc. to arrive at the tricolor. Interestingly, the book also focuses on flags’ role in the field of sports and other disciplines.

The author has discussed etiquettes and protocols concerning flags. The publication contains 348 visuals of different flags. There are pictures of rare first day covers, Cinderella Labels, miniature sheets, sheer watermarks, autographed commemorative stamps and other postal stationery.

The history of flags in India may be traced even before the time of the Mahabharata, says the author. The word ketu mentioned in the Rig Veda is taken by scholars to stand for ‘flag’. He has researched to reconstruct the history of flags in India. Chakrabarti weaves the colourful history of Indian flags gathering date primarily from philatelic material.

The history of India’s national flag is the history of India’s trials and tribulations, sorrows and sacrifices, and the vision to build a better nation and, therefore, the publication can safely be called a maiden attempt to present accurately and completely the various aspects of India’s national flag—its link with the ancient past, and its direct relation with the thought processes that it had presented during various stages of nation-building. The book brings alive the history of India’s national flag, flag related events and personalities through stamps and other collectibles. A must read for stamp collectors and philatelists’ prize possession.

The publication is another feather in the cap of Sekhar Chakrabarti, who began collecting stamps in the early 1960s. His collection, ‘Flags on Stamps’ has been highly appreciated and has brought laurels to the country from several international stamps exhibitions. He has curated philatelic exhibitions on Rabindra Nath Tagore in Kolkata and Cairo. Chakrabarti has also served as a jury member at several philatelic exhibitions organized by Post & other philatelic organizations.

 

The Indian National Flag Unfurled Through Philately

By  Sekhar Chakrabarti

Publisher: Niyogi Books

172 Pages, 348 Visuals

Price: Rs. 495/-

For additional information please contact:

Virendra Kumar, 9810068317,niyogibooks@gmail.com

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75th Anniversary of the First World Philatelic Exhibition

Serbia Post issued a postage stamp to commemorate 75th anniversary of the First Word Philatelic Exhibition

First earthly philatelic exhibition (ZEFIB) was held in Belgrade from 12 to 29 September 1937 in the organization of Yugoslav philatelic union, which had at that time 26 members (companies) with 1150 registered philatelists. The exhibition was held in the building of the new University (Philology faculty today) on the King's square number 3 (Student's square today), while the grand opening was held at the big hall of the old University (Captain Misa's building) with the great number of guests, ministers, ambassadors and king's emissary.

150 exhibitors participated in the exhibition, of that 70 from Yugoslavia and 80 from abroad: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Denmark, Egypt, Lithuania, Luxemburg, Hungary, Germany, Poland, USA, France, Holland, Czechoslovakia and Switzerland, which made this exhibition international. Pursuant to the Exhibition Regulations, it was allowed to exhibit: "state issued postage stamps of all kind, units, imprints, documents from pre-philatelic period, stamps of local and private post offices, telegraphic and railway stamps, drawings, essays, proofs, counterfeits, fantasy stamps, literature, philatelic kit and other objects related to philately". At the end of the exhibition gold, silver and bronze medals were awarded, and within the exhibition the exchange of stamps was organized according to the special Regulations.

Indian Theme on foreign stamps… Indian Flag

                                                                                                - Kenneth Sequeira

The Pacific Islands Forum 

  

 

The Pacific Islands Forum is an inter-governmental organization that aims to enhance cooperation between the independent countries of the Pacific Ocean. The Pacific Islands Forum was founded in 1971 as the South Pacific Forum. In 2000, the name was changed to the Pacific Islands Forum to better reflect the geographic location of its members in the north and south Pacific.

The Pacific Islands Forum is a political grouping of 16 independent and self-governing states. 
Members include Australia, Cook Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Fiji, Kiribati, Nauru, New Zealand, Niue, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Republic of Marshal Islands, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu and Vanuatu.

New Caledonia and French Polynesia, previously Forum Observers, were granted Associate Membership in 2006.

Forum Observers include Tokelau, Wallis and Futuna , the Commonwealth , the United Nations, the Asia Development Bank , the World Bank , the ACP Group , American Samoa , Guam  and the Commomwealth of the Northern Marianas , with Timor Leste as Special Observer .

Since 1989, the Forum has held Post Forum Dialogues with key Dialogue Partners at Ministerial level. There are currently 14 partners – Canada, People’s Republic of China, European Union, France, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Republic of Korea, Malaysia, Philippines, Thailand, United Kingdom and the United States.

Mission is to ensure the effective implementation of the Leaders’ decisions for the benefit of the people of the Pacific.

Goals are to stimulate economic growth and enhance political governance and security for the region, through the provision of policy advice; and to strengthen regional cooperation and integration through coordinating, monitoring and evaluating implementation of Leaders’ decisions.

In 2012, Cook Islands (22nd Aug) & Kingdom of Tonga (31st Aug) released 2 sheetlets of 30 stamps. One having the flags of the 16 members & one having the flag of the 14 dialogue partners including the India Flag.

The QR Code (Bar code) when scanned with a smart phone will take you to the official Forum website. This feature is present only on the Cook Islands sheetlet.

The official coin for the forum is also depicted on the sheet.  This feature is also present only on the Cook Islands sheetlet.

The centre image of 4 pieces of puzzle fit together . Each piece has a verbiage making the 4 pillars of the forum that's crucial to help strengthen the countries.

These Sheetlets, FDC can be purchased at www.cookislandsstampbureau.com  & www.tongastamp.com  or email: lazar@philateliccollector.com

- Kenneth Sequeira - email : kenneth.sequeira@hotmail.com

 

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New Books on Philately…

 

The Indian National Flag unfurled through Philately  - by Sekhar Chakrabarti

 

From Our Readers…

The Indian National Flag unfurled through Philately  - by Sekhar Chakrabarti

This is an outstanding publication contains rich information, very intense work by the the author Mr. Sekhar Chakrabarty, a well known philatelist of international repute, true stamp lover since childhood. 

The author has left no stone to put down his years of work and research on such well illustrated / presented handy book,  which should be read with pride by every citizen, stamp lovers and  philatelist.

The publisher Niyogi book deserve appreciation for nicely publishing this book well presented.

- Pradip Jain, Patna

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Nepal - Israel Joint Issue …

 

Hi  !

Here is the Nepal stamp of Nepal Israel Joint issue. Yesterday I published Israel stamp of this joint issue. It’s a wonderful issue featuring flags and great land marks of the two nations. My thanks to Dr Eli Moallem of Israel who sent details about this stamp issue !! It is a wonderful collectible item for all collectors featuring Mount Everest and Dead Sea !! A stamp to be fit  for Themes on  Tourism, Joint issues  Flags and to be included in several other themes !!

This is all for this Morning…More in Next Post..Have a great festive Time !!

 

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Israel – Nepal Joint issue..

 

Date of Issue : 4 September 2012

Israel Post issued a  postage stamp on 4th September featuring Dead Sea and Mount Everest. This is Israel Nepal joint issue.Over the years, the two countries have created a diverse network of cooperation and close ties in various areas. Nepal is located in the Himalaya Mountains and includes Mt. Everest - the earth’s highest mountain, and Israel is home to the lowest place on earth - the Dead Sea.

This is a beautiful joint issue and a wonderful item for those   collecting  on  Tourism, Flags and Joint issue themes !!

The Dead Sea

422 meters below sea level, the Lowest Place on Earth

The Dead Sea is a salt lake located in eastern Israel. The Kingdom of Jordan lies on its eastern border. The Dead Sea - a national and worldwide natural treasure - is the largest spa in the world, drawing tourists and extreme sports fans. The Dead Sea’s hyper salinity provides a unique floating experience and the health benefits of the minerals found in its water and mud are immense. It is a breathtakingly beautiful area which includes wadis, cliffs and an extraordinary zoological and botanical population. The Dead Sea and the surrounding area have great religious and historic significance and represent a turbulent chapter in the history of Eretz Israel.

Mt. Everest

8,848 meters above sea level, the Highest Place on Earth

Mt. Everest is located in the eastern portion of the Himalaya Mountains, on the border between Nepal and Tibet. Most of the mountain lies in Tibet, while the southern portion is located within the borders of the Sagarmatha National Park in Nepal.

Private Special Covers on Jainism

 

: Sanjiv Jain, Dehradun - email : jainsanjiv@live.com

 

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Indian National Flag unfurled through Philately..

 

The Indian National Flag unfurled through Philately

By Sekhar Chakrabarti

 

 

A new book by noted philatelist Mr Sekhar Chakrabarti, "The Indian National Flag unfurled through Philately" has just been published by Niyogi Books, New Delhi.

This book in the form of possibly the first and only authoritative book on the history of the Indian National flag, exposed through philatelic articles, till date.... This book is a must-read for those who are interested in Indian history and those who are curious about the Indian National flag, its background, development and true meaning...

For details Contact : Niyogi Publishers website : http://www.niyogibooks.com/

Prof Bharati Roy, Vice President, Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR), Govt of India says, "Sekhar Chakrabarti's innovative book "The Indian National Flag unfurled through Philately" tells us the fascinating history of the Indian flag through the medium of stamps. It is a fine blend of painstaking research and a dedicated pursuit of philately. The stamps reveal a visual message from the past and the text lucidly transports us through the process by which the Indian national flag had its birth. I congratulate the author for giving us this treasure of a book".

Prof. Dipak Ranjan Das, Former Professor & Head, Dept. of Ancient History & Culture, Calcutta University, Member: West Bengal Heritage Commission says;  “Mr Sekhar Chakrabarti, an acclaimed philatelist, has taken upon himself the challenging task of narrating the history of Indian flags from the days of yore, deriving information from an unconventional source. It is like the bow of Ulysses which could not be drawn by any weaker hand. He weaves the colourful history of Indian flags gathering data primarily from philatelic materials. The successful completion of this daring venture earns for Mr Chakrabarti a permanent niche in the world of historians engaged in vexillological research”.

The author may be contacted at email : sekhar.chakrabarti@gmail.com

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BILATERAL PHILATELIC EXHIBITION POLAND GERMANY "KARGOWA 2012"

 

Date of Issue : 6 September 2012

6-9 September : KARGOWA 2012 Kargowa, Poland : Bilateral exhibition Poland & Germany

Polish Post will issue a postage stamp to commemorate KARGOWA 2012 . The symbolic design of the stamps is very nice with flag strips of both Poland and Germany.

Club News

My stamp with Football Tournament logo released in Jammu and Kashmir

As a part of the inauguration of All India Postal Football Tournament 2012, the First lady of Jammu and Kashmir released a My Stamp with the logo of the Football Tournament. The My Stamp is ready for sale to all the philatelists in various templates.

The price for each sheet of My stamp is Rs 300 and orders can be placed with Philately division, CPMG Office, J&K Circle, Srinagar along with cheque payable to Senior Postmaster, Srinagar GPO. Dispatch will be made through Speed Post Insured service (Package and speed post charges Rs 100) 

My Stamps with the logo of the Tournament will be supplied by the Philately division of J&K within three days of receipt of the orders received along with the payment.

Night Post office service at Srinagar GPO

Further, effective 1st September 2012, Srinagar GPO becomes a night Post office functioning unto 8 pm on week days and functioning from 10 am to 6 pm on Sundays and Holidays. Dr Farooq Abdullah, Minister of New and Renewable Energy inaugurated the service at Srinagar GPO premises.

: Pradip Jain - Patna

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Result - 2012 Youth Activity Contest by BNAPS

 

Hi !

Here are the results of a Stamp Essay contest, organized by The British North America Philatelic Society. If the winners or their parents are watching this blog, they are requested to send the photos of the kids whose names appear in the award list given below for publication on this blog and Rainbow Stamp News !!

Many Congratulations to all the children who participated in this contest !!

 

 

WINNERS ANNOUNCED FOR BNAPS’ 2012 STAMP ESSAY CONTEST

The British North America Philatelic Society has announced the winners of its 2012 Youth Activity Contest. Youth were asked to write a short essay about a meaningful philatelic symbol of their country with the stamp(s) affixed to the report. Prizes were awarded to four age groups: 6-8, 9-11, 12-14 and 15-18.

First place winners in each category received $25. They were:

Nina Goyette, age 8, Greendale, WI – Abigail Adams
Olivia Keenan, age 10, Wauwatosa, WI – Boston Tea Party
Prarthita Jain, age 14, Balod Chattisgarh – Rabindranath Tagore
Archita Nigam, age15, Balod Chattisgarh – Hawa Mahal

Other winners are :

Chitturi Vamsi, Hyderabad, India,

Chinmay Anil Nawlakhe, Bhandara, India,

Claire Natiez, Taylors, SC,

Thomas Devine, Janesville, WI,

David Devine, Janesville, WI,

Sara Yahr, West bend, WI,

Shikhar Deep, Shamshi, Kullu - India.

The contest reflects BNAPS’ on-going commitment to encourage young collectors. The four winning essays can be viewed at Youth Activity Contest on BNAPS website.
Entrants also received a packet of stamps.

Youth were asked to find one or more stamps that are a meaningful symbol of their country. Examples include flags, monuments, and other objects of historical significance. The stamp(s) were to be affixed to the page along with an essay of less than 250 words. The written article should explain why the (flag, monument, historical item) is an important symbol for their country. The essays could be handwritten or typed, double space is preferred. The essay to be the original thoughts of the entrant.

Prizes will be awarded by age group: 6 – 8, 9 – 11, 12 – 14, 15 – 18. Monetary awards of $25, $10, and $5 will be awarded respectively to first, second, and third place winners in each age group. Winners will also receive a philatelic prize. The first 100 entries will receive a free packet of stamps.

Click here for the BNAPS 2012 Contest Winners

Click here for the BNAPS 2011 Contest Winners

Essay Contest entry by Shikhar Deep

Flag – The symbol of my country

Indian Flag, the first stamp of independent India, was released on 21 Nov 1947.

 

Indian Flag on other Indian stamps

   

Indian flag on foreign stamps

India is a diverse country with several religions. Our national flag or the tri-colour represents strength and unity of our country . I am a citizen of India and I am proud of my country . I am so glad that I am born in India. The National flag of India is a horizontal rectangular tricolour of deep saffron, white and green with the Ashok Chakra, a 24-spoke wheel, in navy blue at its centre. The flag was designed by Pingali Venkayya, an agriculturist from Andhra Pradesh.

Spiritual symbolism - The flag is colored with saffron as the top band, white band in the centre, dark green band at the bottom and a navy blue Asokha Chakra placed at the centre of the white band , Spinning Ashoka Chakra represents the eternal wheel of law.. The deep saffron colors shows courage and sacrifice. The white color symbolizes for peace, unity and truth. The green color shows the culture and fertility. The Chakra ( wheel) has 24 spokes, representing the 24 hours in a day.

Religious symbolism- When the flag was being designed, Hinduism and Islam were the two major religions. Saffron represented Hinduism and green stood for Islam. White represented the minority religions.

It is a brave soul that carries the tricolor’s fervor on his/her sleeve! It represents our country and its culture !! . It also represents the soul of my country which is “Unity in Diversity” .

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