The Hindu : Tamil Nadu / Chennai News : Philatelic expo to feature rare stamps

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Tuesday, Jan 01, 2008
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Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu - Chennai

Philatelic expo to feature rare stamps

Special Correspondent

CHENNAI: “Penny Black,” the world’s first postal stamp, “Scinde Dawk,” India’s maiden stamp, and a set of four stamps on Mahatma Gandhi printed in Switzerland and issued by the Indian Government on the first anniversary of Independence will be among the rare stamps to be displayed at the five-day national philatelic exhibition beginning here on Wednesday.

In all, more than one lakh stamps will be on display. More than 20,000 album sheets will be mounted on 1,300 philatelic frames. Three hundred and seventy philatelists from all over the country are taking part in the exhibition, which Union Minister for Communications and Information Technology A. Raja will declare open at Rani Meyyammai and Raja Muthiah Halls off Commander-in-Chief Road.

Four stamps, portraying colourful butterflies of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, and a book, “1857 through Indian Postage Stamps,” will be released at the inauguration.

Hosted by the Tamil Nadu Postal Circle for the first time, the exhibition is organised by the department, together with the Philatelic Congress of India and the South India Philatelists Association, according to Indira Krishna Kumar, Principal Chief Postmaster- General, Tamil Nadu Circle.

Seminar

On the inaugural day, a seminar on modern trends in philately will be held. For the five days, there will be workshops for the learners, a State-level quiz for the winners of the regional-level contests, an on-the-spot painting competition for students, cultural programmes and Kavi sammelans. Special postal covers focussing on maritime, art, heritage and technology will be released.

Sales booths

Ms. Krishna Kumar said 50 sales booths of stamp dealers would be put up at the venue. An extension counter of the Philatelic Bureau of the Anna Salai Head Post Office would sell the special covers with cancellations.

On Sunday, Minister of State for Communications Shakeel Ahmad would give away awards to the winners of different contests.

The exhibition would be open to the public from 10.30 a.m. to 7 p.m. Every day, each visitor would be assured of a gift. “We would like to attract children and youth to the exhibition,” Ms. Krishna Kumar said.

Since Independence, the department has issued 50 thematic stamps and 82 stamps, all relating to Tamil Nadu. The Postal Directorate has recently approved stamps on Udumalai Narayana Kavi, A.T. Panneerselvam and Thillaiyadi Valliammai, according to S. Balasundaram, officer on special duty for the national philatelic exhibition.

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