Return to Blogging

It has been almost a year since I posted my last blog. From this day on I am thinking of returning back to active blogging on the subject I love most. Periodically I will be posting new blogs, pictures, and scans on interesting topics on philately.

I hope to get favorable response from my followers around the world

Hindu Deities in Stamps from Usa-postage.com

Just last night I received an email from a prominent philatelist in USA on an innovative philatelic product. It is postage stamp depicting 7 different religious deities from Hinduism. Usa-postage.com has created 7 spiritual designs targeted to the Indian community in the United States. These stamps, available on high quality paper are adhesive-backed postage are produced using advanced printing technology within a short time frame. The pictures are of Sai baba, Lord Venkateshwara, Lakshmi, Murugan, Vinayaka, Shiva – Parvathi and Sri Krishna. Each stamp has denomination of US 0.44 cents. They all are available on 20 stamp commemorative sheets.

I had seen custom designed postage stamps from the US as it is becoming more and more common but to see Hindu gods and goddess in stamps, it has been something of a different experience! Let us see how popular these stamps are going to be in the days to come.

1996 Nepalese Birds and Butterflies Stamps

On November 20, 1996, a commemorative stamp in se tenant block of four was issued by the Postal Authority of Nepal on butterflies and birds found in Nepal. This mini sheet consisted of 16 stamps. This was by and far one of the most beautiful stamps on fauna issued by the Government of Nepal. The stamps have painting of two butterflies (Papilio krishna) known as Krishna Peacock, and Northern Jungle Queen (Sticopthalma camadeva) as well as two birds Sarus Crane (Grus antigone) and Great Himalayan Barbet (Megalaima virens) with Himalayan mountains, hills and a lake in the backdrop. The design is subtle yet colorful. Any stamps that are colorful, bold in color and have detailed art work are truly beautiful to me. There are lots of beautiful stamps out there from Nepal on various topics and themes but this one can be classified as eye catching and is a top notch.

Printing of these stamps was done in Government Printing Office, Vienna, Austria. Each stamp has denomination of Nepalese five Rupees. The stamps are printed in stamp paper by litho process. The perforation for the stamp is 14 x 14 while the size of each stamp is 30 mm x 40 mm.

Picture of se tenant block is courtesy of rajan.com.

Logo of Trinidad and Tobago Postal Corporation

Have you ever noticed logo of postal corporations or postal authorities? There are always interesting facts and stories about it. If you take closer look at the official logo of Postal Corporation of Trinidad and Tobago, it consists of a red colored bird adjoining TT POST. Do you know what bird is it? If you live in South America or Caribbean, you would easily know its name. It is a Hummingbird common to the gardens and landscape in many parts of the New World. Yes, Hummingbirds are small yet colorful birds that live on flower nectar. There are 337 species of hummingbirds worldwide and out of which 21 species are found in Trinidad and Tobago. Not only the do they adorn the Postal Authority logo of Trinidad and Tobago but they have appeared on TT$ 20.00 bank notes as well.

The wings of these minute birds flap so fast that the birds look as if they are suspended and hover in mid air. These birds are the only family of birds that can fly backwards and some of them migrate during the winter months. They have unusual long beaks to be used to suck sweet nectar from flowers.

Happy Holidays

The Holiday season is here. It is the time of giving, sharing and bringing out our joy. I see happiness and celebration everywhere. I can see the eyes of little children gleaming and twinkling with enjoyment and expectation as their parents buy the gifts that the kids have wished for. It is certainly a nice time of the year and I feel that I am a child again on December 25th when I open my gifts!

Most of the stamp collectors I am sure are getting Philately related gifts like I am. I mean, what is Christmas without one more addition to our ever expanding collection or what is Christmas without sets of nice thematic folders, right? I think I already know what I am getting this year !

Even better during the holidays are the Christmas stamps that are issued all over the world. I enjoy getting Christmas cards with nice Christmas stamps on the envelope, but the problem nowadays is that many of my friends are opting more and more for e cards and holiday emails. I do not get that many cards like I used to but receiving some of those regular Christmas cards are always enjoyable.

For me, it has been a good year as far as Stamp collection is concerned. I moved to a new country and still trying to collect some stamps from Trinidad and Tobago. I have long list of friends to whom I need to send the stamps from Trinidad and Tobago. I also started blogging recently and I am still learning as I go along. I hope to blog frequently in 2010 with new information, ideas and stories to tell you.

Before I sign off, I would like to wish you MERRY CHRISTMAS, and Happy Holidays. Enjoy the holidays, stay safe, and if you get a free time from your family and friends, think about what you are going to do something new for the year 2010 in terms of collection. I always look forward for the time alone by myself when I go through my collection.

God Bless.

STAMPS AND 1ST DAY COVER "WILD ORCHIDS OF BRUNEI DARUSSALAM SERIES-2

Brunei Darussalam is well known for its diverse natural environment and rich rainforest. In this regard, the Postal Services Department through its Philatelic Unit today issued stamps and 1st day cover called "Wild Orchids of Brunei Darussalam Series Two".

The public can obtain the stamps in the denomination of one dollar, 20 cents and 10 cents at all postal offices throughout the country. Meanwhile 1st day cover with stamps is priced at $1.95 while without stamps costs 45 cents. Stamp collectors as well as SODA and SODA kids members can also purchased the souvenir pack and completed pack for $5 dollars and $10.45 respectively. They also can place their booking at the postal counters. Stamp booklet, postcards, maximum cards and key holders carrying the thematic stamps are also available for sale. The 1st series of Wild Orchid of Brunei Darussalam was issued in October this year. For more information, click here.

Stamp on Pillars of Ashoka from Nepal

The Edicts of Ashoka are a collection of 33 inscriptions on the Pillars of Ashoka, as well as boulders and cave walls, made by the Emperor Ashoka of the Mauryan dynasty during his reign from 272 to 231 BC. These inscriptions are dispersed throughout the areas of modern-day Pakistan, Nepal and India, and represent the first tangible evidence of Buddhism. The edicts describe in detail the first wide expansion of Buddhism through the sponsorship of one of the most powerful kings of Indian history. According to the edicts, the extent of Buddhist proselytism during this period reached as far as the Mediterranean, and many Buddhist monuments were created. For more from M.DAMODHAR.RAO's blog.

Image courtesy of Rajan.com