In that tiny space, they manage to get across the message, needless to say, rather effectively. A mere quick glance and one gets a peep into a country, its society and culture. And there they are, in hundreds doing just that. A splendid collection of stamps — old, rare, beautiful, detailed — from different periods and on different subjects can be viewed at the majestic Red Fort.
Jointly organised by Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) and Department of Posts the exhibition is called “Stamp of the Past: Indian Heritage in Philately”.
“Besides preserving and conserving, ASI has to carry out the job of raising awareness about the heritage and sensitising the youth towards culture,” says Urmila Sant, Director, (Museum and Exhibition).
The collection — the major chunk comes from DoP, then from the ASI and five philatelists — includes stamps, first day covers, miniature sheets. In order to enable visitors to view the full details, ASI has created digital blow ups.
According to Sant, there are several special stamps. One, a commemorative stamp released by ASI in its centenary year, depicts the Kalibangan seal.
Two hundred and forty five stamps have been culled out of various periods and mirror those times. The Taj Mahal figures in around five stamps.
“The oldest stamp here is that of the Old Fort released in 1931. We were quite keen on pre-independence stamps but it didn't materialise somehow. But we also invited philatelists to showcase some treasures from their collection. The 1931 stamp is from Ajay Kumar Mittal's collection. And the latest is the stamp on Taj Mahal, we released to celebrate ASI's 150 years. There is a miniature sheet and a first day cover of it as well.”
Stamps on built heritage — temples, forts, monuments and pre-historic sites like Dholavira and Khajuraho — form the collection. There are joint issues — stamps released by two countries to commemorate the same topic — too. While Indo-China issue has Bodh Gaya on it, Indo-Iran issue has the revered poet-saints of the two countries: Kabir and Hafiz.
Bottomline: A peep into a country, its society and culture
Stamp of the Past: Indian Heritage in Philately at the Red Fort is on till July 17.
