Stamp of Ganesh outside India

A postcard of India Post with Lord Ganesh image printed on it and stamps and First Day covers of Indonesia and Thailand collected by Visakhapatnam-based Commander (Retd.) G. Sri Rama Rao.

Devotion to the elephant-headed god is not limited to India. A number of countries, including the U.S., Thailand, and Sri Lanka, have issued postage stamps on Lord Ganesha, says city-based philatelist Commander (Retd.) G. Sri Rama Rao.

Digging out his collection of theme-based stamps, he noted that Indonesia issued a stamp on Ganesha on April 1, 1994.

He has in his collection the stamps issued by Nepal and Sri Lanka, and the one issued by Laos on February 5, 1971. The U.S. Post has also issued a stamp featuring Ganesha.

The Czech Republic has issued a First Day cover with the stamp of Shiva, Parvathi, and Ganesha, and cancellation of Ganesha on February 21, 2007.

Thailand’s First Day cover has Hindu gods — Ganesha, Brahma, Narayana, and Shiva. It has also issued a stamp of Lord Shiva, father of Lord Ganesha, on June 2, 2009, the philatelist, who has a vast collection, points out.

“The spirit of celebration of Lord Ganesha’s birthday as a community festival was promoted by freedom fighter Bal Gangadhar Tilak to bring unity among members of society in Maharashtra. Today, it is not only celebrated at home but also as a community festival,” Sri Rama Rao said.

Bimetallic coin

Numismatist Dowrupalli Satya Buddu had taken a new concept of highlighting the significance of Vinayaka Chaviti.

Bringing one of his collections – a ten-baht bimetallic coin of Thailand with engraving of Lord Ganesh on one side and H.M. King Vajiravuj Rama VI on the other, Mr. Satya Buddu said that the coin, that has a brass centre in copper-nickel ring, was issued in 2012 in Thailand.