VISAKHAPATNAM : Philatelists displayed thousands of postal stamps at the two-day exhibition, organised by the Department of Post, that began on Friday.
The stamps were from the pre-Independence era to the present year which were collected by schoolchildren, senior citizens and others.
The collection of both the definite and commemorative stamps based on themes were on display. The themes included culture, festivals, animals, birds, politicians and freedom fighters.
“I have been collecting stamps since 1985 when I was in class six and I want my daughters to carry it forward. My daughters, wife also collect stamps,” said TV Ramakrishna, a philatelist.
The family in total have displayed over 1,500 stamps and around 100 first day covers.
“My elder daughter and me have ‘Freedom Struggle of India’ collection. I collected a few from post office and a few from others who share similar interest. Whereas, my wife has the collection of pre-Independence and my younger daughter displayed commemorative stamps. At home, we have over 15,000 stamps, including those of the pre-British era,” said Ramakrishna.
At some counters, philatelists exhibited stamps not only of the country but of SAARC nations and many philatelists thronged the counter to add more to the collections. “I recently discovered the love for stamps and I have been collecting them for the last two months when I saw my cousin’s collection. The colourful stamps have really attracted me and I have come here along with my grandfather to add more to my collection,” said M Sparshika, a fifth standard student of Little Angels School.
On the concluding day on Saturday, the students up to standard 10 will be awarded three prizes depending on their collections.