BHUBANESWAR: The first-ever ‘Odisha Stamp Mela - 2012’ will get underway here from January 7.
It will be organised jointly by Eastern India Philatelists’ Association (EIPA), Utkal Philatelist, Odisha Philatelic Association (OPA), Postal Department and Numismatics Association (NA).
Around 25 dealers from across India and a dealer from Bangladesh will participate in the exhibition. The focus of the exhibition will be to revive the stamp collection hobby among youths and children.
Earlier, quiz, stamp collection and designing competitions were held among students. The winners will exhibit their stamp collections at the two-day Mela too. Bibhudatta Mishra, organising secretary of the Mela, and a philatelist himself, told the media here that the initiative to organise this kind of exhibition should have been taken by the Postal Department.
The stamps on display will be from across the world. A few rare stamps, like the Penny Black __ world’s first adhesive postage stamp used in a public postal system __ will be on display. It was issued in Britain on May 1, 1840, for official use from May 6 of that year. Another stamp __ Scinde Dawk __ stated to be the first stamp of Asia, will also be showcased. Stamps will also go under the hammer. One of the dealers from Kolkata will be organising an auction of 100 stamps.
The students visiting the exhibition will get a unique opportunity to exchange their stamps or get them valued by experts.
Anil Dhir, member of EIPA, explained that a stamp is a reflection of the journey of a country through a period of time. It also throws light on the country’s currency and economy through years.