“For Indians, the post office is synonymous with home as it is called ‘daak ghar (post home)’ and not ‘daftar’ (office) in Hindi.” This observation by Alok Sharma, Director General Department of Post, resonated with almost everyone present at the launch of commemorative postal stamps on Nari Shakti and Bridal Costumes of India on the second day of Amritpex 2023, organised by India Post. This National Philatelic Exhibition, which is part of the government’s Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav Azadi, commenced on February 11—it was inaugurated by Ashwini Vaishnaw, Minister of Railways, Communications, and Electronics & Information Technology—and will continue till February 15 at the Capital’s Pragati Maidan. The Curtain Raiser Ceremony was held at Delhi University’s Miranda House Auditorium on February 3.
Marking a celebration
The Amritpex 2023 celebrations are centred on five themes—Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav, Women Power, Youth Power, Nature and Wildlife, and Culture and History. Referred to as the Maha Kumbh of stamp collection, the exhibition is complemented with several seminars, workshops, panel discussions, stalls, and performances.
Twelve postage stamps on Nari Shakti and Bridal Costumes were released on day two of the event, to honour and celebrate women’s significance and contribution in a household as well as in the fields of sports, defence, science, and handicraft. At this launch, chief guest Shovana Narayan, a Kathak exponent and Padma Shri awardee, shared that post offices and letters would always hold a special place in everyone’s hearts. Divulging that she has still preserved the letters from her courtship period, she stated, “A handwritten letter tells more about a person than a WhatsApp text.”
Stamp of approval
With more than one lakh postage stamps displayed in 1,400 frames, this exhibition is nothing short of a treat for philatelists. Walk into the gallery in Pragati Maidan to find the space filled with stamp enthusiasts discussing the technicalities of postal stamps and other stationery. We met a stamp collector who travelled all the way from Jaipur for this exhibition. When asked why he started collecting stamps, he replied, “On my eighth birthday, my uncle gave me a hundred stamps. From that day onwards, I've been hooked.” Sharing his prized possession, the man—his collection spans 150 years (1858 to 2008)—added, “I am very happy about my collection on Mahatma Gandhi. I once exhibited the stamps and received a bronze medal for it.”
Another visitor we met here has been collecting stamps from the pre-independence era. We were curious about why he started collecting stamps. Indulging our interest, he responded, “During our childhood, there were no mobile phones and televisions. We used to collect and trade stamps for entertainment, and proudly flaunt them in front of others.”
One of the major highlights include the stalls selling articles related to postal services. For instance, Kolkata-based Abhishek Bhattacharya has set up a stall that sells stamps, postcards, and currencies. Commenting on the footfall, he expressed that he hopes the turnout will continue to be strong and steady over the next few days as well.
Most visitors were drawn to the Postal Department's time capsule-themed booth, which was in collaboration with the Ministry of Culture. The idea behind this is to store postal letters from people describing their vision for the year 2047 in a time capsule built by IIT Delhi only to revisit these letters in 2047, which is the centenary of India’s independence.
The workshops and seminars at Amritpex 2023 were attended by a number of students from schools across Delhi-NCR. A Class 9 student of Chhotu Ram Sr. Sec. Public School, who was at the event to attend a fabric painting workshop, was happy about this outing. When asked what she liked the most, she responded, “I liked today’s theme of women empowerment and portrayal of women freedom fighters (Frames 1262 and 1263 showcased stamps on the women freedom fighters).”