Stamps from over hundred countries, rare photographs, old newspapers, letters, currency and even a model of Gandhi’s hand watch...
In Thiruvananthapuram, two collectors have spent years preserving the many ways in which Mahatma Gandhi has been remembered.
While Abey V J has brought together a large collection of photographs, books, newspapers, letters and stamps, retired headmaster Selvaraj Joseph built an extensive philatelic collection.
Abey is currently showcasing his Gandhi collection at an exhibition organised by Kerala Pradesh Gandhi Darshan Vedi from October 1 to 10 at V J Antiques & Library, Neyyattinkara.
The collection includes nearly 1,000 photographs of Gandhi, old editions of Young India, copies of Harijan, Samaja and other newspapers carrying reports about him, books, stamps from India and other countries, notes and copies of letters he wrote to leaders of other countries.
For Abey, it all began with a fascination to preserve the past. His home in Neyyattinkara houses vintage clocks, cameras, gramophones, traditional measuring instruments, brass vessels and other artefacts sourced from different parts of the world. Some were acquired through auctions and exchanges with fellow collectors.
“Usually, people have a theme while collecting. For me, the craze was to collect everything I could get. That is how it started. Over time, the Gandhi-related material became a separate collection,” says Abey.
Selvaraj’s collection approaches the same history through stamps. A retired headmaster and recipient of the Kerala Government’s Best Teacher Award in 2022, he now has more than 1,000 stamps in his Gandhi Smrithi collection.
“I started collecting these as teaching aids so children could learn about Gandhi and the freedom struggle in an interesting and experiential way. It began as a hobby, then became a passion, and now it is a major part of my life,” he says.
Selvaraj says his Gandhi Smrithi collection includes stamps issued by India and around 120 countries that have commemorated Gandhi. Among them are stamps from the US, one of the earliest countries outside India to issue a Gandhi stamp, as well as those issued by Britain and other countries.
His Gandhi collection includes much more than that. It has first-day post covers, special edition postcards, miniature stamps, Gandhi Smarak Nidhi coupons, coins carrying Gandhi’s image, and old and new Indian currency notes.
Some unusual stamps are created on khadi fabric, wood and plastic. Some are gold-plated. A souvenir note from Bangladesh and a model of Gandhi’s pocket watch are also part of the collection.
Selvaraj also has more than 500 rare photographs of Gandhi and over 5,000 historically significant stamps. He has so far conducted 123 exhibitions of his collections across Kerala.
As part of the Gandhi Darshan study programme implemented in schools under the leadership of the Gandhi Memorial Committee, Selvaraj’s Gandhi Smrithi exhibition is being organised at schools across Thiruvananthapuram.
On Gandhi Jayanti, his collection will be showcased at GHSS Kulathoor as part of Gandhi Smrithi 2026, organised by the school’s 1985 SSLC batch.