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| Sunday, May 20, 2007 |
The stamp of Himachal
S.P. Sharma on the many colourful stamps and first-day covers on Himachal Pradesh
Himachal Pradesh is one of the few states in the country that has remained the favourite choice of the Postal Department while choosing different themes for issuing first day covers and stamps.
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 The writer's collection of first-day covers and stamps on different themes pertaining to Himachal Pradesh. — Tribune photo by Anand Sharma |
Not less than a dozen colourful stamps relating to Himachal Pradesh have been issued in the past few years. The themes vary from the Shimla-Kalka railway to adventure sports, Tabo monastery, tribal dance, adventure sports, mountain lakes, and what not.
These stamps are a delight to see as these speak of the developments in the state and the potential that it holds. In contrast, the neighbouring states of Jammu and Kashmir and Uttrakhand that have a similar topography have not received much attention.
It will not be out of place to mention the name of Vijay Bhushan, former secretary and director-general, Posts and Telegraphs, who has great love for Himachal. He remained Chief Post Master General, Himachal circle, for several years and was a familiar face on the Mall. Many stamps and first day covers were issued during his tenure.
The Shimla-Kalka railway has always been in focus because of the unique scenic beauty that one comes across while travelling on this route. The train passes through as many as 102 tunnels on its way to Shimla. It covers a distance of 96 km.
The Railways have found place in two first day covers — first when a set of four stamps on mountain railways was released in April 1993, and again when they completed 100 years in 2003. The Kalka-Shimla section was opened to traffic in 1903 during the British regime.
The earlier set of four stamps on mountain railways includes the Matheran Railway that begins its upward journey at Neral, a station 97 km away from Mumbai. The line was constructed in 1907. It also has a stamp on the Nilgiri Railway that runs 52 km between Mettupalyam and Ooty. The set would not have been complete without the stamp on the famous Darjeeling Himalayan Railway.
Himachal's Chandratal (4300 metre high) has found place in the most colourful and attractive set of five stamps on the Himalayan lakes. The deep blue Chandratal in the tribal region of Lahaul-Spiti is surrounded by snow-covered mountains. The set also includes a stamp depicting the Tsomoriri lake at an altitude of 4267 m in the mountainous region of Ladakh. It is home to many rare species of migratory birds.
A set of two stamps depicting the sketch of the Tabo monastery, more than 1000 years old in the tribal region of Lahaul-Spiti, was released in December 1999, on a first day cover depicting the famous lotus-shaped Baha'i temple with the theme: "Millennium issue — Unity in diversity, respect for all religions".
A set of four stamps on tribal dances includes one on Kayang, which is a popular dance form of Kinnaur. It is a dance in which the artistes hold hands in a cross form that look like the beads of a rosary.
The stamps in the set released in April 1991 also represent dance forms of Valar of Garsais in Rajasthan, Velakali of Kerala and Hozagiri of Tripura.
The set of stamps on adventure sports released in April 1992 carries the message of hang gliding at Billing in Kangra district, which remains the most famous gliding spot in India. It also includes a stamp on river rafting and skiing — sports that attract a large number of adventurists to Himachal, Kashmir and Uttarakhand. A stamp representing wind surfing has also found place on a first day cover.
To honour the world famous Sobha Singh, who established a gallery at Andretta in Kangra in 1950, a first day cover along with a postal stamp carrying his portrait was released in November 2001.
Besides this, stamps on many writers, mountain birds and flowers have also been issued.
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