Happy New Year

To All My Friends and their Families All Over the World – One of the greatest joys of this season is the opportunity to say THANK YOU and to wish you the very best for the New Year.

Type of Ship : Baidak

Baidak was a wooden sailing ship, similar to a cog. It had a flush-laid flat bottom approximately 3–4 metres wide, which narrowed to tapered ends, and one 5 metre mast. Measuring approximately 15–20 (or 36–60) metres in length, a baidak could carry a load of approximately 200 tons. It could be operated by oars or sail.

Baidaky were in use from the 16th - 19th centuries in the territory of present-day Ukraine, primarily for cargo delivery on the Dnipro and Don rivers,however they were also frequently used by the Zaporizhian Cossacks for their military campaigns to the Black Sea.

The Indian National Flag unfurled through Philately

Mr Sekhar Chakrabarti book titled "The Indian National Flag unfurled through Philately" will be launched at the India International Centre, New Delhi by Sri Jawhar Sarcar, Chief Executive Officer, Prasar Bharati & Former Secretary, Ministry of Culture on 20th December 2012 at 6.30 pm in Delhi.

 

If possible do make it to the event. Mr Sekhar Chakrabarti will be glad.

 

Check out is blog: http://flagstamps.blogspot.in/

 

You can buy the book online from the following portals:

 

Infibeam.com

 

http://www.infibeam.com/Books/indian-national-flag-unfurled-through-philately-sekhar-chakrabarti/9789381523391.html?utm_term=The+Indian+National+Flag+Unfurled+..._1_1

  

homeshop18.com

http://www.homeshop18.com/indian-national-flag-unfurled-through-philately/author:sekhar-chakrabarti/isbn:9789381523391/books/political-science/product:30355028/cid:13273/

 

flipkart.com

 

http://www.flipkart.com/indian-national-flag-unfurled-through-philately-9381523398/p/9789381523391?pid=9789381523391

 

 

12.12.12 - The much awaited day is here

 

 

December, 12, 2012 or 12-12-12 will be the last date of its kind - when all three numericals in a date are the same - for the next 88 years. The next time this will happen is on January 1, 2101, or 01-01-01.

Tags:January 22, 2012,12/12/12 Is it the end?,Mayan calendar ,

Indian Coast Guard Ship H-189 commissioned

Indian Coast Guard Ship H-189, the third of the series of twelve Air Cushion Vehicles (ACVs) designed and built by Griffon Hoverworks Limited (GHL), UK was commissioned on 20 Nov 2012 in Mumbai by Vice Admiral SK Sinha, Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Western Naval Command.

Any idea if there is special cover issue for the commissioning of the ship.

For more details Click here

If anybody has the special cover issue and available for exchange , please let me know...
 

HMS Bounty sunk by Sandy

Though this is a bit of old news ,thought of sharing with all of you.

 

 

 

 

This photo provided by the U.S. Coast Guard shows the HMS Bounty, a 180-foot sailboat, submerged in the Atlantic Ocean during Hurricane Sandy approximately 90 miles southeast of Hatteras, N.C., on Monday. The Coast Guard rescued 14 of the 16 crew members by helicopter. Hours later, rescuers found one of the missing crew members, but she was unresponsive. They were still searching for the captain as of Tuesday evening.

For more deails Click here

 

Do anyone of you have any stamps with HMS Bounty, I need to check my collection..

 

Reference: www.seacoastonline.com 

RMS Titanic

I recently bougth the Gibraltar FDC on RMS Titanic.

Details:

RMS Titanic was a passenger liner that struck an iceberg on her maiden voyage from Southampton, England, to New York City, and sank on 15 April 1912, resulting in the deaths of 1,517 people in one of the deadliest peacetime maritime disasters in history.

For more details visit the Titanic Link

Technical Specs

Design:	Stephen Perera
Illustration / Photography:	John Batchelor
Printer:	BDT International
Process:	Offset Lithography
Colours:	4 cols.
Stamp size:	36 x 40mm
Issue date:	2012-01-31
Stamp Values:	10p, 42p, 44p, 54p, 66p

10 Fun Things You Can Do with Junk Mail

One of my friend has publish a post on 10 fun things you can do with junk mail..

A few lines of the article :

The annual cost for disposing of junk mail in America runs well into the hundreds of millions of dollars, and for anyone with a mailbox this figure shouldn’t be all that surprising. The staggering amount of throwaway marketing mailings that we collect everyday may provide job security for postal workers, but it clogs the nation’s landfills and clutters our homes. The next time you check your mail, instead of chucking those papers sight-unseen into the garbage, why not give one of these fun ideas a try?

Click here to check the full article

10 Reasons the Post Office is Important to US

One of my friend has publish a post on why Post Offices are important in USA and though many people argue that snail mail is going the way of the dinosaurs, there are actually several reasons why this isn’t—and shouldn’t—be the case. The impact of the U.S. Postal service is a bit more far-reaching than many people may realize;

Check the article for more details : Click Here

April Fools' Day

Some Stamps which were released on 1st April 

1 .The first stamps for Ceylon were issued on 1 April 1857: The stamp features a portrait of Queen Victoria and is brown in color.It is a 6 penny denomination used to send a half ounce letter from Ceylon to England.8 more stamps were issued in year 1857, all featuring the portrait of Queen Victoria.One of the 5 stamps that were issued on 23 April 1859 is considered to be the most valuable stamp in Sri Lanka.It is a 4 penny denomination with a dark pink colour known as the 'Dull Rose'

2. On 1 April 1957, twelve British stamps from the Wilding series were issued, along with overprinted high value 'castles' stamps. Later in 1957, three stamps from the British Scouting Jubilee series were issued and in 1960 a further series of Wilding stamps were issued with a different watermark. All were overprinted QATAR and the value in Indian currency.

There are many stamps which were issued on 1 April. The above is just a small part.

source:wiki

Aland - Titanic

Titanic was a passenger liner that struck an iceberg on her maiden voyage from Southampton, England, to New York City, and sank on 15 April 1912, resulting in the deaths of 1,517 people in one of the deadliest peacetime maritime disasters in history. 231 of the total on board the Titanic were of Nordic descent.

On 16 April, Aland Post will be issuing a stamp commemorating the catastrophe.

For more details visit the Titanic Link

100 years railway ferry Sassnitz-Trelleborg

A beautiful stamp was released by Germany Post on 100 years of railway ferry Sassnitz-Trelleborg

Check in the details of the stamp:

In 1875 the Swedish town of Trelleborg has been connected to the Swedish railway network. Sassnitz in 1889 before the construction of a fishing harbor and protection was begun. Two years later the railway connection. Thus the stage was set to design a road connection between Sweden and Germany on the shortest route across the Baltic Sea. On 6 Opened in July 1909, the rail ferry. 1933 began the electric train operations between Trelleborg and Malmö. In 1936 the opening of the Rügen dam caused a further improvement of the traffic route to Sweden. In 1958 the new Swedish ferry "Trelleborg" on his service. A year later the German state railway, the railway ferry "Sassnitz" in operation. Until 1989, passenger traffic moving on the line in the narrow limits, due to travel restrictions for East Germans and checks for foreigners. Freight traffic reached soon, despite growing competition the prewar level. To meet these requirements, procured the "Swedish State Railways" and the "German Reichsbahn" bigger and more powerful ferries. From 1998 to use the ferry to Trelleborg and the island of Bornholm in the new ferry port Sassnitz-Mukran. For the traditional Scandinavian market specifically created a new ferry terminal. Thus began a new chapter in Sassnitz - Trelleborg. 

Source: Germany Post

Finnish - Nordic Maritime 2012

The Norden: Marine Scandinavia 2012 miniature sheet published in Finland depicts coast guard and marine rescue operations.

This miniature sheet honors both The Finnish Lifeboat Institution (an organization for voluntary maritime rescue associations in Finland) and The Finnish Border Guard.

The Minature Sheet is designed by Klaus Welp and this will be released on 21March 2012


Source: http://www.posti.fi/

Stamp Collecting Manager Software

Are you looking for a software which will help you to catalog your stamps. Try out Stamp Collection Manager

Stamp Collection Manager is a professional application designed for people who have a hobby of collecting stamps.

Features

• Store Your Stamp Collection Details with Images
• Large Capacity - You can store thousands of stamps
• Summary - Quickly view information about a selected stamp
• Printing - Take a print out of your collection
• Export - Easily export your collection to HTML, PDF or CSV format
• Image Preview - Quickly preview the image of selected stamp
• Zoom - View the image of stamp in actual size
• Search - Easily search your collection
• Valuation - Shows the total money you spend on your collection along with its current value
• Free Life Time Updates - Buy once and get all future versions for free

System Requirements: Windows XP, Vista, 7

For more information on the software, click here.

Note: Indian users can buy this software at discounted price from eBay India at http://www.ebay.in/sch/abhi007p/m.html "

Malta-Iceland Joint issue 2011

Iceland and Malta are the northernmost and southernmost islands in Europe. Fishing has been a fundamental economic, social and cultural activity for centuries on these two islands. Iceland Post and MaltaPost are now collaborating on a Joint Stamp issue to reflect this connection by using " Fishing Villlages" as the Theme. Husavik is the motif of the Icelandic miniature sheet whilst the village of Mgarr,Gozo is depicted on the Maltese sheet.

***I require the FDC,please let me know if anybody is willing to exchange*** 

Source : http://www.maltaphilately.com/

International Exibition 2012

Please find below a list of couple of International Stamp Exhibition

Huddex 2012 and Frimung 2012

3-4 March 2012
Huddinge, Sweden
Exhibition card, stamp and cancel  

Turun Kevät 2012

10-11.March 2012
Turku, Finland
Exhibition card, stamp and cancel   

Int. Briefmarkenmesse

12-14 April 2012
Essen, Germany
Exhibition card, stamp and cancel  

Tavastex 2012

27-29 April 2012
Hämeenlinna, Finland
Exhibition card, stamp and cancel  

DIE LIBA 2012

16-19 August 2012
Lichtenstein
Exhibition card, stamp and cancel  

Stamp in Svedala 2012

8-9 September 2012
Svedala, Sweden
Exhibition card, stamp and cancel  

NORDPOST

28-30 September 2012
Hamburg, Germany
Exhibition card, stamp and cancel  

Int. Briefmarken-Börse

25-27 October 2012
Sindelfingen, Germany
Exhibition card, stamp and cancel

Postimerkkimessut 2012

27-28 October 2012
Helsinki, Finland
Exhibition card, stamp and cancel  

Nordia 2012

2-4 November 2012
Roskilde, Denmark
Exhibition card, stamp and cancel

source: posten.ax  

Aland - Fisherman's life at sea

This Miniature Sheet/ Stamp features the fisherman life at sea,though this is on my theme of collection ,but it closely relates to my theme as fishing is done in the seas for which boats are used.

Part two of the Nordic series the North by the Sea features the actual life at sea. Åland's contribution to the series shows professional fishermen trawling from a fishing boat. Since the dawn of time, fishing has been an important Åland industry.

 

Originally, small-scale fishing was mainly conducted for domestic consumption, but fishing for sale or exchange for principally cereals soon developed. Baltic herring long dominated fishing. In older times, pike and trout, which were mostly fished by seine and hoop net, were the most important types of fish in addition to Baltic herring. From the Middle Ages until Sweden restricted the import of live fish in the 1950s, they were delivered by well-boats and sold primarily in Stockholm.

Source: Aland Post

Philately Exhibition On Science and Technology at Bengaluru GPO

The Karnataka Philatelic Society in collaboration with India Posts has organised a philately exhibition on ‘Science and Technology’ at the Philately Museum in GPO.
The exhibition which was inaugurated on February 13 is on till 29.

The aim of the philately exhibition is to trigger an interest in science and technology, among students, through stamps and also encourage them to take up stamp collection as a hobby.

Stamps on astronomy, lunar mission and various other topics will be the main attraction for students.

There is no entry fee and the exhibition is open between 10 am and 4 pm on all days of the week.

source: http://www.deccanherald.com/

Paquebot - Ship Mail - History and Detail

Recently read a elaborate article on Paquebot (Ship Mail),i.e about its history and what it is.
Enjoy reading the article.

Link: Paquebot

The Most Visible Indian in the World of Stamps - Mahatma Gandhi

Mahatma Gandhi is the most international of all Indian faces in the world of stamps. Besides India, moe than 80 countries,have issued some 250 stamps on the Mahatma.
Check out a article on stampofindia site for a detail article on the same.

BIHAR STAMP EXPO-2012 Invitation Card and Program Details

Please find below Invitation Envelope and Invitation Program details of the Bihar Stamp Expo 2012 to be held on 10 to 13 Feb 2012 at Patna.

Passenger ferry 2012 - Aland - S/S Birger Jarl and M/S Sally Albatross

Aland Post has released a set of two stamps on Passenger Ferries on 1st February 2012 with S/S Birger Jarl and M/S Sally Albatross. T . This two stamps are a part of twelve ferry stamps.

         

Special Cover : Battle of Zojila - Golden Jubilee

This cover was released on occasion of Golden Jubilee celebration of the Battle of Zojila by the 15 th Punjab(Patiala) Regiment on 01 November 1998.The cover has a ship stamp of the inpex 1993 stamp - Custom-house Wharf, Calcutta and a Children Day Stamp

Cover Details :

Zojila Location and History:

Zoji La s a high mountain pass in India, located on the Indian National Highway 1 between Srinagar and Leh in the western section of the Himalayan mountain range. Though often referred to as Zojila Pass in the foreign press, the correct English translation is Zoji Pass or simply Zojila, since the suffix 'La' itself means pass in several Himalayan languages. In modern-day North Indian languages, 'La' and 'Darra'are both used interchangeably to mean pass.

Zoji La is 9 km (5.6 mi) from Sonamarg and provides a vital link between Ladakh and Kashmir. It runs at an elevation of approximately 3,528 metres (11,575 ft), and is the second highest pass after Fotu La on the Srinagar-Leh National Highway. It is often closed during winter, though the Border Roads Organisation (BRO) is working to extend traffic to most parts of the year. The Beacon Force unit of the BRO is responsible for clearing and maintenance of the road during Winter.

Battle of Zojila: 

Zoji La presented one of the most difficult terrains for the Indian Army. Srinagar was connected to Sonmarg by an 84 km one way fair weather road, with weak bridges unable to take heavy vehicles. The main bridges were in Wyle(29 km), Kangan (38km) and Gund (59 km). From Sonmarg to Baltal was a 14 km long track. Baltal was the junction for tracks from Srinagar, ZojiLa and Pahalgam. From here the track climbed steeply 2000 ft to Zoji La(11,578 ft). From the pass it continued on the same elevation with steep shoulders ranging to 16000 feet on both sides. Two nullahs flowed through this, the Bod Gumbhar Nar from west and Lokut Gumbhar Nar from the east. There is snow near these tracks even in summer. 3 km from Zoji La the path broadens into a flattish area called Gumri. A little away is Machoi from where the track descended into a large pastureland called Minamarg, at the end of which was Matayan village. 21 kms from Matayan was Dras (10,060 ft). Tall cliffs and ridges rising 5000 to 6000 feet above the tracks flanked the entire route. Dras was the coldest place in the country with winter temperatures reaching –50 degrees centigrade. To further complicate the situation the low level of oxygen caused problems to everyone except the locals.

To know more about the battle of Zojila please click here

 

http://www.oocities.org/indiancustoms/image/photo/wharf.jpg

Stamp Exhibition: KERAPEX-2012 - CALICUT - KERALA

12th Kerala State Philatelic Exhibition of Kerala State (KERAPEX-2012), will be held from Feb 14-17, 2012 at Calicut, Jubilee Memorial Hall of Calicut Corporation, This is the third time Calicut is hoisting the State Philatelic Exhibition .

Centenary of the Titanic - Alderney

SPECIFICATION

Date of issue: 22 February 2012Designer: Nick Watton
Printer: Jon Enschede
Values: 36p, 47p, 48p, 52p, 61p, 65pProcess: Offset Lithography
Stamp sizes: 27.55mm deep x
                         45mm widePaper: 110gsm unwatermarked 
PVA Adhesive
Perforation: 13.75 x 13.25

BACKGROUND

No other ship has cast a bigger shadow than the Titanic, which remains the most iconic vessel of our time.
On her tragic maiden voyage, more than 1,500 people died when the "practically unsinkable" ship hit an iceberg and sank on 15 April 1912.
Much has been written about the ship, its passengers and those who survived the disaster.  Click here, to take a look at some of the facts, as well as the myth and legend surrounding the Titanic

BIHAR STAMP EXPO-2012

Department of Posts, Bihar Circle is going to organize 11th BIHAR PHILATELIC EXHIBITION, BIHAR STAMP EXPO-2012 from 10th to 13th February 2012 at Wheller Senate Hall, Patna 800005. This will be a mega Stamp Fair and festival.

On this occasion exhibits of Stamp, Postal Stationery and Special Cancellation etc. will be displayed during this Exhibition themewise or chronologically.Special cover, Mxim Card, Booklet,folders etc will be  released on each day. State level Drawing, Painting, Letter writing, Dance and Quiz Competition will be held during the period of Exhibition. A Calendar on the best paintings of children's for the year 2012 may also be released on awarded paintings. Therefore, school children/teachers and guardians are requested
to participate in Stamp Exhibition and visit in a big number at the venue during 10th to 13th February 2012 from 10:00 A.M. onwards, and encourage the students to participate in various activities like Letter writing, Painting, Dance and Quiz etc.at the venue.

Floating Post Office and Museum, Dal Lake - Srinagar Special Cover

Date of Issue: August 22, 2011

India Post - Jammu & Kashmir Circle, Srinagar issued two special covers on occasion of inauguration of India's first Floating Post Office and Museum at Dal Lake, Srinagar.

I received this two beautiful set of special cover from my dear friend Kasinath and fellow blogger, for more details of the special cover click here

Thanks Kasinath for the cover.

Titanic Centenary 1912-2012

Gibraltar Stamps issued a set of Stamps on the RMS Titani in 2012

RMS Titanic was a passenger liner that struck an iceberg on her maiden voyage from Southampton, England, to New York City, and sank on 15 April 1912, resulting in the deaths of 1,517 people in one of the deadliest peacetime maritime disasters in history.

For more details visit the Titanic Link

Technical Specs

Design:	Stephen Perera
Illustration / Photography:	John Batchelor
Printer:	BDT International
Process:	Offset Lithography
Colours:	4 cols.
Stamp size:	36 x 40mm
Issue date:	2012-01-31
Stamp Values:	10p, 42p, 44p, 54p, 66p

Republic Day India

The Republic Day of India commemorates the date on which the Constitution of India came into force replacing the Government of India Act 1935 as the governing document of India on 26 January 1950.

The date 26 January was chosen to honour the memory of the declaration of independence of 1930. It is one of the three national holidays in India, and while the main parade, Republic Day Parade takes place at the Rajpath, in the national capital New Delhi, where the president views the parade, state capitals also have their state celebrations.

An Indian Agni-II intermediate range ballistic missile on a road-mobile launcher, displayed at the Republic Day Parade on New Delhi's Rajpath, January 26, 2004.

Greetings to all Indians and wish you all on the eve of Republic Day.

                    

Source: Wikipedia 

Free Stamps

Check out the following link :

http://freeusastamps.tripod.com/

On this site new stamp collectors can get a free packet of United States Stamps.

This non-profit site beginning stamp collectors can get a free packet of US stamps, as well as, basic stamp collecting information and links.

 

One more link for free stamps for yougsters

http://www.iswsc.org/iswsc_free.shtml

Makar Sankranti

Makar Sankranti or Sankranti or Sankranthi marks the transition of the Sun into Makara rashiCapricorn) on its celestial path. Traditionally, this has been one of many harvest days in India.

Owing to the vast geography and diversity of culture in India, this festival is celebrated for innumerable reasons and in innumerable ways depending on the climate, agricultural environment, cultural background and location.

Makar Sankranti, apart from a harvest festival is also regarded as the beginning of an auspicious phase in Indian culture. It is said as the 'holy phase of transition'. It marks the end of an inauspicious phase which according to the Hindu calendar begins around mid-December. It is believed that any auspicious and sacred ritual can be sanctified in any Hindu family, this day onwards. Scientifically, this day marks the beginning of warmer and longer days compared to the nights. In other words, Sankranti marks the termination of winter season and beginning of a new harvest or spring season.

All over the country, Makar Sankranti is observed with great fanfare. However, it is celebrated with distinct names and rituals in different parts of the country. In the states of northern and western India, the festival is celebrated as the Sankranti day with special zeal and fervor. The importance of this day has been signified in the ancient epics like Mahabharata also. So, apart from socio-geographical importance, this day also holds a historical and religious significance. 

As it is the festival of Sun God and he is regarded as the symbol divinity and wisdom, the festival also holds an eternal meaning to it.

Refer: http://www.hindujagruti.org/hinduism/festivals/makar-sankranti/

Makar Sankranti is one of the most auspicious days for the Hindus and is celebrated in almost all parts of India in myriad cultural forms, with great devotion. Millions of people take a dip in places like Ganga SagarPrayag and pray to the Sun God (Surya). It is celebrated with pomp in southern parts of India as Pongal, and in Punjab as Maghi. (the point where the river Ganges meets the Bay of Bengal) and

In the western Indian state of Gujarat, the celebrations are even bigger. People offer thousands of their colorful oblations to the Sun in the form of beautiful kites. The act stands as a metaphor for reaching to their beloved God, the one who represents the best. In the rural and coastal areas, cock fights are held and is a prominent event of the festival. Makara Sankranti is also to honour, worship and to pay respect to Saraswati (Goddess of Knowledge). At the start of this significant event, there is also worship for the departed ancestors.

Makara Sankranti identifies a period of enlightenment, peace, prosperity and happiness followed by a period of darkness, ignorance and viciousness with immense sorrow. The six months of northern movement of the sun is followed by six months of southern movement.

Since the festival is celebrated in mid winter, food prepared for this festival is such that it keeps the body warm and gives high energy. Laddu of til made with Jaggery is a specialty of the festival. In the western Indian state of Maharashtra it is called 'Tilgul'. In Karnataka it is called 'Yellu-Bella'. In some states cattle are decorated with various colours and are made to jump over a bon-fire.

It is celebrated differently in different regions of India.

I wish a Happy Makar Sankranti to all my Friends.

MAHAPEX 2012: Philatelic Exibition - Maharashtra Circle

A state-level philatelic exhibition ‘Mahapex 2012′ will be held in the city from January 13 to 16 with the theme ‘Stamp Mania’. The exhibition, organised by the department of posts, will include a variety of activities like release of eight special covers, seminars and workshops on philately, stamp design competition, etc. Also on display will be around 400 frames by 108 philatelists from Maharashtra and Goa.

The ‘Mahapex 2012′ will also have a unique and innovative facility called ‘My Stamp’ wherein one can get one’s own photo printed on a stamp after choosing from several template designs. The person can use these stamps officially while sending letters.

The inaugural session will begin with an inter-school ‘relay’ wherein 800 schoolchildren will walk with placards and pass it on to the next bunch of children from another school at intervals of 500 metres each. The rally will begin from the Yashwantrao Chavan academy of development administration at 8.30 am. The exhibition will remain open between 10 am to 8 pm.

Location: Shri Shiv Chatrapati Sports Complex, Balewadi, Pune










Source: timesofindia.com

The Ultimate Guide to Stamp Collecting

Recently Mr Jacob "Coby" Crane ,one of the reader from our blog suggested a philatelic site which will be interesting read for all .Check out the link :  http://www.startlocal.com.au/articles/educational_stamps.html

You can also get in touch with Mr Jacob on his email id : jcrane@ceetutoring.com 


Thanks for sharing the wonderful site...

If any of our reader have a website to share or want to send details about themselves, collecting interests and web pages for inclusion on our blog ,please send a mail to asharprashant@gmail.com