Fragrance of Roses

February 7, 2007

A Miniature Sheet consisting of 4 nos of commemorative postage stamps on the Fragrance of Roses : Bhim, Delhi Princess, Jawahar and Neelam :

Issued by India

Issued on Feb 7, 2007

Issued for : The Department of Posts is proud to release a set of four scented commemorative postage stamps on ‘Fragrance of Roses’.

Credits :
Stamp & FDC : Suresh Kumar
Cancellation : Alka Sharma

Type : Miniature Sheet, Mint Condition

Colour : Multicolour

Denomination : 500, 1500, 1500 & 500 Paise

Stamps Printed : 0.8 Million each

Miniature sheets : 0.4 Million

Printing Process : Photogravure

Printer : India Security Press, Nasik

About :

“A rose is a rose is a rose” – Gertrude Stein
Some words instantaneously suggest beauty because they are associated with things that afford pleasure and delight. The word ‘rose’ is one of them. When one sees a beautiful rose, the first instinct is to smell it as roses are known for their perfume.
The rose is a flowering shrub of the genus “Rosa” estimated to be more than 30 million years old and the flower has figured in countless myths and legends and in poetry and music throughout the world.
Roses are distributed in the north temperate, and, the sub-tropical parts of both the hemispheres and there are more than a hundred species of wild roses. As far as the garden roses of the world are concerned, however, only eight species, namely Rosa chinensis, Rosa damascena, Rosa foetida, Rosa gallica, Rosa gigantea, Rosa moschata, Rosa multiflora and Rosa wichuraiana have played an important role. Cultivated roses can also be grouped under two categories – those in cultivation before 1800 A.D. and those after.
The period after 1800 A.D. was notable because of the influence of perpetually flowering types derived from Rosa chinensis and Rosa gigantean from the Far East. These crossed with new introductions, gave rise to the important groups of the Noisettes and the Bourbons. Further complex crossings also gave rise to the great groups of the Tea Roses and the Hybrid Perpetuals. While the tea roses are prized for their continuous flowering, the Hybrid Perpetuals include varieties of magnificent size and rich perfume.
In modern times, the rose has attained a wealth of form ranging from the simple, five-petalled flower to the breathtakingly beautiful exhibition type with a spectrum of colours, from miniature forms only a few centimeters high to tall shrubs and rampant climbers and ramblers that can clothe vast stretches of walls or clamber up tall trees.
In India several rose species are found growing wild, mostly in the Himalayan ranges. The cultivation of roses, however, appears to have been taken up much later than elsewhere. It is treasured as a garden flower and as an ingredient of beautiful floral arrangement, not to mention its value in buttonholes, corsages and the like. The first Prime Minister of India the late Shri Jawahar Lal Nehru, a much-loved person, always wore a red rose in his buttonhole. Today in India, the rose is also largely valued for purposes of worship and for making garlands, and no function in this country appears to be complete without roses.
Roses have been symbols of love and beauty since ancient times. Different coloured roses have their own symbolic meaning. The red rose is a symbol of love, the pink rose a symbol of grace, the white rose a symbol of innocence, purity and friendship, and the yellow rose a symbol of dying love or platonic love.
India Post has now brought together fragrance and beauty to create a set of four stamps on ‘Fragrance of Roses‘. The stamps showcase the spectacular variety, beauty and fragrance of roses found in our country, by depicting four Indian varieties.
Bhim :
- This hybrid tea rose is very famous in India. The camellia-like flatness of its form is unusual and its mid-red colour is very attractive. A healthy bush, very free with its flowers, it has dark semi-glossy foliage. The fully open blooms are striking and stands up to cold nights.
Delhi Princess :
- A popular Indian-bred variety this rose has cerise-red buds which open to sparkling pink flowers in clusters. Growing in great profusion, the clusters may be small in cool weather, but the individual flowers are 10 cm. across. In warm weather large trusses are formed. It is exceptionally vigorous and free-flowering in all weathers.
Jawahar :
- Free-flowering and good for bedding and exhibition, the velvety, scented ‘Jawahar’ is a creation of the Indian Department of Crops and Agriculture. Growing usually in clusters of three to six, the flowers are perfect creamy white. The vigorous, bushy plant is notable for strange brown prickles and light green flossy foliage.
Neelam :
- The Indian Agricultural Research Institute has for some years now been breeding roses especially for Indian conditions, and the gardens of the Indian Rose Society in Delhi display some splendid roses as a result including the ‘Neelam’. It is a large, shapely bloom in silvery pink, with a heady perfume and dark green, glossy foliage.
Text : Based on ‘The Rose in India‘ by Dr. B.P. Pal, and ‘The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Roses‘ by Mr. Stirling Macoboy.