India Greetings 2001
Complete Set of 2 nos of postage stamps on the Greetings :
Issued by India
Issued on Dec 18, 2001
Issued for : Department of Posts in happy to release these special stamps on greetings to reinforce and complement the greeting within the envelope and to add greater depth and meaning to the message. In a small but significant way, these postage stamps hope to show the feelings that have gone into sending the missive at the first glance.
Credits :
Stamp : C. R. Pakrashi and Kamleshwar Singh
FDC : Kamleshwar Singh
Cancellation : Nenu Gupta
Type : First Day Cover
Colour : Four Colour
Denomination : 400 & 300 Paise
Overall size : 2.90 x 3.91 Cms.
Printing size : 2.90 x 3.91 Cms.
Perforation : 13.5 x 13.5 mm with elliptical hole on each 39.1 mm sides
Paper : Matt Chromo
Stamps Printed : 3 million each
Number per issue sheet : 40
Printing Process : Photo Offset
Printer : Calcutta Security Printers Ltd.
About :
- Greetings are an important medium of conveying thoughts and feelings. In a subtle way, they celebrate and strengthen relationships. Celebrations have been woven into the way of life in almost all cultures and greetings have played a significant role not only in celebrating important occasions but also in social interaction between people. Over the centuries, greetings have assumed myriad forms and shapes from letters written on leaf and bark scrolls, to greetings on gold, silver and copper plaques and modern day greetings by post and electronic medium.
- History has recorded the prevalence of greetings in ancient Egypt and Rome where the New Year was marked by the exchange of symbolic presents of scent, laurel or olive branches coated with gold leaf etc. This practice continued and further developed in the early days of Christianity. A fresh impetus was given to this form of expression with the advent of the printing press and with the coming of the penny post in 1840, greetings became a part of the social matrix, gathering increasing connotation as they passed through the centuries.
- In India too, the practice of sending illustrated greetings through the post picked up over the years. Almost all festivals, Diwali, Holi, Pongal, Durga Puja, Baisakhi, Christmas, Id and now even Raksha Bandhan and Valentine’s Day are marked by sending of greetings cards through the post. They are now used to express a gamut of emotions; love, friendship, sympathy, affection and for conveying congratulations and thanks.
