Dear Comrades,
As Father of the Nation Mahatma Gandhi observed, "khadi is not a cloth, khadi is a thought", the postal department now allows you to share the idea with your loved ones by using a stamp made of the fabric on the envelope.
In a first, the Department of Post''s (DoP) today unveiled a limited edition postal stamp made of khadi at the ongoing philatelic exhibition -- Indipex 2011.
"For the first time in history, a special khadi stamp is being used, which is on Mahatma Gandhi, the apostle on non-violence, and I have the great honour of releasing it today," President of India Pratibha Devisingh Patil said while inaugurating the exhibition.
A person can order a maximum of 10 khadi stamps of Rs 250 each, according to the department, which issues them in a special collector''s pack. The six-day-long philatelic exhibition also marks the centenary celebration of the first official Airmail flight in the world. The first Airmail flight took place in India on February 18, 1911 between Allahabad and Naini.
"100 years ago, on February 18, 1911 a French pilot flew first Airmail flight between Allahabad and Naini. This 13 minute flight carried 6500 mails and was the world''s first official airmail flight," IT and Communications Minister Kapil Sibal, who was also present at the occasion said. "We will launch special stamps to commemorate Airmail in Allahabad," he added.
Indipex 2011 is an international event and is being organised in India after 13 years. The first exhibition was held in the year 1954 and last was in 1997. This is the sixth time the world philatelic exhibition is being oragnised in India.
Yahoo.com, Saturday 12 February 2011, 4:56 PM
