CHENNAI: To create awareness among younger generations on philately as a hobby, Tamil Nadu Postal Circle, is organising a state level philatelic exhibition in Chennai from January 5 to 8.
For the first time in India, an exhibition of letters that include preserved letters of national leaders and VIPs were put up for display. About 2,000 school students visited the exhibition and many of them discussed philately with reference to their textbooks. A collection of 30,000 to 40,000 stamps was displayed with a description of their significance.
The Chief Postmaster General, Tamilnadu Circle, Dr Charles Lobo told reporters here on Thursday, “Stamp collection is a penchant for previous generation kids. The preference of email and social media over the postage has made new generation to wonder about the specialty of this hobby. This will be a platform for the philatelists to showcase their collection where younger ones get to admire them and pursue the hobby.”
The event ‘TANAPEX-2017’ is taking place at Amma Arangam, a community hall at Shenoy Nagar.
“Handloom, khadi, and handicrafts play a vital role in representing our culture which is evident in many of our cultural philatelies. So, we wish to join hands with the postal department in similar events in future,” said Harmander Singh, principal secretary, state handlooms, handicrafts, textiles and khadi department who was the chief guest at the function.
Radhika Chakravarthy Postmaster General said, “Stamps spread knowledge about our country’s heritage, development, culture, leaders, biodiversity. This makes philately very special that draws young kids and revs the passion.”
There will be plenty of events like Phila hunt, phila walk, ‘Kaun banega stamppathi’ to entice the kids on Day 2 while there will also be a state level competition on stamp collection which would be a gateway for participants to get into national level competition.
Secretary of philatelist club, Madurai, Ramaraj said, “This event is very rare that one cannot miss because it took place 20 years ago in Coimbatore. State level philately exhibition should happen once in four years when the district level happens once in three years. Next time the exhibition will take place four years from now.”
Entry is free to the four-day event, which has a helpdesk to guide new entrants to display their philately. It also has15 booths to sell numismatic and philately collections.
DH Rao, 78-year-old architect seemed to be very excited as the permanent pictorial cancellation of Muttom lighthouse and Manappad lighthouse that he penciled were released on the occasion by. T. Murthy, Member (operations), Postal Services Board.
“I have a passion for light house and I've seen many lighthouses in India and sketched out of inspiration for the past 60 years. I wanted to have a cancellation on lighthouse as a tribute to fishermen and I am glad that it finally happened after eight long years,” D.H. Rao said
