Odisha Philatelist's name in Guinness Book World of Records

 

Largest Collection Of Items Featuring Butterflies

Hardik Bhammar is a philatelist from Balangir, Odisha, his name has just entered into the Guinness Book of World Records (2023) for having the Largest Collection Of Items Featuring Butterflies ( 6055 items). He is a Hotelier by Profession, and a Butterfly Collector by Passion. 

Heartiest Congratulations !!

Hardik Bhammar reveals his journey of Butterfly collection....

My Childhood Fascination has become my Lifelong Hobby. Butterflies have fascinated people for centuries! I was spellbound by butterflies at a very young age. Of all insects, butterflies are probably the most popular, because they are renowned for their beautiful colors and graceful flight. They create positive emotions, improve mood and so heal by their beauty. What started out as a childhood charm, the study of butterflies and collecting them soon became something more. It’s my feeling that all childhood experience, good and bad, resonates forever. I stopped collecting at some point, but I never forgot what collecting meant to me. For me, butterflies form a mesmerizing study and several sub-themes to be chosen with the theme. Hence my collection comprises of a wide range of subjects which includes Philately (postage stamps and postage history), Numismatics (coins and paper money, Phillumeny (matchboxes and labels), Vitolphilia (cigar bands), Cartophily (cigarette cards and tea cards), and many other collectibles. Why butterflies? The reason is the interest, curiosity, the captivation towards the natural world. Through my collection, I would like to let children explore the natural world and learn about it. And make them go outside to let that curiosity run its course, or we won’t have any naturalists or scientists. Children need to see natural beauty, the beauty of butterflies.

 I have entered the Guinness Book of World Records (2023), Limca Book of Records (2023), Credence World Records (2021), World Genius Records (2021), OMG Book Of Records (2021) & Champions Book Of World Records (2020) for The Largest Collection of butterfly-related items. Also have been awarded “National Champion” Of the National Collectors Championship Organized By National Human Welfare Board Trust, Bhubaneshwar (2020).  And also I have been Awarded Bronze Medal in Balangirpex, District Level Philatelic Exhibition (2018).

Hardik Bhammar may be contacted at email:  hardik_bhammar@yahoo.com  Whatsapp No. 8763158406

Glimpses of  Butterfly collection

Butterflies from China and Jersey

Date of Issue : 1 September 2017

Jersey Post Issued a set of six stamps a miniature sheet and a sheetlet featuring butterflies found both n China and Jersey.

Protect Pollinators....

Date of Issue : 3 August 2017

Here is a pane of beautiful stamps for Lovers of flowers and  butterflies. On August 3, 2017, in Richmond, VA, the U.S. Postal Service^® will issue the Protect Pollinators stamps (Forever^® priced at 49 cents), in five designs, in a pressure-sensitive adhesive (PSA) pane of 20 stamps (Item 475200). The Protect Pollinators $9.80 pane of 20 stamps may not be split, and the stamps may not be sold individually. The stamps will go on sale nationwide August 3, 2017.

The U.S. Postal Service pays tribute to the beauty and importance of pollinators with stamps depicting two of  continent’s most iconic: the monarch butterfly (Danaus plexippus) and the western honeybee (Apis mellifera), each shown industriously pollinating a variety of plants native to North America.

The stamps feature:

1. A monarch and a coneflower
(photo by Karen Mayford);

2. A western honeybee and a golden ragwort
(photo by George D. Lepp);

3. A monarch and a zinnia
(photo by Bonnie Sue Rauch);

4. A western honeybee and a New England aster
(photo by Michael Durham); and

5. A monarch and goldenrod
(photo by Justin Fowler).

Source : USPS

New Butterfly stamp from USPS

 

Date of Issue : 10 February 2014

US Postal Service issued on a beautiful stamp on Butterfly. The Great Spangled Fritillary Butterfly Stamp represent the fourth butterfly stamp for use on large greeting card envelopes. The stamp art was created on a computer, using images of preserved butterflies as a starting point. The result is a highly stylized, simplified image of a great spangled fritillary rather than an exact replica.

 

The great spangled fritillary (Speyeria cybele) is named for the silvery spots found on the undersides of its wings. A large butterfly with a wingspan of 2.25 to 4 inches, it is found in all northern states and ranges as far south as northern Georgia in the east and central California in the west. Even though this striking butterfly is a common sight in much of the country, it can be puzzling to identify. Not only are females slightly darker than males, but individuals in eastern populations are more orange in color, while those in western populations are more brown.

All great spangled fritillaries have one thing in common: a very close relationship with violets. Females lay their eggs on or near clumps of violets in August or September. When the eggs hatch, the larvae crawl to nearby violet plants, but instead of having a snack, they hide among fallen leaves and begin to hibernate. When spring arrives, the caterpillars come out of hibernation and feed on fresh violet leaves before forming a chrysalis and transforming into adult butterflies.

Asean Summit 2013

 

To commemorate the 22nd and 23rd ASEAN Summits this year, Brunei Darussalam, chair of ASEAN for 2013, has issued special edition stamps showing the venues of the two summits and the flags of ASEAN Member States and Dialogue Partners.

ASEAN Summit is an annual meeting held by the member of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) in relation to economic, and cultural development of Southeast Asian countries. The countries-members of ASEAN are Brunei Darussalam, the Kingdom of Cambodia, the Republic of Indonesia, the Lao People’s Democratic Republic, Malaysia, the Republic of the Union of Myanmar, the Republic of the Philippines, the Republic of Singapore, the Kingdom of Thailand and the Socialist Republic of Viet Nam.

Brunei Darussalam is the Chair of ASEAN from January to December 2013.
This is the fourth time that Brunei Darussalam has chaired ASEAN, having previously been the Chair in 1989, 1995 and 2001. In 2013, Brunei Darussalam chairs the 22nd ASEAN Summit on 24-25 April 2013 and the 23rd ASEAN Summit and other related summits on 9-10 October 2013.

Brunei Darussalam’s theme for the Chairmanship is “Our People, Our Future Together”.

This theme stresses the role of the people in ASEAN Member States in advancing cooperation in the areas of political-security, economic and socio-cultural. It also asserts that the region’s future is dependent on how the people of ASEAN move and work together to ensure progress for the development of the whole region.

My recent Cover

Received this cover from  Andrzej Bek of Poland. Many thanks to Andrzej  for this nice cover.

New stamps from Poland

 

Folk Art - Traditional National Costumes

Date of Issue 11 September 2013

Polish Post issued a beautiful souvenir sheet on 11 September featuring traditional costumes of Poland.

Priority and economic stamp in circulation for registered mail

 

Date of Issue : 20 September 2013

 

From our Readers……

Urdu Philatelic Poem

Here is a combination of philately and Urdu poetry, a philatelic Ghazal sent by our distinguished reader Deepak Dube from Korba (Chhattisgarh). The ghazal from Mr Dube is under the title 'Vaah Daak', seeks to capture  the passion , purpose and purport of Philately . The poetic merit of the piece is that it is a proper Urdu ghazal , set in a traditional Urdu  meter. Hindi and Urdu Readers can read and understand the poem “ Vaah Daak ”….

Mr Deepak Dube writes…

Ghazals, conventionally, do not have a title as every couplet (sher) of it is supposed to be on an independent thought. But, if a poetic piece is in the form of a ghazal and yet has a single subject or thought running continuously through it , it becomes a "musalsal" ('continuous') ghazal , and , as such , qualifies to a title ; just as the present ghazal does. It would  not be exaggerated to claim that 'Vaah Daak' is the first proper metrical Urdu composition on the subject of Philately.

Vaah Daak !

[ Musalsal Ghazal ]

Tikat ke dum pe lifafon ko raah milti hai

Aur unke shauq mein hum ko panaah 1 milti hai

1.Refuge

Panaah de ke hifaazat 2 ki ik virasat 3 ko

Panaah-e-dil 4 mein khushi be-panaah 5 milti hai

2. Preservation . 3.Heritage4. Haven of the Heart . 5 Immeasurable

Voh card hon , ki lifafey, muhar, tikat hon ki taar

Saji ho unse kahaani to vaah milti hai

Tikat tikat pe kahaani hai uske aalam 6 ki

Khushi kahin , to kahin unpe aah milti hai

6.. World -context

Parakh sako to numayan 7 hain daak mein heerey

Nigah 8 rakho to guhar 9 se nigaah milti hai

7. Evident 8. Same as nigaah . 9. Pearl

Kahey koi ki faqat daak mein hai kya rakkhaa

Magar vahaan se bhi duniya ki thaah milti hai

 

Havas 10 ke daur mein bas daak-paat ki hasarat

Yahi hai baat jo kuchh be-gunaah 11 milti hai

10. Greed11. Innocuous

Kamaal ho ke muqaddar ka , daak bhi aksar

Kahin to khoob 12, kahin kham-khvaah 13 milti hai

12. Well-deserved . 13 . Needless

Ye kam nahin hai nafasat 14 ki raah mein ' Danish'

Ki subha dil mein bas ik khat ki chaah milti hai

14. Sophistication

 

- Deepak 'Danish'

email : deepakdube@ntpc.co.in

The European Peacock butterfly….

Date of Issue : 20 August 2013

Here are some new SEPAC stamps. Aland Post issues a beautiful stamp on European Peacock butterfly.The European Peacock butterfly belongs to the family Nymphalidae and has a wingspan of 55 to 65 mm. All smartphone or tablet PC users can join the European Peacock butterfly for an enticing visit to several tourist attractions in Åland.

With this stamp, you do not only get a lovely and colourful stamp but also an interesting device. If you have a smartphone or a tablet computer you can download a free app by the name Sepac stamps. When you later scan the stamp, an entirely new world reveals itself!

This is a so-called AR-application. AR stands for augmented reality, which implies that information from your physical surroundings is mixed with three-dimensional information via the app. Scan the Peacock stamp and join the butterfly for a virtual tour around Åland, taking part of information and interesting facts about the Åland attractions Kobba klintar, Kastelholm castle, Bomarsund fortress, Pommern museum ship and the Maritime Museum.

Forthcoming Sepac stamps

Iceland

Date of Issue : 12 September 2013

Guernsey

Date of Issue : 24 September 2013

SEPAC

The Small European Postal Administration Cooperation (also Small European Postal Administrations Cooperation or SEPAC) is an association of 13 European postal authorities. They are Åland, the Faroe Islands, Gibraltar, Greenland, Guernsey, Iceland, the Isle of Man, Jersey, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Malta, Monaco, San Marino and Vatican City. SEPAC is smaller than PostEurop. Luxembourg was not originally a member of SEPAC but it joined at the end of 2006. Also Vatican City joined subsequently.

The first joint issue of SEPAC postage stamps occurred on October 1, 2007. Further joint issues within the group are scheduled every two years, in 2009 and 2011 (San Marino does not participate in these issues).

The following criteria are requisites for membership:

• The postal administration must be located in Europe
• The postal administration must be independent
• The postal administration must have a small market with more than 50% of its philatelic customers living outside the country.

 

Articles

Wildfire threatens World Heritage Area of ‘Yosemite National Park’

- Pradeep Kumar Mallik

A wildfire in California (USA) has, raging since last 11 days, scorched an area nearly as large as New York City near Yosemite National Park. The so-called Rim Fire has charred about 280 square miles, making it California's seventh largest fire in US history. The raging blaze is expected to move farther into the park.

In 1984, UNESCO designated Yosemite National Park, USA as the World Heritage. In its justification for inclusion in the World Heritage list, UNESCO states:

Yosemite has exceptional natural beauty, including 5 of the world's highest waterfalls, a combination of granite domes and walls, deeply incised valleys, three groves of giant sequoia, numerous alpine meadows, lakes, diversity of life zones and variety of species.

Glacial action combined with the granitic bedrock has produced unique and pronounced landform features including distinctive polished dome structures, as well as hanging valleys, tarns, moraines and U-shaped valleys. Granitic landforms such as Half Dome and the vertical walls of El Capitan are classic distinctive reflections of geologic history. No other area portrays the effects of glaciations on underlying granitic domes as well as Yosemite does.

Yosemite National Park lies in the heart of California in area of outstanding wilderness and great scenic beauty. With its hanging valleys, many waterfalls, cirque lakes, polished domes, moraines and U-shaped valleys, it provides an excellent overview of all kinds of granite relief fashioned by glaciations.

At 600-4000 m, a great variety of flora and fauna can also be found here. The National Park, on the west slope of the central Sierra Nevada Mountains, represents practically all the different environments found within the Sierra Nevada, including sequoia groves, historic resources, evidence of Indian habitation, and domes, valleys, polished granites and other geological features that illustrate the formation of the mountain range.

The variety of flora in the park is reflected in the existence of six distinct vegetation zones which are governed by altitude. There are 1200 species of flowering plant along with various other ferns, bryophytes and lichens.

Let us hope that 4000 firefighters already deployed in the area will be able to contain the wildfire and save the outstanding features of Yosemite National Park.

: Pradeep Kumar Mallik : email : mallikphila@gmail.com

New stamps from Poland…

 

Date of Issue : 16 August 2013

Here are new  Priority and economic stamps from Polish Post, featuring insects   for registered mail.Other sets feature modern Polish weapons and ships.

   

 

Modern Polish Army Weapons

 

Date of Issue : 14 August 2013

 

Rally of Great Sailing Ships Szczecin 2013

Date of Issue : 3 August 2013