New Pictorial Cancellation

 

12 August 2025 : World Elephant Day

Pictorial Cancellation from Karnataka Postal Circle

From MP Postal Circle

From Odisha Postal Circle

Image Courtesy : SIPA, EIPA WhatsApp Group

New Special Cancellations

Congrats to the 1st Indian to win the FIDE Women's World Cup 2025 : 29 July 2025: Raipur

  

The Women's Chess World Cup 2025 was a 107-player single-elimination chess tournament that took place in Batumi, Georgia from 5 July to 29 July 2025. It was the third edition of the Women's Chess World Cup. The winner IM Divya Deshmukh, runner-up Koneru Humpy, and third-place finisher Tan Zhongyi qualified for the Women's Candidates Tournament 2026.

Divya Deshmukh, the winner of the 2025 FIDE Women's World Cup

International Tiger Day : 29 July 2025 : Raipur

- Capt. Vijay Wadhwa , Raipur (C.G.)

New Stamps

      

Indian theme on foreign Stamps

Date of Issue : 26 June 2025

On 26 June 2025 Sri Lanka Post issued  10 stamps and 10 Miniature sheets featuring  - Minneriya National Park .,. The stamps feature following animals and birds. Three stamps feature Indian Species 1. Indian Pangolin 2. Indian Star Tortoise 3. Brahminy Kite (Haliastur indus)

SRI LANKAN SLOTH BEAR

INDIAN PANGOLIN 

BLACK NAPED HARE 

SRI LANKAN JACKAL 

SRI LANKAN ELEPHANT

ASIAN OPENBILL 

BRAHMINY KITE 

INDIAN STAR TORTOISE 

PAINTED STORK

YELLOW-STRIPED CHEVROTAIN 

- Kasinath R. Tanjore

New  stamp from India Post

 100th birth anniversary of Acharya Vidyanand Ji Maharaj

Date of issue :  28 June 2025

On 28 June 2025, Hon'ble Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi released a commemorative postage stamp on the 100th birth anniversary of Acharya Vidyanand Ji Maharaj in New Delhi. The stamp pays tribute to the life and teachings of Acharya Vidyanand Ji Maharaj. It honours his immense contributions to the pursuit of knowledge, spiritual upliftment, and social reform.

-Sudhir Jain , Satna (MP)

New Special Covers

Tributes to Ratan Tata

10 October 2024 : Ratan Naval Tata : Patna

Permanent  Pictorial Cancellation

Takht Sri Harmandir Ji Patna Sahib : 8 October 2024 : Patna

- Pradip Jain : Patna

Special Cancellation on National Post Day from Karnakaka Postal Circle

10 October 2024 : National Post Day : Bengaluru

- Philately Promoters WA group - Sushil Mehra

Sri Sharadha Mahotsava Panemamangalore centenary celebration special cover

8 October 2024 : Sri Sharad Pooja Centenary : Panemangalore D.K.

Submergence of Panemangalore city due to heavy flood of Nethravathi river of Dakshina Kannada District in 1923, Sri Sharada Mahotsava was started by Sri Veera Vittala Temple trustees at Sri Vittala Swamy School. Presently, Centenary of Panemangalore Sri Sharada Mahotsava is celeberated. This special cover is released to commemorate the Centenary of Sri Sharada Mahotsava.

- Philately Promoters WA group - Jagannath Mani

 Special Covers released at Satna and Rewa on Philately Day

On the occasion of Philately Day on 8th October 2024 India Post released special covers at Satna and Rewa (M. P.).

In a function organized at Collectorate Auditorium Satna special cover released on famous tourist place Brihaspati Kund. Satna Collector Mr. Anurag Verma was chief guest and renowned Philatelist Mr. Sudhir Jain President Central India Philatelic Society was special guest.  Mr. S. K. Rathore Superintendent of Post Offices presided the function.

In a function organized at HPO Rewa Mr. Janardan Mishra Member of Parliament released special cover on Purwa Waterfall.

- Sudhir Jain : Satna(MP)

Special cover on 70th National Wildlife Week

My Stamp and a Special cover was released on 5th  October 2024 at Wildlife Institute of India, Dehradun during 35th  Annual Research Seminar. , The special cover showcases India’s national tree, flower, bird, & mammal. The cover was released by Director General Forests and Chief Postmaster General Uttarakhand.

New Special Cover from Karnataka

 

Kokkare Bellur Community Reserve

Mysuru - 7 October 2023

Kokkare Bellur, situated In Mandya, is the only Community Reserve of Karnataka, declared in the year 2007 under The Wildlife Protection Act, 1972. This village was awarded as "Star Village" by Earth Day Network. The place is uniquely described as "two-tiered habitat" with colonial water birds nesting on upper tier (branches) and village life on lower tier (ground). The village is visited by Painted Storks, Spot-billed Pelican, and 139 other bird species, the name 'Kokkare' meaning storks is aptly prefixed.

R. Suresh - Bangalore

Book Review

 

CITES: Endangered  Species on Stamps

By M.Lokeswara Rao IFS (Retd.)

CITES : Endangered Species on Stamps By M. Lokeswara Rao Pages : 130: paperback Size A5 : Publisher : The Write Order Publications : ISBN : 978-93-5776-681-4 Price :Rs. 1399 : Author can be contacted at email: madirajul@gmail.com Whatsapp :9436215175

"CITES : Endangered Species on Stamps"

Plants and animals are the essential parts of life on the Earth; it is important to conserve them and save them from getting extinct, maintaining their optimal population that helps in enriching the biodiversity or the richness of flora and fauna worldwide. Deforestation or cutting down trees is considered one of the major problems associated with the conservation of plants and animals. 

CITES, Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora, also known as the Washington Convention a multilateral treaty to protect endangered plants and animals from the threats of international trade. It was drafted as a result of a resolution adopted in 1963 at a meeting of members of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). The convention was opened for signature in 1973 and CITES entered into force on 1 July 1975.

Its aim is to ensure that international trade (import/export) in specimens of animals and plants included under CITES, does not threaten the survival of the species in the wild. This is achieved via a system of permits and certificates. CITES affords varying degrees of protection to more than 38,000 species.

Over 38,700 species, including roughly 5,950 species of animals and 32,800 species of plants, are protected by CITES against over-exploitation through international trade. They are listed in the three CITES appendices. The species are grouped in the appendices according to how threatened they are by international trade. They include some whole groups, such as primates, cetaceans (whales, dolphins, and porpoises), sea turtles, parrots, corals, cacti, and orchids.

Since 1993, the CITES Secretariat has worked with the United Nations Postal Administration (UNPA) to produce an annual series of 12 stamps animals and plants included in Cites Appendices. This series is published in Geneva, New York and Vienna with special Postmarks for First Day Covers.

UNPA has been issuing stamps to celebrate many varied forms of wild fauna and flora, to raise awareness about the multitude of benefits that conservation provides to people.

 

The book "CITES Endangered Species on Stamps" gives details about the CITES convention. There are 360 images of the stamps released by the United Nations Postal Administration (UNPA) from 1993 to 2023, and stamps with the CITES logo released by Poland, Chile, and Japan for endangered species day and first day covers were shown in the book. A total of 421 philatelic materials were used in the book.

The book gives the following chapters in detail :

1.    Cites Endangered species Stamps

2.    CITES Endangered Species Stamps from 1993-2023

3.    Endangered Species Day

4.    New Biodiversity Framework

The book is very comprehensive with technical details. It will be an asset for Foresters, Naturalists, Wildlife lovers, environmentalists, Students and Thematic stamp collectors especially those making specialised collection on endangered species of flora and fauna. I recommend this book for libraires of Colleges, Environment, Wildlife and Forest Institutes as well as for stamp lovers as the author has explained endangered species through number of postage stamps issued on CITES endangered species.

 

About the Author

M Lokeswara Rao worked as a Civil Servant, belongs to the 1983 batch of Indian Forest service and retired as Principal Chief Conservator of Forests and Head of Forest Force, in Nagaland, India. He has held different positions in the Government of India, Worked as Advisor Green Highways, National Highways Authority India, Ministry of Surface Transport, and Govt. of India and as Director (Protect Our Species), and Earth Day Network., Environment Education from Jordan college, Glasgow UK and from the International Centre for Conservation Education Guiting Power, Cheltenham, UK and Policy studies from Syracuse University USA.

Worked on various projects for Forest Development agencies, Green India Mission, Wildlife Habitat projects, species recovery programme of Amur Falcon, He has organised many environmental awareness programmes. UNESCO Consultant for identification of Biosphere Reserves in Nagaland. Consultant with Community Forestry International USA. Involved in various documentaries making namely Amur Falcon, Elephants etc. He received the biodiversity award, Tiger land film Festival for his work on Amur Falcon.

His hobbies are Painting and Philately.  He exhibited his painting The Buddha Great in New Delhi, Bangalore and Various parts of the country.  He received a number of awards in National and International Philatelic Exhibitions for his exhibits Orchids, Buddhism, Buddhist Mudras, Post office postal cancellation on Penny Red, Lady slipper Orchids, Buddhist Dances and for his literature exhibit book  “Buddhism on Stamps” and for his different articles appeared in different magazines in India and abroad.

He authored different research papers and authored books “Plant Biodiversity of World ``Buddhism on Stamps”, “Himalayan Birds on Stamps” and “CITES Endangered Species on Stamps “based on Philately and “Conservation through Forest Conservation Act”. His articles appeared in different magazines and Newspapers in India and abroad. His articles on philately appeared in National and International Magazines and Newspapers.

 

 - Jeevan Jyoti

Club News

29 July - International Tiger Day

 

International Tiger Day

29th July is celebrated as ITDAY throughout the world since 2010. This year Eastern India Philatelists Association, Bhubaneswar in association with Regional Science Centre, Bhubaneswar displayed a 5 frame philatelic exhibition on the theme "Beyond the Stripes" to create awareness among General Public and school children. A meeting was organized inviting school children from Bhubaneswar where Sri Suresh Chandra Mishra, Retd DFO, Forest Department, Govt of Odisha, Chief Guest on the occasion addressed the gathering with his experience of Project Tiger inception in Odisha with two Tiger reserve Satkosia and Similipal. He also highlighted the story of KHAIRI a pet tiger with whom he was closely associated and spent lots of time and acquired knowledge about the big cat. 

Dr Bibhudatta Mishra and Mr Shantiswarup Rath, Philatelist, EIPA interacted with the school children about Indian Tiger Stamps, special covers, Miniature sheets etc. released from time to time by Department of Posts with the importance of philatelic materials interlinking the science and philately. The presentation highlighted the all-India Stamp designing competition on the occasion of 2009 and 2011 postage stamps that carry the images of the Tiger, drawn by school children. The meeting was attended by Philatelist Mr Anil Kumar Dhir, Mr C.R.Das, Mr Ajit Kumar Dash, Mr Ajit Kumar Raut, Dr P.K.Padhi, and interacted with the gathered students. 

An exhibition on TIGER by Mr Shanti Swarup Rath was the key attraction for the visitors organized by Regional Science Center. The center In-charge, Mr Kapil Jain, and the Education officer along with the staff of the center coordinated the program and expressed that the Center for the first time introduced philately which portrays wildlife science.

- Dr Bibhudutta Mishra, Bhubaneshwar

International Tiger Day

29 July - International Tiger Day

A special cancellation was released at Bhubaneshwar today to mark International Tiger Day. International Tiger Day, is an annual celebration to raise awareness for tiger conservation, held annually on 29 July. It was created in 2010 at the Saint Petersburg Tiger Summit in Russia. The goal of the day is to promote a global system for protecting the natural habitats of tigers and to raise public awareness and support for tiger conservation issues. 

Source : EIPA, OPA, Prayag Philatelic Society WA Groups

Courtesy : Retd. Col. Akhil Kumar