Book Review : Make it Big : Inspirational and Motivational Stories of Achievers and Influencers

 Book Review

Make it Big

Inspirational and Motivational Stories of Achievers and Influencers

Conceptualized and Edited by N. Kalyani

Make it Big - Inspirational and Motivational Stories of Achievers and Influencers: Conceptualised and edited by N. Kalyani : Pages: 140 : Type: Paperback: Publisher : Prabhat Prakashan : First Edition 2023 : Available at Flipkart , Amazon and Prabhat Books  as well as with the author. The author may be contacted at email: kolu_poorni@yahoo.com  WhatsApp :  98112 08279

Make it Big is a compilation of 15 inspirational stories of achievers, revealed by themselves who have excelled in their fields because of the burning flame inside them and deep instinct of quest for a particular field which they pursued in life against all odds. These are the stories of persons from different fields and their extraordinary achievements because of their passion and perseverance and their life choices.

They are the persons who have chosen a path that was uncommon, new, challenging, and daring. It could give them fame or absolutely nothing. Sometimes it is very difficult for a young person to make a choice among many options available around them what he or she really wants to do because of the pressure of the parents, family liabilities, social pressure and many more … When we go through these stories we learn that every person has the unlimited capability of doing and achieving something new and different in life but usually, we do not have the courage to do so in life.

These are the stories of persons who took bold steps and chose unexplored paths to walk …. Their stories, of course, have become trendsetters. Their journey tells us how a common person can reach the zenith of success by pursuing the field of his / her interest in a particular field with passion and perseverance !

These are the stories of enjoying what one does and doing what one enjoys. Of loving what one does, and doing what one loves.   Their journey will inspire and motivate you to make a fresh start in life at any age and achieve what you never dreamt of in life !

 

From these stories, we may infer that each one of us has an unlimited potential to do something new, innovative, and offbeat ! And the sky is the limit when it comes to achievement and excellence.  But due to peer pressure, most of us are often unable to have the courage to do something different from others !

Each of the fifteen chapters in this book features one of the fifteen persons who made their life very special by achieving unimaginable success and becoming pioneers in their field. Each chapter gives a brief introduction of the person. And then follows the story that the person has written for this book. These persons are from organic farming, nature science, travel, adventure, architecture, the field of hospitality, economics, Wildlife, teaching, performing arts, and many more.

In these stories there is a stamp designer too about whom I wish to Special mention, Mr Suresh Kumar who has designed numerous postage stamps for India Post. Besides designing stamps, which makes for miniature art, he has also designed postal stationery and postmarks. He is a wildlife enthusiast and is also into wildlife photography.

As I lived for five years on the campus of the Wildlife Institute of India, had also heard about Dr AJT Johnsingh and was thrilled to read more details about him in this book…. Dr AJT Johnsingh, His passion for nature and wildlife, right from his childhood, saw Dr AJT Johnsingh making this his profession. he served as faculty at the Wildlife Institute of India, Dehradun for twenty years till 2005 when he retired as the dean, Faculty of Wildlife Sciences. He has the credit of walking the biodiversity-rich Western Ghats on foot. His travels into various wildlife areas, over the years, have been translated into books authored by him. A dedicated conservationist, he has actively pursued his passion post-retirement too. He is currently based in Bengaluru, and is associated with WWF-India, Nature Conservation Foundation, and The Corbett Foundation. 

There are 13 other persons whose stories are equally inspiring for everyone, This book conceptualized and  edited by N. Kalyani is a very inspirational and motivational book for persons of all age groups. The youngsters must read this book and take inspiration to do something different in life what they actually want to do but do not have confidence to pursue . All field in life is not fully explored …there is a lot to explore and have new experience !... The stories may inspire and motivate you in choosing a career, opting for a profession, and most important will help you to listen to your inner call about what you really want to do irrespective of what others ask you to do ! And you could very well be on your way to becoming an achiever and influencer yourself one day ! No one knows someone will be writing someday about you too ….

 - Jeevan Jyoti

New Special Covers from Karnataka

 

International Day of Forests : 21 March 2022 : Malleswaram

Special Cover – KTK-35-2022 - International Day of Forests.

International Day of Forests (IOF) is celebrated on 21st March every year. The theme of IOF 2022 is "Forests and sustainable production and consumption" .

For millions of people across the world, wood helps provide safe drinking water, food and shelter, but wood can do much more and is a renewable resource when forests are managed sustainably. This special cover is released to commemorate International Day of Forests 2022.

National Fire Service Week : 14 April 2022 : D.R.College

Special Cover – KTK-36-2022 – National Fire Service Week.

National Fire Service week is observed from 14th to 20th April in honour of the exemplary courage and incredible commitment exhibited by firefighters. On 14th April 1944,66 brave firemen sacrificed their lives during the rescue operation on board the freighter SS Stikine at Mumbai. India Post pays homage to such brave firefighters.

- Suresh R., Bangalore email : suresh.hobbies@gmail.com

World's longest stamp

Date of Issue : 1 April 2017

Image courtesy : The Nation

On April 1, Thailand Post issued a sheet of five stamps—the longest the world have seen, at 170 mm in length—to mark the 70th anniversary of late King Rama IX’s accession to the throne. Each of the five stamps features the same design, which includes a series photographs of the king set against a background of luscious green fields. Nine million stamps were printed by the Thai British Security Printing Public Company.

Stamps on World Kiss Day– 6 July

 

Date of Issue : 16 June 2015

Here are new stamps to be released by San Marino  on  two unusual themes. Both the sets will be released on 16th June 2015.

San Marino Post is to release an original stamp set to celebrate one of the most pleasant holiday – World Kiss Day. The issue consists of four items that are to be put into circulation on the 16^th of June.

The event has been celebrated in the United Kingdom on the 6th July since 1990 and it spread soon worldwide. Its aim is to pay homage to a gesture that contains in its intrinsic value the sense of love in its wider and universally recognized forms.

The set dedicated to the World Kiss Day recalls immediately the feeling of brotherly sharing and symbolic human union: the kissing lips have the shape of a red heart full of passion and happiness.

World Toilet Day – 19th November

Date of Issue – 16 June 2015

San Marino Post dedicates  issued a set of stamps to the World Toilet Day. The set depicts colorful and vivid figures using toilet. The design suggests a serious reflection upon this dramatic topic in order to make the access to sanitation for all a priority of global development. The issue is to be put into circulation on the 16^th of June.

In 2013 the UN General Assembly declared November the 19th “World Toilet Day”. This event provokes the conscience of the developed western countries. In fact the access to sanitation, which we take for granted, is still a dream for a third of mankind. 2.5 billion people don’t have access to proper sanitation, including toilets and latrines, with dramatic consequences on human heath, dignity and security. Every day 2,000 children under 5 years old die because of diarrhoea due to poor sanitation. The most affected areas are India and Sub-Saharan Africa.

The open defecation for girls and women in some countries brings the risk of being kidnapped or raped in the search of an isolated place. Moreover, many girls skip the school when they begin menstruating because the schools don’t have improved sanitation. Therefore the United Nations launched a wide campaign with the aim of awakening public opinion towards the lack of proper sanitation in many countries of the world.

My Recent Covers

Covers from Russia

 

Thanks to EN Limanski for these nice covers from Russia.

Missing Post Office..

 

Hi !

Through Net surfing I just came across  an interesting article  about “ Missing Post Office “ of Japan. I am sharing here  it with the Readers…

 

There might be something waiting for you at Japan’s Missing Post Office

- Master Blaster

Many countries’ postal systems have a type of “dead letter office” which handles mail that has been inappropriately addressed and could not be sent. In most cases, if the sender cannot be found the messages are destroyed in order to maintain privacy.

The Missing Post Office, on the other hand, welcomes unaddressed post cards and keeps them for eternity if need be until they end up with the rightful owner even if they aren’t alive. The unusual post office opened on the island of Awashima on 5th  October 2013 and welcome all to come and read their discarded messages of humanity.

■ A work of art

The Missing Post Office was created by artist Saya Kubota as a part of the Setouchi Art Festival around the Islands of the Seto Inland Sea in Kagawa Prefecture. It’s actually a renovated post office which closed down in 1991.

Much of the office remains intact aside from the addition of some art pieces and changes to the sign. The standard 〒 symbol which identifies post offices was stylized into a wavy version symbolizing the ocean which carries messages in a bottle – a central theme to the Missing Post Office. The symbol can be seen all around the place including the uniforms of its staff.

■ Meet the staff

Director – Katsuhisa Nakata

Mr. Nakata was the director of the Awashima Post Office for 45 years until retiring. After serving his community for most of his life he was asked to return as acting director of the Missing Post Office, a post which he accepted with pride.

Clerk – Saya Kubota

The creator of the Missing Post Office, Ms. Kubota wanted a place where human thoughts and emotions could accumulate like flotsam on a beach. Only instead of tossing a message in a bottle and possibly losing it to the depths of the ocean (an act which she compares to posting on the internet), the Missing Post Office will protect it and allow it to be found by its rightful owner and anyone else who needs to share that same feeling.

■ Inside the office

The main piece of the Missing Post Office is the Drifting P.O. Box. Tin boxes are suspended on standing piano wire all atop a revolving wooden table. Visitors are encouraged to reach into a box and pull out a message. The messages are anonymous but 100% real. They might be written to deceased relatives, unborn children, or even a traffic light. Whatever people were motivated to write down or needed to get off their chest can be found in these boxes.

The following are some sample messages from the Drifting P.O. Box:

“Mother,
When you died last summer I didn’t cry. When you were alive it was like we only said horrible and spiteful things to each other… If we met now I think we still would… But a year has passed and I have only loving memories from childhood left.
I have when we made pudding together.
I have when we read books.
I have when you bought me my piano. That was the happiest.”

_________________________________________________________________

“To my future grandchild,
When will you arrive? The sooner the better, come on and be born! I can’t wait to finally do for you everything I couldn’t do for my own kids.”

_________________________________________________________________

“Actually, I was hoping to do the folk dance at school with you. My heart was pounding with excitement as our turn together was coming around soon but… just before it happened, the song cut off.
Since then several autumns have gone by. What might have happened to you by now?”

■ How to send to the Missing Post Office

If you’d like to send a message to the Missing Post Office, just write it on a post card and send it to the address listed below without including the name of the recipient, your own name or address. Only post cards though. They will not open envelopes since the message is not meant for them.

In the case that your message is too long to fit on a post card, then they encourage you to use several. Whoever it’s meant for should be able to piece it together. Also, in the event that the person who the message is intended for appears at the Missing Post Office, they will be able to leave with it.

Although the Setouchi Art Festival will come to an end on 4 November, it looks as if the Missing Post Office will live on. The 79-year-old Mr. Nakata said he will continue to serve as its acting director.

The autumn is a very nice time to visit the islands of Kagawa Prefecture, and even if conceptual art is not your thing, it’s hard to ignore the raw humanity that can be felt in the Missing Post Office.

Information

Missing Post Office (Hyoryu Yubinkyoku)
〒769-1108
Hyoryu Yubinkyoku Dome
Awashima 1317-2, Takuma Town, Miyoto City, Kagawa Prefecture

Missing Post Office: Website

Read More…

43rd WorldSkills Competition, São Paulo

 

Date of Issue : 3 February 2015

The 43rd WorldSkills Competition will take place at Anhembi Parque, São Paulo, Brazil from 11 to 16 August 2015. The stamp’s width is unusual and seems to be quite big in size.

The Commemorative Stamp of WorldSkills São Paulo 2015 was launched on 3rd February 2015.

Brazil Post  released a special stamp marking the WorldSkills Competition. The stamp will surprise the philatelists by its width.

Held every two years, the WorldSkills Competition is the world’s largest professional education event. Competitors from over 60 countries and regions in the Americas, Europe, Asia, South Pacific and Africa simulate challenges of professions that must be met within international standards of quality. They demonstrate individual and collective technical skills to perform specific tasks for each of the professional skills.

Throughout its 64 year history, the Competition brings together qualified young people from around the world who share their experiences of their professions. They represent the best students selected in local, national and regional skills competitions for professional education.

SKILLS

This is the list of Skills that will be conducted at the 43rd WorldSkills International Competition in São Paulo, Brazil, 2015.

• Skills 1 - 46 are Official Skills
• Skills D1 - D4 are Demonstration Skills

MANUFACTURING AND ENGINEERING TECHNOLOGY

01 - Polymechanics and Automation

03 - Manufacturing Team Challenge

04 - Mechatronics

05 - Mechanical Engineering Design - CAD

06 - CNC Turning

07 - CNC Milling

10 - Welding

16 - Electronics

19 - Industrial Control

23 - Mobile Robotics

42 - Construction Metal Work

43 - Plastic Die Engineering

45 - Prototype Modelling

46 - Sheet Metal Technology

D3 - Industrial Mechanics Millwright

INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

02 - Information Network Cabling

09 - IT Software Solutions for Business

11 - Print Media Technology

17 - Web Design

39 - IT Network Systems Administration

CONSTRUCTION AND BUILDING TECHNOLOGY

08 - Architectural Stonemasonry

12 - Wall and Floor Tiling

15 - Plumbing and Heating

18 - Electrical Installations

20 - Bricklaying

21 - Plastering and Drywall Systems

22 - Painting and Decorating

24 - Cabinetmaking

25 - Joinery

26 - Carpentry

37 - Landscape Gardening

38 - Refrigeration and Air Conditioning

D1 - Concrete Construction Work

TRANSPORTATION AND LOGISTICS

13 - Autobody Repair

14 - Aircraft Maintenance

33 - Automobile Technology

36 - Car Painting

D4 - Heavy Vehicle Maintenance

CREATIVE ARTS AND FASHION

27 - Jewellery

28 - Floristry

31 - Fashion Technology

40 - Graphic Design Technology

44 - Visual Merchandising and Window Dressing

SOCIAL AND PERSONAL SERVICES

29 - Hairdressing

30 - Beauty Therapy

32 - Pâtisserie and Confectionery

34 - Cooking

35 - Restaurant Service

41 - Health and Social Care

D2 – Bakery

Read More…

Club News

KOTAPEX - 2015

DAV School , Kota 30^th Jan to 1^st Feb 2015 – A Report

4th Kota District level Philatelic Exhibition , Kotapex 2015 was held at DAV school , Kota from 30^th Jan to 1^st Feb 2015 . The exhibition was held under Southern Rajasthan Postal Region by SSP Office Kota city at excellent school venue which obviously bought good number of students as visitors. This will go a long way in promoting and encouraging philately as a hobby in Rajasthan, especially in southern region of the state.

A special cover was released by Chief Postmaster General Rajasthan Circle Lt Col D K S Chouhan on 30^th Jan 2015, the  death anniversary of Mahatama Gandhi . The cover features Plaque placed at Kota where Mahatma Gandhi’s ashes were spread . Cancellation read his last words ‘ Hey Ram’.

 

Another cover was released on 31^st Feb depicting Surya Mandir situated at Jhalawar. Cancellation looked stylized Sun. Seen in news clipping from left to right are Mr Rajesh Paharia , Sh Jeetendra Gupta PMG Southern Region , Mr Dinesh Sharma , Director (Vigilance) and Mr S R Bhati SSP Kota City releasing special cover.

34 Exhibits were displayed comprising of 6 invitee in 97 Frames.  1^st prize in seniors was won by Shubham Lodha on his exhibit of Stamp Papers of Tonk State and 1^st Prize in juniors was won by Aakanshi Dandona on her exhibit of Children's Day.

: Rajesh Paharia - Jaipur

Club News

 

 

Philatelic gift to President Obama from Indian Prime Minister N. Modi

 

PM Narendra Modi  gifted President Obama a copy of the first telegram from America to India's Constituent Assembly. He said: "Original commemorative stamp issued on 26th Jan 1950 is on back cover of the US telegram I gifted President Obama."

The telegram, headlined "Message of Goodwill", was read out at the inaugural sitting of the Constituent Assembly of India Dec 9, 1946

Android App of Indian Philately Digest launched

A good news for stamp lovers !!

Android App of Indian Philately Digest developed by Prashant Pandya has just been launched today at the Closing Ceremony by Lt. Col. D. K. S. Chauhan, Chief Postmaster General, Rajasthan Postal Circle. This App is very useful for all stamp lovers. They can get  latest update about Indian Philately throgh this app !!

Visit www.indianphilately.net/mobileapp.html or Google Play Store to download the app on your Android mobile phone.

New Special Covers

Rajpex 2015 : Mangalyaan - 27th January 2015

Special Cover on Mangalyaan released at Rajpex 2015 on 27th January 2015. Cover design based on the design of painting drawn by Kum Shreshtha Srivastava first winner of Competition held at Rajpex 2015.

Courtesy – Prashant Pandya

SPECIAL COVER & MEDALLION RELEASED AT KOLKATA ON JAIN TEMPLE

 

A special cover has been released at Kolkata on 24th Jan. 2015 on the occasion of Bicentenary of Jain Swetamber PanchayatiMandir (burra mandir), Cotton Street, Kolkata. Hon'ble Governor Sri Kesri Nath Ji Tripathi and Chief Post Master General Mrs.Arundhati Ghosh released the special cover, silver coin (Medallion) and set of picture postcards in a grand function.

- Sudhir Jain, Satna (MP) : email : sudhirjain@unistar.co.in

From our Readers

Philatelic Tributes to RK Laxman

Mr Vijay Deshpande of Mumbai shares here a FDC of Times of India , autographed by greatest cartoonist Shri RK Laxman who passed away y’day.

From the collection of Vijay Deshpande email : vijay2603@gmail.com

BAPU- a Painting & Stamp Exhibition at Patna

To commemorate the 100^th year of arrival of Mahatma Gandhi from South Africa to India, we are going to hold an exclusive Art and stamp exhibition on Mahatma Gandhi from 29^th   Jan. to 3^rd  Feb.2015 at Lalit Kala Academy, Patna. 

Mr. Tushar Gandhi, great grandson of Mahatma Gandhi and other noted Gandhian  shall grace the occasion each day to make the event memorable one.

- Pradip Jain - Patna

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

Grayscale on Stamp sheet..

 

   

Hi !

Here is a stamp sheet showing a scale  on the tab of the sheet. This is known as  Gray scale. I am sharing here detailed information about Grayscale provided by distinguished philatelist of Vadodara, Mr Prashant Pandya.

Grayscale (Ruler type strip) printed on Stamp Sheet

In modern offset printing, a colored image is reproduced by the halftone separation process. The areas of light and darkness on the original are represented by dots of different sizes and the tonal range is generally modified to meet the reduced capability of the printing process. To reproduce original color, the image is separated into its red,green, blue and black components and a halftone screen made for each.

These screens are then used to make plates which are used in turn to print the image using the four process inks, cyan, magenta, yellow and black. To ensure color control and to maintain a consistent printed product, the size and color strength of these dots must be monitored, but since the finished printed image consists of the overprint of the four halftone screens it is very difficult to isolate the various components affecting the reproduction of the original image.

To overcome this problem, a series of test elements can be printed along with the image, and each element can be designed to highlight a particular aspect of the printing process. While some of these test targets can be evaluated by eye, others require the use of measuring equipment. The usual form of these test elements is as a strip across the edge of the printed sheet. These test strips, called control strips or color bars, are available commercially from various vendors, and consist of strips of film containing the various test elements for each of the four colors. In some cases six color versions are available where special colors might be used.
The ruler type scale printed on one side of stamp sheet is known as Gray Scale (One type of calibration strip), which is used to control the percentage of ink density. The percentile notation is used in printing to denote how much ink is employed in half toning. 0% means the paper white (no ink) and 100% a solid black (full ink).

Courtesy : Prashant Pandya http://www.indianphilately.net/

Underwater Post offices around the world..

 

Underwater Post office at Sabah, Malaysia

Ever heard of an underwater post office? A rare phenomenon found in only 5 countries of the world, Malaysia takes pride in hosting one of its first ever underwater post offices in Sabah.

Apparently an old 40 foot wooden cargo ship of a resort on Mataking Island which was a part of Malaysia’s conservation program sank. This old wooden ship thereafter became one of the 5 similar underwater post offices in the world.  The underwater mail box was placed on the front of the wheel house of this cargo ship.

Now an amazing facet unfolds here: you could write or just buy a postcard at the resort’s gift shop and seal your letters  a special water proof plastic postal wrap bag to take it down and  deposited into the box. All your mails shall be collected twice per week. And even before you realise your mail is sent that too in any part of the world.

Also it is fascinating to know that the sunken wooden ship initially was an artificial reef which acted as a catalyst in attracting many tropical reef fishes. As for today, this wreck has a reputation of housing some of the most incredible species from this spectacular island.

Read More… 

 

Underwater Post Offices and Mailboxes Around the World

With the proliferation of WiFi and cell phones, does anybody mail postcards anymore ?    there are five underwater mailboxes for you to visit:

1. Vanuatu Post created the world's first underwater post office. Situated within a marine sanctuary off Hideaway Island, this post office, staffed by a postal employee, can receive mail if you are a visiting diver or snorkeler. The best part? The lines are always short.
2. On Japan's southeastern coast, there's a mailbox 33 feet beneath the surface of the water -- the deepest mailbox on record. Each day, the contents are collected from the box, which reportedly contains as many as 200 pieces of mail. Conveniently, the group who developed this post office also invented Surumail : edible, squid-flavored postcards.
3. Malaysia's Reef Dive Resort has set up what it believes to be that country's first underwater mailbox. Any mail sent through this mailbox is sealed inside a plastic bag and postmarked with a special stamp.
4. St. Thomas, USVI, has an underwater post office inside its Underwater Observatory, which means you can get the "underwater stamp" without getting "underwater wet."
5. Paradise Island, in the Bahamas, boasts an underwater mailbox adjacent to a spiraling 100-foot tower.

Read More..

Articles

DISTRUBED POSTAL SYSTEM IN UTTRAKHAND

- Naresh Agarwal

BADRINATH POST OFFICE BEFORE TSUNAMI

The devastating natural disaster due to Monsoon floods named as Himalayan Tsunami is a very sad incident as it has destroyed buildings, roads, houses and washed away complete villages at places. Various government and private offices have been destroyed in this incident. All the surface communication systems are badly affected as roads, bridges, village paths are washed away at places leaving the crying hills with flow of roaring eye drops streams creating havoc.

The postal system in Uttrakhand is badly affected as mail/post could not be carried and question of delivering does not arise under the circumstances. There are or were (still uncertain) post offices in all major townships/villages of Uttrakhand’s affected area but there could not be any mail carriage to those offices for last two weeks and also all other mail activities are held up. Mr. Abhai Mishra, a veteran philatelist has come with images of some of the affected post offices of the holy hills of Uttrakshi and surroundings on Rainbow Blog afew days back which spoke about the situation then prevailing there. Looking in to further forecast of heavy rains the situation seems to deteriorate further. And under this situation, it is difficult to say that how much time it will take to resume the services which are vastly dependent on major civil reconstruction activities such as roads, rehabilitation of people, local residents and start of normal administrative and functioning of business and trade.

It is presumed that Emergency, Temporary or Mobile post offices might be set up in that area to give service to the people who live in their villages which are at present isolated from the others. Temporary emergency aerial postal routes/services may be opted and adhered to but looking in to the quantity and necessity of distribution of mail. Temporary mail collection, carriage and distribution systems and channels might be developed. Under these circumstances, the private courier services are presumed to be held up completely.

For philatelists, the coming time in Uttrakhand area will produce good collectable postal and philatelic material in form of different mail systems, routes, cancellations, postmarks, stationery etc.. Philatelic fraternities in India too should come up with new innovative philatelic material giving tribute to the people of died and suffered. It will be interesting to watch how the services are rendered in near future before those are resumed properly.

: Naresh Agarwal - email : nareshkumar1992@yahoo.co.in