Stamp gathering was once a well-liked interest as soon as upon a time, when letters had been eagerly awaited and penpals cherished. However, if you happen to ever thought stamps had been relics of yore, 170 Not Out at present underway on the Indian Institute of World Tradition will show you flawed.
Curated by Ramu M Srinivasa, this exhibition not solely celebrates 170 years of postal stamps in India, which had been launched on October 1, 1854, but additionally the one hundred and fifty fifth delivery anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi with an unique assortment of stamps bearing his picture.
“The exhibition is split into two elements. Since this yr marks the one hundred and fifty fifth delivery centenary of Gandhi, one part is totally dedicated to Indian stamps that includes him, in addition to these by different nations lauding him,” says Ramu.
The opposite part celebrates India Posts, now of their a hundred and seventieth yr, (therefore the title of the exhibition) and covers an astounding vary of wildlife, notable personalities, world occasions, Indian mythology and extra. Each body is accompanied by just a few crisp strains in regards to the stamps on show.
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Nearly all of stamps on show, aside from the part titled Uncover the Senses contributed by Gururaj Shenoy, are from Ramu’s private assortment which he started 40 years in the past. 170 Not Out showcases shut to five,000 stamps beneath the themes of Gandhiji and India Posts — the remainder of the stamps he owns, are usually not on show.
Ramu started gathering stamps as a baby and has been a part of the Karnataka Philatelic Society since 1986. The Society itself remains to be going robust, assembly on the primary Sunday of each month on the Bangalore / Bengaluru GPO; they have a good time their fiftieth anniversary subsequent yr. Regardless of the invasion of digital types of communication, put up workplaces nonetheless bustle with exercise all yr lengthy, bringing out stamps to commemorate particular person and collective milestones.
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Among the many many beauties at 170 Not Out is the coveted Penny Black — the primary ever adhesive postal stamp — extremely wanted by virtually each philatelist price his salt. There’s a complete assortment representing the life cycle of a chook and options 27 totally different avian species, in addition to unusually formed stamps, and bejwelled and ornate ones.
Each of India’s epics, The Ramayana and The Mahabharata, are immortalised in a collection of stamps. In line with Ramu, one can guide a complete sheet of stamps or a block, if they’ve subscribed for a similar with the philatelic society.
Ramu says the thought behind 170 Not Out was to carry college students again to the interest of stamp gathering. “Most individuals are into cricket and I believed a catchy identify like that may stick. The primary British stamp was launched in India on October 1, 1854, and regardless of digitalisation and a drastic drop within the letter writing behavior, India Posts remains to be doing effectively for itself.”
In step with his purpose of getting kids excited by philately, Ramu has organised a treasure hunt, quiz and different activites comparable to letter folding (like inlands and aerogrammes when envelopes aren’t round) on the venue. Postcards are additionally accessible on the gallery in case impressionable younger minds are impressed to sprint off just a few strains, and Ramu drops them on the close by Basavangudi put up workplace.
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The exhibit Uncover the Senses teaches fundamental arithmetic to fifth, sixth, seventh and eighth normal college students, and contains stamps of assorted geometric shapes.
Surprisingly, Ramu says everywhere in the world penpals nonetheless flourish, not solely exchanging letters and information from their elements of the world, but additionally swapping their stamps. “I nonetheless write to a pen buddy in Europe who sends me stamps on birds and butterflies, that are my space of curiosity and in return, I ship him big day Indian stamps,” says Ramu, who acquired hooked on stamps as a boy when he would write dwelling whereas visiting his grandparents throughout faculty holidays.
Ramu firmly believes a pastime ought to broaden one’s psychological horizons other than providing a nice respite from the day by day grind, and stamp gathering actually does that. From studying about historic occasions and geographic areas, to getting a glimpse of newsmakers and popular culture, philately goals to remodel kids into “autonomous learners” and promotes, ”Cognitive studying means which lets you suppose” he says, including the actions on the exhibition have been designed retaining this facet in thoughts.
170 Not Out shall be on show on the Indian Institute of World Tradition, Basavangudi, until October 31. Entry free. Mondays closed.
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Printed – October 22, 2024 04:51 pm IST
