Latest news with #PhilatelicBureau
The Hindu
18-06-2025
- Entertainment
- The Hindu
Made in India: Explore GI-tagged products in ‘Guardians of Heritage'
It is one of those balmy days in the midst of an unrelenting Chennai summer when I meet Senthilkumar Chandrasekaran outside Anna Salai's Philatelic Bureau, once among the first cinema houses in South India. Seated under a spreading peepul tree Senthilkumar, 47, is quite at home, unsurprising for a man who is passionate about philately and the way the postal realm transports him to distant places interwoven with tales of heritage and history. 'The book has been two years in the making,' says Senthilkumar, a chemical engineer and general manager with a Chennai-based waste-water treatment company, and member of SIPA (South India Philatelists' Association). 'It highlights the rich tapestry of India's indigenous and region-specific products that have earned the coveted Geographical Indication (GI) tag through stamps, special covers, cancellations and other postal memorabilia.' Released in May 2025, Guardians of Heritage was born of a blog that Senthilkumar maintained during the dark days of the COVID-19 pandemic. 'I was a stamp collector as a child,' he says, looking back at life as a Railways' kid in Karnataka. 'Back then, we received letters often, and as a 10-year-old, I used to peel off the stamps from envelopes and stick them in notebooks. Birthday indulgences were about buying sheets of Indian and foreign stamps from stationery shops. Much of my early collection had definitive stamps, but my love for commemorative stamps began with one on Sanjay Gandhi. I rediscovered philately to break the monotony and stress of modern life.' Senthilkumar joined SIPA and built his collection — the themes included stamps on water, 'twin stamps' on the Olympics, Mahatma Gandhi and Indian heritage, coins and currencies. 'Every day I check the India Post website for new releases. Weekends are spent solely on this. And friends of friends have become friends because of philately,' he laughs softly. 'And then, I discovered the world of special covers and other memorabilia related to GI-tagged products.' Senthilkumar flips through these special covers encased in album after album, their unique colour and creation a representation of the rich cultural diversity of India. 'This collection took two years. Six hundred and ninety seven products are registered with the GI registry and I have showcased 402 in the book. The need to catalogue these products helped me collect,' he says. The covers are unique, each one a celebration of the product in modes that are raised, flat or projected. The one on Kanchipuram silk has a piece of silk with a peacock motif encased on the cover, the Santipur saree has its famous folds, the one on Kaipad rice has a grain, the Chamba rumal cover has a piece inserted that tells the story of Radha Krishna, the Nachiyar Kovil lamp is tactile as is the Thanjavur pith work of the Brihadeeswarar temple. 'I first began collecting on Tamil Nadu,' says Senthilkumar, adding 'some states have GI-tagged products but no covers, those from the Northeast have plenty but are difficult to source. There are also foreign products registered in India.' Prices also vary between ₹60 and ₹200 a cover and most are accessible except some of the sponsored ones. 'Around 2,000 covers are issued and one needs to keep an eye to source them,' he says, adding that the dealer-enthusiast network is the best way to acquire them. All this is translated onto the book that serves as a ready reckoner for anyone who wishes to know more about GI-tagged products and to the trivia collector who'd like to toss out nuggets on say Bardhaman sitabhog at dinner. Arranged under the heads of agricultural products, food stuff, handicrafts, manufactured products and natural resources, a picture of each cover has a descriptor, GI tag number, the date and State. 'The GI tag registry office has a certifying authority to check on the authenticity of the product information after which a journal entry is issued,' he says. Senthilkumar who is awaiting a cover on East India Leather made in Pallavaram, Chennai, counts among his favourites the covers on Bastar iron work and Tanjore dolls. He says, 'Collecting and putting together this book, with support from my wife, has been an incredible cultural journey into the heart of India.' Guardians of Heritage is priced at ₹1,950 and is available for sale online.
The Hindu
05-06-2025
- General
- The Hindu
Postal Department releases special cover on invasive-free Vaduvur Bird Sanctuary
The Department of Posts on Thursday released a special cover on invasive-free Vaduvur Bird Sanctuary situated in Tiruvarur district. The Postmaster General, Central Region, Tamil Nadu T. Nirmala Devi released the Special Cover here in connection with the World Environment Day. The Vaduvur Bird Sanctuary was identified as an area of national importance and declared as a Ramsar site in 2022. The sanctuary provides habitat for around 118 bird species and the interconnected wetland system acts as a buffer against flooding and provides water during drought. Invasive species, which tend to out-compete native flora, alter water quality and disrupt the healthy ecosystem, have been removed from the sanctuary making this Ramsar site invasive-free now, a press release from the Postal Department said. The special cover was released keeping in view the department's commitment to showcase the efforts by the Centre and State government as well as the local community in safeguarding water bodies and encouraging sustainable flourishing of flora and fauna. On the occasion of the World Environment Day, the department created an awareness on clean energy by organising an e-bicycle ride from the Rockfort sub post office to the Tiruchi Head Post Office. A unique feature of this e-bicycle ride was that it carried a special cover that contained images of the e-bicycler ride along with a message about Swachtha. P. Manjula, a postwoman from Tiruchi Postal Division, carried the special cover covering a distance of about 6 km in an e-bicycle. The special cover carried via e-bicycle was released by Ms. Nirmala Devi, the release added. Both special covers will be available for sale at the Philatelic Bureau, Tiruchi Head Post Office.
