Indian Postal Department - Stamps on Musicians

[kssr]

The Department of Posts comes under the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology, headed by a Minister who hails from Tamil Nadu.

He is busy with 3G allotment, consequent financial deals, evading scandal and CAG enquiry in 2G allotment and such important matters. You are talking petty stuff like swamigal and swamigaL. It would not make much difference to the "powers" even if it is "kal"

[Pratyaksham Bala]

Last year, only one postage stamp relating to Carnatic Music had been issued by the Indian Postal Department. It was a Rs.5 stamp on 'Venkataramana Bhagavathar' issued on 27th December 2009. Unfortunately, in Hindi his name is written as 'Venkatramana bhagvAthAr'.

[smala]

Anyone has the pic of the commemorative stamp issued for Ustad Bismillah Khan?

[smala]

Great site here with collection of pics of stamps and first day covers - including musicians, one for Bharatanatyam.
(May not be complete, it seems to be kamat's private collection)

Click on each to enlarge.

http://www.kamat.com/database/pictures/philately/

[Nick H]

I wish this thread could be renamed musicians on stamps

[mahakavi]

"musicians on stamps" could be taken to mean that they sang about stamps
Instead, how about "Stamps honoring musicians"?

[rshankar]

one for Bharatanatyam.

Which is the one for bharatanATyam? I do not think of Sri Uday Shankar as a bharatanATyam dancer.

[Pratyaksham Bala]

Anyone has the pic of the commemorative stamp issued for Ustad Bismillah Khan?

A commemorative stamp of Rs.5 on Bismillah Khan was issued by the Indian Postal Department on Aug 21, 2008:-

[Nick H]

"musicians on stamps" could be taken to mean that they sang about stamps
Instead, how about "Stamps honoring musicians"?

I'd settle for that

[smala]

Thank you, Sri P. Bala.

[smala]

On Bharatanatyam, I was looking at a few sites on philately - so may have it mixed up. Will check.
In the meantime, Uday Shankar is here, for his promotion of less known _Indian _dance_ art forms.
http://www.kamat.com/database/pictures/ ... y/s286.htm


Beautiful stamp collection - with info - sites :

http://www.philaindia.info/kerala%20on%20stamps.htm
This is a lovely representation of the varied aspects of the state.

http://hubpages.com/hub/STAMP-COLLECTIN ... E-INDIA-39

[Pratyaksham Bala]

Which is the one for bharatanATyam? I do not think of Sri Uday Shankar as a bharatanATyam dancer.

Here is a stamp on Bharatanatyam issued in 1975:-



SET OF SIX INDIAN STAMPS ON DANCES
issued on 20th October 1975 depicting six dance forms of India -- Bharata Natyam, Odissi, Kathak, Kathakali, Kuchipudi and Manipuri. Information on these can be had at:-
http://www.indiapicks.com/stamps/Cultur ... s_Main.htm

COMPLETE LIST OF INDIAN STAMPS (WITH ILLUSTRATIONS) ISSUED FROM 1947 TO 2008:-
http://www.indiapicks.com/stamps/Gallery/H/G1947.htm

FOR ALL INDIAN STAMPS ISSUED IN 2009:-
http://stampsofindia.com/lists/stamps/2009stamps.htm

FOR ALL INDIAN STAMPS ISSUED IN 2010 UPTO DATE:-
http://stampsofindia.com/lists/stamps/2010stamps.htm

[smala]

Thank you, Sri P. Bala - I saw it quickly - yes, that's the one though had it confused with Kamat's private collection..

[Pratyaksham Bala]

shyama-priya - you are welcome!

[smala]

Hope they update the 1975 release on the *then* *recognized* Indian Classical Dance List - Mohiniyattam and Sattriya (Vaishnava, Assam origin) have since been added to the *recognized* list to total eight.

[Pratyaksham Bala]

Hope they update the 1975 release on the *then* *recognized* Indian Classical Dance List - Mohiniyattam and Sattriya (Vaishnava, Assam origin) have since been added to the *recognized* list to total eight.

Indian Postal Department would be happy to issue postage stamps on Mohinattam and Sattriya. But, a formal application should be made to the Postal Department preferably by the Government of Kerala (for a stamp on Mohiniattam) and Government of Assam (for a stamp on Sattriya).
The State Governments may be urged by any local institution interested in these dance forms to take up the matter. For example, for Mohiniattam, Kerala Kalamandalam or any other similar body may do the needful.
For Sattriya a similar action may be taken through some other appropriate institution.

The entire procedure is very simple.

Best of luck.

[smala]

Thanks for the suggestion - I'll communicate this to the Mohiniyattam - Gotipua - Sattriya groups to urge their institutions to approach their respective state govts. --what department would that be - cultural affairs?

It does seem simple but it means someone from the organization has to write to the State Govt. hope their letter doesn't get buried and then hope the Govt. folks won't sit on it for months - not quite so simple knowing how paper chases are done in India.

In the case of Gotipua (considered "folk", not on the classical dance list) - it is a small, fairly remote village and one organization that is actively preserving the art form but they are small fry. I would love to see them get better recognition. Also, the seraikela-chau.

[vs_manjunath]

Coolji/other contributors- Invariably, the first day cover issued along with the release of these stamps also provides very authentic info. reg the musicians. It will be interesting, if this info can be scanned and provided to all rasikas.

[cienu]

First day cover on MS.

[smala]

thank you, cienu, for the upload and sharing.

[Pratyaksham Bala]

.
UNIQUE POSTAGE STAMP - SRI SHYAMA SHASTRI - Refer Post #5

Sri Shyama Shastri postage stamp issued on 21st December 1985 is unique –
the portrait of Sri Shyama Shastri illustrated in the stamp was drawn by Carnatic Musician Sri S. Rajam Iyer,
who was also a well-known Painter!

[vs_manjunath]

Must be from S Rajam- Not from Rajam Iyer.

[Pratyaksham Bala]

.
Sri S. Rajam Iyer aka S.Rajam.

Sri S. Rajam Iyer used to sign his paintings as 'S.Rajam'.

Sri S. Rajam Iyer was not only a musician, but also a composer, painter, photographer,
writer and an actor!

He studied art at Madras Arts School for five years, and
he was using the sfumato technique of painting with several thin layers.
His paintings are well-known, especially the Sangeeta Trimurti portraits.

He learnt music from Sri Papanasam Sivan. As a musician, he had learnt to sing
in all the 72 melakartha ragas. And, it is believed, he was the only one
to have sung all the kirthanas of Sri Muthusami Dikshithar.
Many of his sishyas did shine in the carnatic world -- MSS and MLV included.

[rshankar]

cienu - LOVELY - than you!

Sri PB - do you know if there was one on Smt. Rukmini Devi Arundale?

[Pratyaksham Bala]

There are two stamps!
One is a 60 (Paise) Commemorative Stamp was issued on Danceuse Smt. Rukmini Devi Arundale on 27th December 1987.



The stamp can also be located at this site:-
(Scroll down to 27th December 1987)
http://www.indiapicks.com/stamps/Gallery/H/G1987.htm

Please see the next post for the Rs.50 definitive stamp.

[Pratyaksham Bala]

Another stamp on Rukmini Devi Arundale for Rs.50 -- a Definitive Stamp for mass usage -- was issued on 11th May 2009.

[mahakavi]

This time they spelled it correctly in dEvanagari script.
Rs.50 stamp---for mass usage?
Come to think of it, how many in the masses have even heard of Rukmini Devi Arundale?

[rshankar]

Sri PB - thanks! She was beautiful!

[smala]

Thank you for these finds, Sri P. Bala - Rukmini Arundale almost looks like a portrait.

[smala]

Three CM/BN stamps including Balasaraswati were released. Pics would be lovely. How are the stamp/pics being posted here - I tried it didn't work.

SL No. 46 Issue No. 72-74 Release : 3.12.2010


1.Thiruvaduthurai T.N. Rajarathinam Pillai

2.Veenai Dhanammal

3.Thanjavur Balasaraswati

[smala]

Yet another stamp site, very nice :

http://stampsofandhra.blogspot.com/2010 ... chive.html

[smala]

...

[Pratyaksham Bala]

shyama-priya:

The stamps issued on 3rd December 2010:-

T.N. Rajarathinam Pillai


T. Balasaraswathi


Vennai Dhanammal

[cienu]

Wow. That is truly wonderful.
Thanks a lot PB

[Pratyaksham Bala]

cienu:
You are welcome!

shyama-priya:
For posting images --
First download the desired image to your computer. If it is a photograph, scan it and store the file in your computer.
Then follow the guidance given in:-
Website Issues > inserting photos in postings > Post #2

[eppramod]

http://sriramv.wordpress.com/2010/12/08 ... n-facts-8/

In the above blog Sriram V mentions about the recent release, but he has mentioned T Viswanathan,
was there one released on his name as well?

Pramod

[Pratyaksham Bala]

No postage stamp has so far been issued for T. Viswanathan (Vocalist & Flutist).

His grandmother (Veenai Dhanammal) and his sister (T. Balasaraswati) have been honoured by the Postal Department.