The Philatelic Bureau at the General Post Office, Raj Bhavan Road, reopened after renovation in July. It has all stamps released since 1947 in its collection.
DH Photo/S K Dinesh
The interest in stamp collection has fallen sharply among youngsters in the digital age, say senior philatelists from Bengaluru. However, they are happy their family members are taking the hobby forward.
Vishesh P V was inspired by his father, a long-time philatelist, to explore stamp collection. He has been collecting stamps for the past six years and
has a “rare collection of Gandhi and aviation stamps”.
Ten-year-old Roshni is also following her father’s footsteps. Together, Roshni and her father Panyam Mallikarjuna Praveen Shastry have a collection of definitive stamps, miniature sheets, and Inland letters. They also have a large collection of Meghdoot postcards — 989 of them, of 25 paise each, in 17 Indian languages. “We have up to 2,000 stamps. Roshni likes collecting stamps and even helps me in segregating them,” says Shastry.
Vishesh and Roshni’s family members are part of the Karnataka Philatelic Society (KPS). It has 800 members. A majority of them are in the 40-50 age group. Five to six new members join every month.
The Society is located inside the General Post Office on Raj Bhavan Road.
‘Stress-buster for elders’
KPS president Chaitanaya Dev Rao has a collection of 5 lakh stamps. He specialises in French India postal history. His fascination with philately began at age five, thanks to his uncle. “I have a Penny Black stamp in my collection. It is the first postage stamp in the world, dating back to 1840. I also have a complete set of Gandhi stamps from 1948, and printer proof stamps,” says the quality assurance professional. Even his son has developed a passion for collecting stamps.
N Sridevi is another active philatelist in the city. She has stamps featuring musical instruments, epics like the ‘Ramayana’ and ‘Mahabharata’, puppets and tribal dance forms. “I also have chocolate postage stamps from Switzerland, France and Great Britain,” says the banking professional. The 63-year-old has been collecting stamps since she was a child. She would write letters to her father who was working in England. That sparked her interest in these “tiny pieces of paper”. She says this is a “great stress-buster for elders” and is glad her nephews share her passion.
“The tiny paper accompanies our mail to different corners of the world. I find that fascinating,” she says.
Entrepreneur Sushil Mehra has a collection of 25,000 stamps and 5,000 special covers. Among his prized possessions are a complete set of post-Independence stamps, private first day covers (FDC) from 1947 to 1950, and the ‘Jai Hind’ post mark which was released on August 15, 1947.
He is the vice president of KPS. His son Gauresh and granddaughter Rhunika, 8, are also following suit.
What to expect at Philatelic Bureau?
Bengaluru’s Philatelic Bureau sells 6 lakh stamps every month. Of these, 70% are bought by stamp collectors. These enthusiasts meet up here on the first Sunday of every month to talk about their collection and research on postal history.
The Bureau is located on the ground floor of the General Post Office. It was established in 1974 and underwent a renovation this July, during which they added digital displays.
Visitors to the Bureau can see enlarged photos of stamps, arranged on walls and inside glass panels. Their collection boasts all stamps released since 1947. There are dedicated sections on special post covers (such as on actor Puneeth Rajkumar and the game of Chowkabara) and postcards on State Central Library and Vidhana Soudha that come alive with augmented reality. Illustrated postcards and books written by philatelists are also on display.
About 2,200 people hold a philatelic deposit account here. Assistant chief postmaster, Chandra Kanth Raj Urs V R, explains: “Interested collectors open an account and deposit some money. When new stamps are released, we deduct their price and deliver them to their home.”
The Bureau is popular for school trips. About 800 students visit it every month. The staff also visits schools to create interest in postal history and letter-writing. This has inspired 13 schools to start philatelic clubs.
Visiting Hours: Mon to Fri, 10 am to 3 pm. Contact 080-2850058 or philatelybggpo.ka@indiapost.gov.in