Bengaluru's heritage: Stamped and delivered

Stamps commemorating Bengaluru’s heritage buildings reveal the city’s cosmopolitan nature, writes Michael Patrao

The commemorative stamps issued by India Post over the years have revealed the cosmopolitan nature of Bengaluru.

Possibly the earliest commemorative stamp to be released is that of St Martha’s hospital, on December 30, 1986. This one rupee stamp shows a view of the original building of the hospital.

The hospital was founded by the Good Shepherd Sisters with the help of the Maharaja of Mysore in the aftermath of the plague that swept through Karnataka in the 1870s. There was no civil hospital in Bengaluru and the Church, Government and philanthropists came together to raise a sum of Rs 13,000 for a hospital building.

The hospital opened its first outpatient ward on January 1, 1886, with a new building and training school for nurses following in 1929 and 1933.

On July 8, 2011, a commemorative stamp of Rs 5 denomination on the United Theological College (UTC) was released.

Founded on July 8, 1910, the UTC is considered one of the best theological colleges in the world. Its archives contain imprints and manuscripts that are more than a hundred years old. When Mahatma Gandhi visited the college in 1927, he declared “I can say the life of service and utmost simplicity is the best preaching.”

Ahead of the World Philatelic Exhibition in January 1989, the Department of Posts brought out two stamps commemorating the Bombay GPO and Bangalore GPO, on October 9, 1988.

The Bangalore GPO was first established as The Imperial Post Office in 1800 and was elevated to the status of Head Post Office in 1854. Originally housed in a single-storeyed building near Cubbon Park, it has been replaced with a six-storeyed building at the junction of Raj Bhavan Road and Dr Ambedkar Veedhi.

The building is a mixture of traditional and modern construction, both in design and material used. Inaugurated by Rajiv Gandhi on November 15, 1985, the building is now considered a major landmark in Bengaluru.

A postage stamp commemorating St Joseph’s Boys High School completing 150 years was issued on November 28, 2008.

Founded by the Society of Jesus, the school celebrated its centenary in 1958, with Dr Rajendra Prasad, the first President of India, attending the function.

St Joseph’s College, an offshoot of the school, also has a commemorative stamp to its credit, issued on August 1, 2009.

The college was originally founded in 1882 by the French Missionary Fathers, as an institution for religious and secular studies. In 1937, it was taken over by the Jesuits.

More recently, in December 2016, a first-day cover (stamp issued on a cover, postcard or stamped envelope) of the Bank of Mysore’s Head Office.

This institution, founded by Sir M Visvesvarya under the patronage of Nalwadi Krishnaraja Wadiyar, later became the State Bank of Mysore before being merged with the State Bank of India.

A special cover on Kempegowda Tower (Lalbagh Rock) was released on July 23, 2013, at Basavanagudi Head Post Office. The four Kempegowda towers are over 500 years old, and one hopes that India Post comes out with a series of four stamps commemorating all the towers.