Joint Issue - 50th Anniversary of the Bilateral Relationships between India and Singapore 24.11.2015

India–Singapore Joint Issue featuring ‘Rashtrapati Bhavan’ of India and ‘Istana’ of Singapore.

Rashtrapati Bhavan was built between 1913-1929. Among the largest official residences of any Head of State, Rashtrapati Bhavan is an H-shaped building. The building has four floors with 227 columns, 37 fountains and 2.5 kilometres of corridors – all of its spread across a vast five acres. The central ceremonial hall within the building is known as the Durbar Hall. It is used for all major state functions. The first Government of Independent India under the leadership of Jawaharlal Nehru was sworn-in here on 15 August, 1947.

The Istana is the official residence and office of the President of Singapore. It was designed and built by Colonial Engineer, Major John Frederick McNair. In 1867, the Colonial Government under Governor Sir Harry Ord bought over 100 acres of land belonging to Charles Prinsep’s nutmeg plantation. The foundation stone was laid by Lady Ord, wife of the Governor, in July 1867.

A Miniature Sheet and a First Day Cover with two stamps on India–France Relationships 10.4.2015

It’s the first time when India is again releasing a joint stamp with the same country. Earlier India- France joint stamps were released in 2003.

India and France heralded a new era of bilateral cooperation with the establishment of formal diplomatic relations in 1947.Since then , the extent and scope of cooperation between the two countries has grown steadily and the bilateral relations between the two countries have now expanded in many areas ranging from trade and investment, culture, science and technology and education to space cooperation.

Space cooperation between India and France has already turned 50, making it India’s oldest and most important collaboration with a European nation.

Megha-Tropiques is an Indo-French Joint Satellite Mission launched on October 12, 2011 for studying the water cycle and energy exchanges in the tropics.

The Satellite with ARGOS and ALTIKA (SARAL) is a joint Indo-French satellite mission launched on 25th February,2013 for oceanographic studies. SARAL is designed to perform altimetric measurements designed to study ocean circulation and sea surface elevation and has three payloads-two developed by CNES and one by ISRO.

Department of Posts is happy to release a set of two stamps and miniature sheet on the theme of India-France: 50 Years of Space Cooperation featuring one stamp each on the two satellites Megha-Tropiques and SARAL.

India-Slovenia : Joint Issue 28.11.2014

India Post and Slovenia Post came together to issue a set of stamps, based on the prize – winning entries of Painting Competitions for children, organized by the two countries separately.

India Post organized a ‘Design a Stamp Contest‘ where the theme was ‘A Day with my Grandparents‘. Thousands of children from different parts of the country participated. The first, second and third prize-winning entries were selected for designing the Postage Stamp, the First Day Cover and the Information Brochure, respectively. The design on the Postage Stamp is based on the painting by Master Roshan V Anvekar, the First Day Cover design is based on the painting by Miss Anamika Ann Maria, and, the Information Brochure portrays a design based on the painting byMaster Theerdha Gopakumar K.

On the same lines, a painting competition was organized for the children of Slovenia during the Shankar's International Children Competition. The winner of the competition was Miss Sara Zivkovic. The stamp design of Slovenia Post is based on her painting.

Joint Issues : India – Mexico - 60 Years of diplomatic relations between India and Mexico 15.12.2010

The theme of this joint issue of Indo-Mexican stamps was ‘Mankind (Clothes & costumes) , Kalbelia Dance & Jarabe Tapatio’.

Kalbelia or Kabeliya is one of the most sensuous dance forms of Rajasthan, performed by a tribe of the same name. They are famous for their dance which is an integral part of their culture. Both men and women in the tribe participate in this activity to celebrate joyful occasions. The dancers embellish themselves in traditional black skirts with silver embroidery. The dance, set to folk songs, reminds one of the graceful movements of a snake. The sensual rhythm increases in tempo and vigour with the increase of the beat. Male participants take care of the musical part of the dance. They use different instruments (such as Pungi, Dufli, Been, Khanjari, Morchang & Dholak) to create the rhythm on which the dancer performs.

Jarabe Tapatío, or the Mexican hat dance, is the best known of a variety of Mexican folk dance called the jarabe. Each region and state in Mexico presents the Mexican dance form in a style that reflects its own unique customs and traditions. It is one of the most beloved dance forms in Mexico and is considered as the national dance of Mexico. While the women wear the traditional china poblana, which includes a fringed blouse, a skirt and a shawl, the men are dressed in an ornate charro or cowboy suit. The dance gained immense popularity when the famous ballerina, Anna Pavlova, incorporated it in her repertoire.

India - Philippines Joint Issue 16.11.2009

The picture on the stamp shows the Gangetic Dolphin (Platanista Gangetica) and the Butanding (Rhincodon Typus)

The whale shark (Rhincodon typus), known locally as the Butanding, is among the best loved marine animals that populate or visit Philippine waters. The Butanding is the largest variety of shark and can measure up to 20 meters in length and weigh more than 30 tons, i.e. the largest living fish species, but in spite of its size, this animal is known to be remarkably gentle. The Butanding is a slow moving, filter-feeding shark having very large mouth, fed mainly on plankton, microscopic plants, and animals.

Donsol in Sorsogon province has been declared as a sanctuary for the whale sharks and there is now a thriving eco-tourism program in place that allows people to see and swim with these “gentle giants of the deep.” An animal festival is also held in the municipality in honour of the fascinating creatures.

The Gangetic river dolphin occurs only in the fresh water rivers of India and Bangladesh. It is known as the fresh water tiger. Today it is a highly threatened species. Dams and barrages had posed a major threat to this water dolphin as they isolate the dolphins preventing them from swimming freely up and down the river.

India – China Joint Issue 17.7.2008

A Miniature Sheet was also issued featuring the two se-tenant stamps forming a composite design with background depicting two Buddhist Temples :-

1. 1500 p : Maha Bodhi Temple, Bodh Gaya, India and 

2. 1500 p : White Horse Temple, Luoyang City, China.

50 Years of diplomatic relations between India and Mongolia 11.9.2006

The two stamps on this FDC were issued to commemorate 50 Years of diplomatic relations between India and Mongolia.

The theme of the Joint Issue was Arts & Crafts. The stamps depict the Bronze Statue of Rao Dev, Bastar, Madhya Pradesh and the Bronze Statue, Murun Mongolia.

One of the stamps depicts an early 20th century bronze replica of the equestrian deity Rao Dev from Bastar, Madhya Pradesh. The extremely fine ornamentation of the bronze idol, cast in the lostwax technique and executed by a Ghadva metalsmith, is typical of the folk metal images from the Bastar region of India.

The other stamp depicts an ancient sculpture of a horse from Mongolia, an archaeological finding from the Bronze Age. The bronze cast statue was found in Murun city of Khuvsgul province of Mongolia.

Joint Issue India - Cyprus (Folk Dances) 12.4.2006

Relations between India and Cyprus have been traditionally very close and friendly. India has been supporting the sovereignty, unity and territorial integrity and democratic choice exercised by the people of Cyprus. In recent years, relations between the two countries have been reinforced with several bilateral mechanisms and set up for regular interaction on issues of mutual interest. Regular high-level exchange of visits between the two countries have led to expansion and strengthening of bilateral cooperation. The Presidents of the Republic of Cyprus viz. Arch Bishop Makarios (1962), Spyros Kyprianou (1982, 1983 and 1984), George Vassiliou (1989) and Glofcos Clerides (1997), paid state visits to India. From India,President VV Giri (1972) and President R. Venkataraman (1988) visited Cyprus.Prime Minister Indira Gandhi’s historic visit in September 1983 is recalled as a significant milestone in India’s relations with Cyprus. Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee also visited Cyprus in October 2002. Five agreements in the areas ofHealth, Post and Telecommunications, Science & Technology, Information Technology and Cultural Exchange Programme were signed to strengthen bilateral cooperation. Providing further impetus to mutual understanding and cooperation,  

In Cyprus, there is an unbelievable great wealth of dance melodies, as Cypriot researches on the topic, have recorded more than 70 different “Syrtoi” and“Zeimbekikoi” dances. In the past, households did not have a running water supply for everyday use. A spring or “Vrisi”, as called, was used by the whole village. Young women would go to the ‘Vrisi’ to fill their pitchers or pots with water. There they would meet the young men they loved. These love encounters ‘chance–meeting’ are the subject of dance ‘The Pitcher’ or ‘Kouza’ or ‘Stamna’ as is called in Cypriot dialect which has been depicted in the Cypriot stamp.

The illustration on the Indian stamp depicts a famous folk dance called ‘Nati’. It is the most popular folk dance of Himachal Pradesh in India. It derives its name fromSanskrit word “Natya and Nritya”. It is a dance for amateurs who have no audience in view and who dance inclusively for their own pleasure and satisfaction. Unlike classical dances, there are no rules in these dances and minor variations are pleasantly done to suit the local taste and talent. Men and women, old and young alike join this community dance at the time of festivals, marriages and other celebrations.

50th Anniversary of Diplomatic Relations Between India and Japan 26.4.2002

India and Japan are bound by common ties of religion, culture and friendship. We share as well a commitment to human freedom and democratic norms. We have established a Global Partnership for the 21st Century. The India-Japan Joint Declaration issued by the two Prime Ministers in Tokyo on 10 December 2001 has confirmed this commitment, and set out the common perspectives of both the countries on a wide range of bilateral issues and global challenges. Mutual respect and equality, efforts to build understanding through transparency and engagement; and our willingness to move beyond the Cold War constructs in the new Century will, be the bedrock upon which a mutually supportive and broad-based relationship can be built in the future.

Indo-Soviet friendship 16.8.1990

Indo-Soviet friendship demonstrated to the world how two people with different social systems can establish a firm relationship of understanding and mutual benefit and also work for a larger universal cause-a common cause of peace. Further in the direction of mutual understanding and co-operation, the Soviet Union and India embarked on a joint venture in the field of stamp issues. Both countries held a competition among children below the age of 17 years in the second half of 1989 for designing a stamp. Indian children were to design a stamp on a Russian theme and reciprocally, Soviet children were to design a stamp on an Indian theme. The stamp issued were the first prize winners of the two competitions.

The Indian stamp on Russian theme is based on the prize-winning painting of Sanjay Adhikari, VIII Std, Kalakendra, Chandernagore. The Russian stamp on an Indian theme is based on the painting of Vorontsova Tanya of Kishnikov, Maldovia. The First Day Cover is based on the painting of Suchita Datta VIII Std., New Delhi.