Jain Spirit 1999 07 No 01

Author(s): Jain Spirit UK
Publisher: UK Young Jains

Page 42

INDIA'S SACRED STAMPS
Pradip Jain's Devotional Collection
500
5002
200SRL AUROBINDO
INDIA
1
SING
INDIA
25
श्री अरविन्द
Stamp collecting is an improbable method of theological inquiry-except in India, Nearly every postage stamp initially issued by the newly independent country in 1948 and 1949 had a religious theme, carefully inclusive of Hinduism, Buddhism and Islam. Most stamps issued since the 1950s have a secular theme, but about 100 are Hindu. They honor ancient sages such as Tiruvalluvar and Valmiki and saint from the medieval period, such as Dnyaneshwar, Chaitanya and Haridas. Many stamps carry modern saints, friends and scholars of Hinduism, including Ramakrishna, Swami Sivananda, Annie Besant and Ananda Coomaraswamy. Also included are temples, sacred dances and arts, scenes from the Ramayana and Indus Valley seals. Among the most striking is the double-size, five-rupee stamp issued in 1996 depicting the Vivekananda Rock Memoria at Kanya Kumari. HINDUISM TODAY was introduced to this heretofore unknown goldmine of devotion by Pradip Jain of Bihar State, one of India's leading philatelists.
श्री बसवेश्वर USRI LASAVESWARA
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श्रीसीमी आनन्दमयी SHREE SHREEMA ANANDAMAVEE
1872-1950
THE INDIA
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भारत
500
INDIA
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100
60
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Jain started collecting stamps in 1964 with an initial investment of three rupees soon augmented by a loan of Rs. 100 from his grandmother. "I live by stamps," he told the Hindustan Times in 1994. He has received many awards, especially for his unequaled collection of Indian airmail stamps, and has represented India at various international stamp shows-mosi recently in San Francisco, California.
15 percruit INDIA POSTAGE
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What makes the Indian stamps with a religious theme especially useful are the "information sheets" produced by the Departmen of Posts when a stamp is released. Eac
20
22
भारत INDIA
स्वामी प्रमानन्द
SRI RAMAKRISHA IRAMAJAMLA
INDIA POSTAGE 159
100मान INDIA
100
NDIA Rs. 2
POSTM
NDIN
भारत
INDIA
INDIA
DIA
INDIA
INDIA
25
INDIA
38 Jain Spirit - July - October 1999 Jain Education International