India Post recently announced its discontinuation of registered post services. We look back at some cool cultural icons, institutions, and events that were featured on stamps in the past few decades
A stamp of noted filmmaker Ritwik Ghatak; (right) A postcard stamp honouring filmmaker-actor Guru Dutt
1 Birth Centenary of Legends (2025): ON the birth centenary of five icons from the golden age of Indian cinema, stamps of the denomination of five rupees were released with portraits of the legends to pay tribute to their legacy. Among them were the first female superstar of Telugu cinema P Bhanumathi, Bengali auteur Ritwik Ghatak, Hindi actor and filmmaker Guru Dutt, musician Salil Chowdhury, and director Raj Khosla.
Pics Courtesy/India Post; Wikimedia Commons
2 Embroideries (2019): Kantha from West Bengal, Tripura, Odisha and Bangladesh; Kamal Kadai from Andhra Pradesh; Phulkari from Punjab, Chikankari from UP; Kasuti from Karnataka, Toda from Tamil Nadu, Shamilami from Manipur and Kashmiri embroidery — all (above) feature in stamps issued in celebration of the intricate embroidery work done by artisans.
The stamps highlight diverse handicraft arts of India
3 Handicrafts of India (2018): During the year, several handicrafts were featured on the stamps: Karnataka bronzeware, Blue pottery of Jaipur, Sikki grass products of Bihar, Maddalam of Palakkad, and Kutch embroidery. These corresponded to specific geographical locations. In 2002, a few others — such as cane and bamboo, thewa, Patan’s patola, and dhokra — had been recognised for their techniques.
The postage stamp honouring the Gaiety Theatre Complex, Shimla
4 Gaiety Theatre Complex, Shimla (2014): Known as a cultural landmark in India, the Gaiety theatre complex is among the oldest performance venues. It was designed by the English architect Henry Irwin in the Gothic style in 1887. From Rudyard Kipling to Prithviraj Kapoor, several English and Indian personalities have performed at this venue. The stamp was issued to celebrate its completion of 125 years.
Postage with Warli (right) and Shekhawati paintings
5 Warli and Shekhawati Paintings (2012): As India Post participated in the World Stamp Exhibition at Jakarta in 2012, it added two stamps with Warli and Shekhawati paintings, which represented cultural practices of Maharashtra and Rajasthan. In 2000, Madhubani-Mithila paintings from Bihar had made it to the stamps. Collectively, they give a glimpse of the diversely rich artistic practices in India.
(Clockwise from left) Stamps honouring Devika Rani, Kanan Devi, Meena Kumari, Leela Naidu, Savithri and Nutan
6 Legendary Heroines of Indian Cinema (2011): Commemorating contributions by pioneers of cinema, a series of stamps were released featuring actresses like Kanan Devi, Meena Kumari, Nutan, Savitri, and Leela Naidu. Most importantly, it celebrated the First Lady of Indian cinema, Devika Rani, who was not only one of the most pioneering actresses, but also, along with her husband Himanshu Rai, was a founding partner of Bombay Talkies. The studio brought a global language to Indian cinema in the 1930s.
Rabindranath Tagore
7 Jnanpith Award Winners (2003): The first Jnanpith award, the highest literary honour, was awarded to the Malayalam poet and writer G Sankara Kurup for his poetry collection The Bamboo Flute. Three stamps were issued to celebrate Kurup’s work, alongside that of two other award winners with contributions in Malayalam literature: SK Pottekkatt and Thakazhi Sivasankara Pillai. Eminent writers in regional languages, including Mahadevi Varma, Ramdhari Singh ‘Dinkar’, Firaq Gorakhpuri, Sumitranandan Pant, Rabindranath Tagore, RK Narayan, etc., can be found on stamps issued over the years.
(From left) Postage stamps featuring Allah Jilai Bai and Lalan Fakir
8 Folk Music series (2003): Baul poet and singer Lalan Fakir and Rajasthani Maand singer Allah Jilai Bai were added to the stamps in celebration of their legacy to folk music. The same year also saw stamps featuring golden voices of yesteryears: Hemant Kumar, Mohd Rafi, Kishore Kumar, and Mukesh from Hindi cinema and Ghantasala from Telugu cinema.
Annabhau Sathe
9 Annabhau Sathe (2002): Folk poet, writer, and social reformer, Annabhau Sathe has been known as the founding father of Dalit literature, having written about 35 novels, several plays, ballads and short stories in Marathi. He was known to have incorporated folk styles like Lavani and Powada in his writing. The stamps honoured his vast contribution to literature and social reforms.
A Panchatantra stamp with detailed illustrations from the story of the Lion and the Rabbit
10 Panchatantra (2001): Even in the 21st Century, Panchatantra stories, which are among the oldest tales in Sanskrit literature, continue to be popular among children. With the coming of the new century, two scenes each from four fables were featured in the postage stamps: The Lion and the Rabbit, the Tortoise and the Geese, the Monkey and the Crocodile, the Crow and the Snake.
Mumbai Special
. 1982: JJ School of Art celebrated its 125th anniversary
. 1989: Bombay Art Society completed 100 years
David Sassoon Library and Reading Room
. 1998: David Sassoon Library and Reading Room completed 150 years
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