Philatelist exhibits rare stamps of women achievers

The presence of women is felt in various facets of our lives. A rare exhibition of stamps, first-day covers and pictorial cancellations featuring women, organised by Dakshina Kannada Philatelic And Numismatic Association (DKPANA), at the Head Post Office in Pandeshwar, on Sunday was a tribute to the women of India.

Philatelist Jane D'Souza of Mangaluru was the exhibitor of the day. Stamps, first-day covers, miniature sheets and pictorial cancellations on Indian women achievers were part of the expo.

Speaking about her collection, Jane D'Souza said that she has been collecting stamps since her childhood. The exhibition featured around 300 stamps on Indian women, which is a part of her much wider collection on International women achievers. The oldest one in the collection was the stamp on Meera Bai which was released in 1952. It was the first stamp released by the Postal Department during the post Independence era on any woman.

Apart from purchasing the stamps, she keeps on adding stamps to her collection by borrowing some from her friends and relatives.

Lakshmi, a visitor and a stamp collector herself said she was fascinated to see some of the very old and rare stamps on prominent Indian women.

Stamps on Indian women achievers in the field of art and culture featured dance exponent T Balasaraswathi, musician M S Subbulakshmi, miniature sheet on Indian actresses Devika Rani, Nutan, Kanan Devi, Savitri, Meena Kumari and Leela Naidu, freedom fighters Rani Abbakka, Kittur Chennamma, Sarojini Naidu, Kamala Nehru, social reformers Dr Annie Besant and Mother Teresa, Ashok Chakra awardee Neerja Bhanot, writers Kranti Trivedi, Mahadevi Verma and so on.

There were stamps on women depicted in paintings and sculpture as well.