<p>There’s always an inexplicable excitement in receiving a hand-written letter as opposed to reading one on a computer or cell phone screen. The written word always manages to elicit a host of emotions which take on different creative forms. <br /><br /></p>.<p>Nagendra Ammunje has a collection of over 45 aerogrammes from about 45 countries and is still counting. He says his fascination for the written word dates back to his childhood.<br /><br />He recalls how as a child, he used to collect stamps. But in 2004, he stumbled upon a packet with lots of Indian aerogrammes and that changed the way he looked at letter-writing. <br /><br />“My mother used to write to my father who was working in the Gulf in those days. It was the only form of communication back then, besides telephone calls, which were expensive,” he recounts. “An aerogramme used to cost about half of what normal cover letters did back then and it was extensively used till the computer arrived.”<br /><br />He points out that almost all countries issued aerogrammes in the 20th Century. “With the arrival of the internet, people started communicating less with aerogrammes and most countries have stopped issuing them. Now, only philatelists like me seek them out and they have become rare — a collector’s item.”<br /><br />From his collection, Nagendra is quick to pick out the aerogrammes with pictures of animals and birds as his favourites. <br /><br />On the best part of collecting aerogrammes, Nagendra says, “At a time when everything is going digital, stamps and aerogrammes remind us that this was the only form of communication at one time. Development and digitisation is inevitable but it’s nice to remember the old mode of communication once in a while. There’s a nostalgic feeling associated to old things.”<br /><br />Nagendra has, as a part of sharing his hobby with people, conducted exhibitions in schools and colleges on philately in which he has showcased aerogrammes as well. <br />“In this digital era, most children don’t even know what a letter is, let alone aerogrammes. So it feels great to explain aerogrammes from various countries to them,” says Nagendra. <br /><br />He too has learnt much from his collection: there’s a great deal of information, education and perhaps a story in each aerogramme, according to him. “The pictures on them tell you a lot about the place, culture and the people of that region,” says Nagendra. <br />He makes sure that he not only collects them but reads about each one to understand its origin. <br /><br />“One gets to know about the country. And you get to know the person who sent it. And, not to forget, by writing letters, you not only hone your writing skills but also keep the spirit of letter-writing alive,” he says with a smile. <br /><br />Nagendra has carefully preserved his aerogrammes in albums. And with friends and relatives generously adding to his collection, he doesn’t intend to stop anytime soon. <br /><br />(Nagendra can be reached on nagi7@yahoo.com) <br /></p>
<p>There’s always an inexplicable excitement in receiving a hand-written letter as opposed to reading one on a computer or cell phone screen. The written word always manages to elicit a host of emotions which take on different creative forms. <br /><br /></p>.<p>Nagendra Ammunje has a collection of over 45 aerogrammes from about 45 countries and is still counting. He says his fascination for the written word dates back to his childhood.<br /><br />He recalls how as a child, he used to collect stamps. But in 2004, he stumbled upon a packet with lots of Indian aerogrammes and that changed the way he looked at letter-writing. <br /><br />“My mother used to write to my father who was working in the Gulf in those days. It was the only form of communication back then, besides telephone calls, which were expensive,” he recounts. “An aerogramme used to cost about half of what normal cover letters did back then and it was extensively used till the computer arrived.”<br /><br />He points out that almost all countries issued aerogrammes in the 20th Century. “With the arrival of the internet, people started communicating less with aerogrammes and most countries have stopped issuing them. Now, only philatelists like me seek them out and they have become rare — a collector’s item.”<br /><br />From his collection, Nagendra is quick to pick out the aerogrammes with pictures of animals and birds as his favourites. <br /><br />On the best part of collecting aerogrammes, Nagendra says, “At a time when everything is going digital, stamps and aerogrammes remind us that this was the only form of communication at one time. Development and digitisation is inevitable but it’s nice to remember the old mode of communication once in a while. There’s a nostalgic feeling associated to old things.”<br /><br />Nagendra has, as a part of sharing his hobby with people, conducted exhibitions in schools and colleges on philately in which he has showcased aerogrammes as well. <br />“In this digital era, most children don’t even know what a letter is, let alone aerogrammes. So it feels great to explain aerogrammes from various countries to them,” says Nagendra. <br /><br />He too has learnt much from his collection: there’s a great deal of information, education and perhaps a story in each aerogramme, according to him. “The pictures on them tell you a lot about the place, culture and the people of that region,” says Nagendra. <br />He makes sure that he not only collects them but reads about each one to understand its origin. <br /><br />“One gets to know about the country. And you get to know the person who sent it. And, not to forget, by writing letters, you not only hone your writing skills but also keep the spirit of letter-writing alive,” he says with a smile. <br /><br />Nagendra has carefully preserved his aerogrammes in albums. And with friends and relatives generously adding to his collection, he doesn’t intend to stop anytime soon. <br /><br />(Nagendra can be reached on nagi7@yahoo.com) <br /></p>