E-Paper
Lucknow philatelist shows Ganesha images on foreign stamps, currency
He also shared a special cover issued from the United States of America in 2010 on the occasion of Ganesh Chaturthi
The iconic elephant-headed god, is revered not only in India but has a fascinating history beyond its borders too, says a Lucknow philatelist Ashok Kumar, 72.
Sharing a banknote from Indonesia launched in 1998 which bears an image of Lord Ganesha, he said, “In Indonesia, particularly in Bali, Lord Ganesha is an essential part of Balinese culture. People venerate him with devotion and incorporate his image into various ceremonies and rituals.”
“Similarly, Ganesha is known as Phra Pikanet in Thailand and is highly regarded there,” he added, sharing another rare coin from Thailand launched in 2011 which also bears a likeness of Lord Ganesha.
“All the images shared are from personal collections of my long-lived hobby,” said Kumar, a member of Lucknow Philatelic Society and Numismatics Academy, Lucknow.
He also shared a special cover issued from the United States of America in 2010 on the occasion of Ganesh Chaturthi, besides sharing a specially designed card issued from Pune, India (2022), all during celebrations of the Ganesha Festival.
The retired engineer has set up a little museum in his Gomti Nagar house where old postage stamps on freedom fighters, miniature models and some rare coins dating to 600 BC, postcards of Independence and many more are on display. He said it took him almost 45 years to collect these, when he began collecting in 1978.
