These stamps to make communication a fragrant affair

India Posts has released perfumed stamps for the fifth time in the last 13 years. In the latest instance, four fragrant commemorative postage stamps on agarwood

India Posts has released perfumed stamps for the fifth time in the last 13 years. In the latest instance, four fragrant commemorative postage stamps on agarwood and orange blossom have been made available to the public.

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The price of one set of these four postage stamps is Rs 100 and these are available at Lucknow GPO and other head post offices now.

With such stamps available, people need not send flowers or fragrances in envelopes.

The perfume extract is added during the paper making process, thereby keeping the fragrance in postage stamps for a long time, explained director, Postal Services, Krishna Kumar Yadav. Yadav added that India Posts had released perfumed stamps in 2006, 2007, 2008 and 2017.

In 1973, Bhutan became the first country to release perfumed postage stamps followed by New Zealand, Thailand and Switzerland. India released the first perfumed postage stamp with the Sandal fragrance in 2006, said Yadav.

Unlike regular postage stamps issued from time to time by the department of posts, the scented stamps have been issued under the commemorative category. This is the reason that these postage stamps cannot be reprinted and, therefore, have become invaluable for the stamp collectors. Apart from philatelists, the youth, who are passionate about collecting unique things, are also attracted by these postage stamps.

Agarwood is among the most precious perfumes in the world. At present, its trees are found in India, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Thailand and Vietnam. The fragrance of orange blossom (orange flower) is very sweet and captivating, he said.