'Historic' stamps on show at GPO from today

Scenes from the state's history will be told through 28 postage stamp panels. A new exhibition starting from Tuesday at the General Post Office (GPO) will be unravelling Maharashtra's past via the humble postage stamp on the occasion of Maharashtra Day on May 1.

Scenes from the state's history will be told through 28 postage stamp panels. A new exhibition starting from Tuesday at the General Post Office (GPO) will be unravelling Maharashtra's past via the humble postage stamp on the occasion of Maharashtra Day on May 1.

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More than 200 stamps will be on display, with panels covering a gamut of themes, including freedom fighters, the navy, cinema, the railways, pilgrimage spots and monuments, among others. The oldest stamp on display is one of the Gateway of India issued by the GPO in 1935 and worth half an anna.

"We wanted to show that through postage stamps you can study the state," said Humera Ahmed, chief postmaster general, Maharashtra circle. "We want to use philately to educate people while capturing history through a series of snapshots."

The exhibition, the first of its kind to mark Maharashtra Day in the state, will run from Tuesday until May 7 and is open to the public from 10am to 6pm, for free. It will also feature special covers released over the years. Governor K Sankaranarayanan will inaugurate the exhibition.

The GPO will also release a special calendar on the occasion, featuring stamps of city monuments.