Rare British-era stamps with King George V’s images and first day covers on events associated with Mahatma Gandhi and the golden jubilee of Sir Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay’s ascent of Mount Everest are part of an ongoing philatelic exhibition in Aizawl.
First day covers (FDCs) on the birth bicentenary of Louis Braille, stamps on the British royal family, including the longest reigning British monarch Queen Elizabeth II, and on famous Indian cinema icons and others have also been displayed.
The district-level philatelic exhibition – Mizopex 2022 – is being hosted by India Post at the R B McCabe Hall of the historic Aijal Club in the heart of the capital city of Mizoram from 17 to 19 November.
A large number of stamps, FDCs and other postal materials have been displayed, including those that commemorate jubilees of various landmark achievements of mankind in the last 200 years or so.
19 November also marks the beginning of World Heritage Week and stamps on various heritage buildings under India Post such as grand post offices in Mumbai, Lucknow and Shimla are part of this three-day philatelic attraction in the city.
The event is happening parallelly with the International Tourism Mart (ITM) for the Northeast region being hosted by the Ministry of Tourism in Aizawl from 17-19 November. Many of the delegates who have come from different parts of the country have visited the exhibition.
“Our Aijal Club is very old and we let out our halls for such public events too. The philately exhibition has some very rare stuff on display. We urge all to come and see it before it closes,” said Manunga, a staff at the reception desk.
According to a poster mounted as part of the exhibition, the first Mizoram Philatelic Exhibition – Mizopex – was held in January 2003 in Aizawl.
A District Level Philatelic Exhibition is organised by Mizoram Postal Division from today. A Special Cover on “Cheraw-Traditional Dance” is also released during this occasion. pic.twitter.com/Zw4rFjD7HT
— North East Postal Circle (@cpmgnortheast) November 17, 2022
The Mizopex 2022 has FDCs on the golden jubilee of the ascent of Mt Everest by Sir Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay, the life of Mahatma Gandhi, a century of man’s first flight, Cotton College of Guwahati, Boy’s High School of Allahabad, and a special joint postal issue by India and South Africa on the 125th year of the Pietermaritzburg station incident of Gandhi and the birth centenary of Nelson Mandela, carrying a rare archival photograph of the station.
Other rare items on display include postage stamps bearing images of British monarchs King George V and his son King George VI.
The stamps bearing valuations of ‘one Anna three Pies’, ‘Nine Pies’, ‘Three Pies’ and ‘Half Anna, and illustrated images of King George V who had visited India in 1911 for his grand Coronation Durbar in Delhi are today considered priceless items by collectors.
A large number of FDCs which were issued in the past devoted to ‘150 years of Indian Railways Workshops’, ‘150 years of India Post’, and ‘The Bihar Chamber of Commerce ‘ are also part of the display.
FDCs with brochures issued to mark 100 years of academic activities at King George Medical College, Lucknow; golden jubilee of the ‘Grand Lodge of India’ consecrated on 24 November 1961, in New Delhi, 100 years of United Theological College, Bangalore are also among the rare items of Mizopex.
A section has been devoted to various commemorative FDCs issued to mark the marriage of the then Prince of Wales Charles with Princess Diana on 29 July 1981, by various countries such as the Bahamas, St Vincent and the Cayman Islands, bearing striking images of the couple.
Rare FDCs issued to mark various jubilees of her reign, 50 years of her marriage to Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh in 1947 are an added attraction for philately lovers. Stamps issued on completion of 100 years since the making of the first Indian film in 1913 have also been displayed, including a series ‘Heroines of Indian Cinema’.
