Happy Holi !

Hi !Holi is a Festival of Colors. It was celebrated in Kullu yesterday but in most parts of India, this festival is being celebrated today. The festival not only brings colors to life but a great feeling of love & fraternity. To see the fervor of Indian festivals I can only say “It happens only in India & I am proud of my country & it’s rich cultural heritage that attracts the whole world”. It’s really a great pleasure to write that I also received Holi Greetings from my overseas friends. Its really wonderful & was moved to read about Holi on a Blog of a Polish young girl who also happens to be my friend . The young student of High School, Ada Lwandowska writes about Holi with nice pictures on her Blog . It’s the time of Holi celebration in most parts of the country but in Kullu it’s raining heavily. While I am writing this post early in the morning, I can hear the clattering sound of rain drops on the the tin roof of my house…..This is all for today….Till Next Post….Have a Wonderful HOLI !

The trees smile with their sprout
of tender leaves and blooming flowers,
Eternal nature with its transient expression.
Hails spring with ecstasy and joy!

Bewildering shades with so many tinge.
The land of beauty and greatness,
India, witnessing color of happiness and peace.

Nation come alive to enjoy the spirit
A celebration of color- Holi!
An experience of content, harmony and delight.

Holika burns amidst merriment and mirth.
Evil overpowered by love and devotion.
A festival to commemorate 'Ras Lila'-
an enduring love saga of Radha and Krishna.

Gulal - red, green, yellow and countless.
A day's canvas - a riot of colors.
Lively crowd running hither and thither,

RAINBOW of colors, dashing from every nook and corner.

Disregarding their woe and despair fervent folks,
rejoicing at the marvel of colors.
A day filled with luster and gaiety,

A day to smear our dreams-
With a splash of vibrant frenzy colors.
Holi Hai! A spring of unbounded fun and frolic!!

MAXİMA& WİLLEM ALEXANDER İN VANCOUVER

27 February:Prince Willem Alexander and Princess Maxima watched the Women's and Men's Team Pursuit Speed Skating with their daughters at the Richmond Olympic Oval in Vancuver

Greetings on Holi !

 

Wishing you all a very Happy & Colorful HOLI !

Hi ! It’s a festive time in India. Holi is one of the biggest Indian festivals celebrated with great joy all over the country. The fervor of Holi has started. It will be celebrated tomorrow in most parts of India but at my place Kullu it is being celebrated today a day before as per traditions in Kullu since a long time. So wishing you all a very Happy Holi. I have just introduced a non philatelic Blog…..It may interest those, who love music & Literature…just visit & enjoy a special Holi song by famous Pakistani Singer Farida Khanam… http://ilikemostinlife.blogspot.com/ This is all for Today….Have a wonderful Holi with your friends and relatives ! My special Greetings for those Indians who are not in India but living in other parts of the world, away from their native country and missing the vibrant colors of Holi ….Just have a wonderful time with your family ! Happy Holi !

FELİPE&LETİZİA

Prince Felipe and Princess Letizia attends a military ceremony at the Zaragoza Military General Academy in Zaragoza

CHRİSTİAN& İSABELLA

Prince Frederik and Princess Mary went to Lego Wourld Fair with their children Christian and İsabella at the Bella Center in Copenhagen.
photo(billed bladett)

Festivals of India - Holi

Greetings on Holi - The festival of Colors

The colorful festival of Holi is celebrated on Phalgun Purnima which comes in February end or early March. Holi festival has an ancient origin and celebrates the triumph of 'good' over 'bad'. The colorful festival bridges the social gap and renew sweet relationships. On this day, people hug and wish each other 'Happy Holi'.Holi celebration begins with lighting up of bonfire on the Holi eve. Numerous legends & stories associated with Holi celebration makes the festival more exuberant and vivid. People rub 'gulal' and 'abeer' on each others' faces and enjoy the festival.

The Legend of Holika and Prahlad

The Legend
There was once a demon king by the name of Hiranyakashyap who won over the kingdom of earth. He was so egoistic that he commanded everybody in his kingdom to worship only him. But to his great disappointment, his son, Prahlad became an ardent devotee of Lord Naarayana and refused to worship his father.Hiranyakashyap tried several ways to kill his son Prahlad but Lord Vishnu saved him every time. Finally, he asked his sister, Holika to enter a blazing fire with Prahlad in her lap. For, Hiranyakashyap knew that Holika had a boon, whereby, she could enter the fire unscathed.
Treacherously, Holika coaxed young Prahlad to sit in her lap and she herself took her seat in a blazing fire. The legend has it that Holika had to pay the price of her sinister desire by her life. Holika was not aware that the boon worked only when she entered the fire alone.Prahlad, who kept chanting the name of Lord Naarayana all this while, came out unharmed, as the lord blessed him for his extreme devotion.Thus, Holi derives its name from Holika. And, is celebrated as a festival of victory of good over evil.

Holi is also celebrated as the triumph of a devotee. As the legend depicts that anybody, howsoever strong, cannot harm a true devotee. And, those who dare torture a true devotee of god shall be reduced to ashes.

Celebration of the Legend

Even today, people enact the scene of 'Holika's burning to ashes' every year to mark the victory of good over evil.

In several states of India, specially in the north, effigies of Holika are burnt in the huge bonfires that are lit. The tradition of burning 'Holika' is religiously followed in Gujarat and Orissa also. Here, people render their gratitude to Agni, the god of fire by offering gram and stalks from the harvest with all humility.Further, on the last day of Holi, people take a little fire from the bonfire to their homes. It is believed that by following this custom their homes will be rendered pure and their bodies will be free from disease. After the burning of Holika the real color of Holi starts….Which creates a festive environment and everyone could be seen in different colors !!

Club News

Our Readers write…

Kaliash Nankani, Jodhpur (Rajasthan)

I  am a philatelist from jodhpur 342008 Raj I Collect Birds,Aids,Indian mint stamps and Postal History.I regularly visit Rainbow Stamp club and Rainbow Stamp News. It is very good for every philatelists I share a news clipping about AIRMAIL published in our SunCity Jodhpur local newspaper.

- KAILASH NANKANI  E –Mail : k_nankani@yahoo.co.in    Ph : 09314059290 & 02912755283

 

 

New Stamps from India

PC Sorcar - 23 February 2010

PC Sorcar - The King of Magic

P C Sorcar (Senior) was known worldwide as `Jadusamrat` or emperor of magic for his achievements in the art of magic . He was an internationally active magician throughout the 1950s and 1960s, performing his "Indrajal" show before live audiences and on television.

P C Sorcar (Senior) was born on 23rd February 1913 in the small village of Ashekpur in Tangail district presently in Bangladesh. He was attracted to magic at very early age. Ganapati Chakravarti had been the Guru for him. His education began at the local Shibnath High School. While still at school, he started performing in magic shows. However, this did not interfere with his education. In 1929, he passed the Entrance examination in the first division. In 1933 he graduated with honors in Mathematics. After completing his education, he took up magic as a profession. At the age of 58, Sorcar died of a heart attack in Ashaikawa, Hokkaido, Japan, on January 6, 1971. He went to perform there. P C Sorcar (Senior) has been succeded by three sons animator, director, and laserist Manick Sorcar and magicians P.C. Sorcar, Jr. and P.C. Sorcar, Young.


In 1934 P C Sorcar (Senior) first went abroad. He subsequently toured about 70 countries, including the United States and the USSR. P C Sorcar (Senior) won many prizes for his magic at home and abroad. For best stage magic he twice earned the `Phoenix Award` in the United States. He also won the `German Goldbar` and the `Golden Laurel Garland` awards and the `Dutch Tricks Prize`. In 1964 the Indian government honored him with the "Padmashri". In 1937, P C Sorcar (Senior) donated all the money he had earned in Japan to the cause of the Indian freedom movement.

P C Sorcar (Senior) was a member of the societies of magicians in France, United Kingdom, Germany, Belgium and Japan. He was a member of the International Rotary Club and life member of the Royal Asiatic Society in London. The Calcutta branch of the International Society of Magicians of USA was named after him. A number of well-known writers of Europe have written books on him, the most famous being "Sorcar: Maharaja of Magic".

A Technicolor motion picture has been produced on his magic. The All India Magic Conference published a photographic album on him on his 50th birthday in 1963. A long-playing record on him was released by `His Master`s Voice`. For his achievements in the art of magic he was known worldwide as "Jadusamrat" or emperor of magic.

The Bible Society of India - 21 February 2010

Club News

Indian Stamp Popularity Poll 2009

Stamps of India presents the Stamp Poll 2009 to select the best stamp of 2009, best miniature sheet of 2009, and best sheetlet of 2009. The results shall be announced based on the most number of votes polled.

You can send as many ballots as you wish. Please select from the issues of 2009 as shown at http://www.stampsofindia.com/lists/stamps/2009stamps.htm and vote for the best stamp, miniature sheet, and sheetlet of 2009 in your opinion. Also write your name, City, email id, and philatelic interests on the ballot and email your ballots to: stamppoll@stampsofindia.com

The last date to receive the ballots at Stamps of India is February 28, 2010. Incomplete ballots shall not be considered.

Several attractive philatelic prizes will be given away. The winners will be decided by draw of lots. Individual & Societies are welcome to sponsor for prizes, please contact admin@stampsofindia.com

in this regard.

Stamp Exhibitions in Himachal Pradesh

13-14 March SIMPEX 2010 Shimla

Venue : Gaiety Theatre, Shimla

22-23 March 2010 KulluPex 2010 Kullu

Venue : Deb Sadan, Kullu

March 2010 Distt. Stamp Exhibition, Dharamshala

For more details the concerned GPO/HPO may be contacted.

ALBERT& CHARLENE İN VANCOUVER

Prince Albert and Charlene Wittstock during an interview with Reuters at the Vancouver
photos(reuters)

PRİNCESS MARY

25 February:Princess Mary present awards of from scholarships Crown Princess Mary's Heart Foundation at the Hotel St Petri in Copenhagen
photos(billed bladett dk)

CHARLES& CAMİLLA

25 February: Prince Charles and Duchess Camilla attended the Royal World Premiere of "Alice in Wonderland" at the Odeon Leicester Square in London

Recent Stamps on Vancouver - 2010

Date of Issue - 8 February 2010

Hi ! here are the recent wonderful issues on Vancouover - 2010. The first pair shown above was issued by France on 8 Feb 2010. The stamps show two Olympic sports - alpine skiing and figure skating.The other lovely pair was issued by Monaco on 4 Dec 2009 featuring Skiing & Scateboarding. The stamps from Belarus are also very nice with a beautiful cancellation. To see these fantastic issues, I am highly fascinated to Vancuover 2010 stamps and would love to collect them. So anyone who is interested in recent Indian stamps may send me stamps on Winter Olympics for exchange. This is all for this Post.....Till next Post...Have a Nice Time !

Date of Issue - 4 December 2009

New stamps from Belarus

Date of Issue - 25 January 2010

DANİSH ROYAL FAMİLY

Beatiful photos from Danish Royal Family

photos(dr.dk)