New Delhi: The Department of Posts or India Post is releasing a special cancellation stamp to commemorate International Day of Yoga (IDY) on June 21. It is one of the largest simultaneous philatelic tributes in postal history. The special pictorial cancellation stamp will be an inked marking or impression with the phrase ‘International Day of Yoga 2021’ in both Hindi and English. This unique initiative will mark the celebration of the 7th edition of IDY.
All delivery and non-delivery Head Post Offices will apply the special cancellation stamp on all mail booked in the Office on June 21. A cancellation is defined as the defacement of a stamp to prevent it from being reused. Many of these cancellations are valuable collectibles and are the focus of philatelic studies.
India Post runs a program for philatelists to revive the passion for stamp collecting, which has declined over the years. Collectors can obtain stamps from Philatelic Bureaux and counters in designated post offices. One can easily open a philatelic deposit account at any head post office of the country by depositing Rs 200 and get items like stamps and special covers. Moreover, Commemorative stamps are only available at Philatelic Bureaux and Counters or through Philatelic Deposit Accounts. Only a limited number of these are printed.
Since the 1980s, various philatelic commemorations have been issued celebrating yoga and IDY. In 2015, the Department of Posts released two stamps and a miniature sheet to commemorate the International Day of Yoga. In 2016, Prime Minister Narendra Modi released Surya Namaskara postage stamps to mark the celebration of the 2nd International Day of Yoga. In 2017, the UN Postal Administration (UNPA) released a set of stamps commemorating the International Day of Yoga in New York.
In the last six years, IDY has been celebrated around the world in a variety of (often creative) ways. Yoga Day has been celebrated in India for many centuries, as can be seen from many beautiful old photographs. The program brings together Indian Army personnel practicing Yoga on the Himalayan ranges, Navy officers and cadets performing Yoga on the decommissioned INS Viraat, Indian Navy officials performing Yoga aboard the submarine INS ‘Sindhuratna,’ etc.
The United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) adopted a resolution on December 11, 2014, establishing 21st June as the International Day of Yoga. The Philately initiative adds to the diversity in the observance of IDY. There has been a growing number of participants worldwide observing this Day since 2015.
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Because of Covid-19, most events will be virtual this year, promoting the main theme of the year ‘Be with Yoga, Be at Home’. Since the country is cautiously emerging from lockdown, this massive postal commemoration activity with more than 800 collectibles (each cancellation design is a collectible) opens up immense philatelic opportunities and is likely to rekindle philatelic activity in the country.
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