Jal Mahal, India

When going through my cards and trying to make a choice of what to post today, more often than not I was like, oh have I really received this, this year?? At times it feels like it is something from ages ago... or it might be cos this year has been as it has been and I have some distorted sense of time....

I dont know about you, but whenever I see this card I read Taj Mahal :D And actually back when I swapped for it, I was ready to argue, but this is not Taj Mahal,  and I have more than enough view cards from there anyway! Good that I took a better look before I spoke (cos something looked odd about the Taj Mahal) and I spared myself the embarrassment, haha...

Jal Mahal (which is said to mean Water Palace) is a palace in the middle of the Man Sagar Lake in Jaipur city, and the way it is secluded in the middle of the lake is what makes it so appealing to me and maybe even more beautiful than Taj Mahal and for sure less touristy.

the big stamp on the right is from 2018 from a set of 3, commemorating the 75th Anniversary of the First Flag Hoisting at Port Blair. The Yoga definitive next to it was issued in 2016, while on the left side, that guy in black and white is from a set of 16 definitives issued in 2016, showing Makers of India and this one is Bal Gangadhar Tilak, 1856-1920, who was an Indian nationalist, teacher, and an independence activist

Thanks to Thomas for this card.

India

One more card for today, this time showing a really lovely girl from India.

The people from the states of Gujarat and Rajasthan are skilled craftsmen, where one village is an expert in one, while the next village in another craft.
Most of the crafts origin from there, especially certain apparels, jewelry, accessories, and they are quite cheap.
People who know me know that I have a really soft spot on such jewelry (no gold or silver but unusual, colourful, or funny ones) so probably these places would be my heaven.
I love the way this girl is dressed - so lovely and colourful, and I esp love her bunch of colourful bracelets - I'd definitely wear those, in the same quantity as well :)

We have quite a lot of stamps here, let's see how I manage this...
The two bigger colourful stamps are from 2013 (not from the same set though). The one on the very left is part of 2 stamps showing Heritage Buildings - this I believe is the Head Post Office in Agra.
The other big stamp is also from a set of two, showing the Wild Ass of Ladakh & Kutch.

Now, on the small stamps you can see Gandhi - from a set of 6 personalities' stamps issued in 2009. Below it is another stamp from 2009, also from a set of 3 personalities' stamps, showing E.V. Ramasami.
The last one, which you can see twice, is a definitive from 2008.

So, that would be all for today. Enjoy whatever's left of your weekend! Till next time!

India

Next comes a GF card from India....seems that this is my first GF card on the blog actually...

I'm not sure when exactly these cards appeared...if it was last year or sometime in 2014....anyways, there is a big big craze when it comes to them, and I understand why...they are really nicely designed and all, plus they are a collectible...and collectors love collectibles, so when you combine it all together you have your formula for success :)
Personally I am not an active collector of the GF cards, but i have received a few so far...I still dont know how I ended up receiving this one in a swap...but I dont mind :)
Well, you all know Taj Mahal that is portrayed here, plus I have already posted about Taj Mahal before, so I won't be going all over about it again....just some personal opinion with regards to the GF cards...

1. I don't know based on what they pick the people for the 'famous' section, but I often believe that better choices could have been done (starting with the GF Macedonia for example, and then the other day I noticed the GF Norway and I cringed.....)

2. The layout of the back of the card is so odd, I never know how to place things properly (address, stamps, text...)

3. The Postcrossing members section - that is a thing that really varies (same goes with the Population) . The GF card here says that there are over 7200 Members from India on PC...if you check the official site, right now it is 7755...so yeah, 7755 is more than 7200, but somehow soon, when there will be like 9000 or 10000, 7200 won't really make much sense in a way...unless they run a new print with some updated statistics

Ok, seems like I'm in some whining mood right now, so the positive side regarding this card...I've come to learn that India has the largest postal network in the world with around 155015 post offices and over 566000 employees....wow! fascinating!

I've just read that this stamp of Rajiv Gandhi, along with the Indira Gandhi stamp, issued in 2008, have been discontinued, as per some Government decisions....no such info about the Satyajit Ray stamp below

India

the last card for today comes from India, and is one of the many fantastic cards I received as the April's WOTM on the PC forum (I dont know if I had mentioned, but I also was the lucky winner back in 2009....) :D

the card portrays us the Ottanthullal, which is a a type of performing art from the Kerala state in India.
This piece of art has a (mostly) single actor, donning a green make-up and wearing colourful costumes, and reciting the thullal lyrics (dance songs), all the while acting and dancing himself. The art form has of late found practitioners from among women too, and is occasionally staged as a group dance form with each artiste representing a character in the storyplay.
The art form has its satirical touch, often making fun of prevalent socio-political equations and prejudices of the region.
Just a fantastic card! In a way, these masks remind of the ones of clowns, but I guess, in a way, that is the point of the 'making fun' of.
Thanks a bunch to Georgy for the great choice!

there are three stamps on the card....the two stamps on the right were issued this year...the bottom one is from a mini-sheet of 4 stamps commemorating the 100 years of aviation, while the other one portrays the "Employees State Insurance Corporation".
As for the small stamp, my guess is that it was issued in 2001, and it represents Dr. B.R Ambedkar, who was an Indianwas jurist, political leader, philosopher, anthropologist, historian, orator, economist.....hmmm, this list of qualifications makes my CV look miserable =/

well, thanks for reading, and hope there will be a sunny weekend ahead of you :)

Charminar, India

Another 2008 card, this time coming from India.

on the card you can see Charminar (in English 'Four Towers'). It is a massive arch built by Mohammed Quli Qutab Shah, in 1591 to commemorate the end of the plague in the city. The symbol of the city is an impressive square monument with four minarets. The monument is a magnificent square edifice of granite, built upon four grand arches facing North, South, East and West. These arches support two floors of rooms and gallery of archways. At each corner of the square structure is a minaret rising to a height of 24 meters, making the building nearly 54 meters tall. It is these four minarets that give the building, its name 'Charminar'. Each minar stands on a lotus-leaf base, a special recurrent motif in Qutub Shahi buildings.

There was this talk of going to India this summer...but I dont think it will really happen...at least not this summer...and we were also advised that the best time to visit the country is actually February/March...so we'll see. The whole idea was to go to Sri Lanka first and from there go to India...a really great way to use the route and see Sri Lanka too...but I guess we'll need to wait for some better times...

Ooty, India

A FANTASTIC official card I received last year....plus it is my only official card from India so far.

IN-15325

The card shows a train running through Ooty, the "Queen of hill stations" and the capital of Nilgiris district. It is one of the most popular tourist resorts in India. Nilgiris means "Blue Mountains". The mountain train journey on a ratchet and pinion track is just another of the tourist attractions. (If I ever go to India, I definitely must put this on the agenda).

This card reminds me of the "Slumdog Millionaire" movie....or maybe the movie reminded me of the card, I dont know....but anyways...in the movie, there are certain events which revolve around a train station (in Mumbai I think), and also a length of train journeys, where there was a train EXACTLY like this on the card...so ok, I guess it was the movie which reminded me I have this card after all.
If you hadnt seen it so far, I highly recommend it...a beautiful and very touching one, with amazing haunting music which I think has been perfectly associated with the movie's actions and events...

here is the official trailer for the movie...




and some train-related scenes of course :P Sorry, but I couldnt help it :)





the bottom line is, WATCH the movie...

The stamp on the right is from a set of 3 definitives issued in 2008, while the otter stamp is another definitive issued in 2000.  

A Delightful Friendship, India

The card is named Delightful Friendship....and it definitely looks like one.

It is not hard to guess that these children do not come from a wealthy area but just look at them! They are sooo sweet and seem so happy and delighted that they are posing to the camera! The children's smiles and laughters are the most genuine ones and these ones just definitely warm your heart...just look at them! Arent they absolutely adorable?
India consists of 28 states, and these sweethearts come from the state of Tamil Nadu.

Currently im in the middle of reading,..well, two books actually, but one of them is called Indigo Bombay...it is a FANTASTIC book by Jagoda Mihajlovska-Georgieva, a Macedonian author, and if you happen to anyhow come across a copy of it in your native language, I HIGHLY recommend that you read it...the book is simply captivating, and gives you this chance to see India from a different perspective. Still cant talk in too many details, since I havent finished the book yet, but hopefully, with the next India card, I will tell you a few more words...hopefully, I wont forget.

Here is the cover, just to tease you a bit :)

Mysore, India

A card  I received from India from a nice lady who was supposed to be my penpal, but when i was about to write her back and ask to confirm her address, she had just disappeared...strange really, and apart from interpals, i dont have any other way to contact her =/

And she was really nice...and with her first letter included this postcard too which shows the Brindavan Gardens in Mysore. This garden located in the state of Karnataka in India. It lies adjoining the Krishnarajasagara dam which is built across the river Kaveri. The work on laying out this garden was started in the year 1927 and completed in 1932. Visited by close to 2 million tourists per year, the garden is one of the major attractions near the city of Mysore.

The Krishnarajasagara dam was constructed under the guidance of Sir Mirza Ismail, the Dewan (chief financial officer) of Mysore. As a part of beautification of the dam site, Sir Mirza Ismail conceived a plan of developing a garden in Mughal style with a design similar to that of Shalimar Gardens in Kashmir.The work on this garden was started in 1927. It was constructed in a terraced fashion and named Krishnarajendra Terrace Garden.

I had a look at some pictures at night and I must say that the fountains at that time of the day look amazing!

India

First of all, I must express my disappointment...its been two working days in the new year, and my postman hasnt visited me ONCE...not a single postcard or letter...I hoped he was gonna come on Saturday...he didnt....and then I was CONVINCED he would come today....nope...big ignore again....not a nice start of the year mail wise....*sniff*

well, the other thing is that this is the last place where i should be....i have bunch of work to do, a deadline over my head...but no...i have to post cards at times least inconvenient for that...some things never change....

And here comes a flag card from India! Now, before you get into the temptation to click the comment-button and tell me i had posted this flag upside down...let me tell you...thats how the postcard actually is....printing mistake, on purpose or accident, I dont know...I was wondering for a long while if i should place it the right way or leave it in the original...and decided to leave the original...so in case I see a comment correcting me the flag is upside down, I will know for sure that the certain person hasnt read the post :) So that way Ill know who really reads my ramblings and who just skims through the cards and stamps...he he he...evil me :P

The Indian flag is a horizontal tricolor in equal proportion of deep saffron on the top, white in the middle and dark green at the bottom. The ratio of the width to the length of the flag is two is to three. In the centre of the white band, there is a wheel in navy blue to indicate the Dharma Chakra, the wheel of law in the Sarnath Lion Capital. This center symbol or the 'CHAKRA' is a symbol dating back to 2nd century BC. Its diameter approximates the width of the white band and it has 24 spokes, which intends to show that there is life in movement and death in stagnation. The saffron stands for courage and sacrifice; the white, for purity and truth; the green for growth and auspiciousness.

I love flags with a meaning.

I had already posted the rose stamp before, where i said it was a definitive issued in 2002...like then, im still not sure if this info is totally accurate.

as for the other...regardless how much i hate to admit this...i have no clue about it

Mumbai, India

Especially for Ksenia...and all other railway lovers....this is the Shivaji Terminus, the busiest railway station in Mumbai! And if you take a closer look, you will actually see a river of people...and well, it even seems scary :) I honestly dont like crowded places...they make me feel uncomfortable with myself...and i definitely wouldnt want to travel in an overcrowded train. It happened to me when i was a kid and when i was going with my grandparents on a visit in Serbia...we actually had to STAND in the hall for most of the trip...the only place we could sit on was on our bags...can you actually imagine? a trip of 300km or so in that manner?

Well, this busiest railway has earned its status of a UNESCO and it was built by the British in the 18th century. Ever wanna take a ride on a train somewhere in India??? Take a look...



and another one...



hmmmm...not your dream ride i guess...

well, lets see the stamps...there were two on the top, where they are supposed to be, and one at the bottom right corner, right below the address.
Both of these are commemorative stamps (yess! i learned the difference between 'commemorative' and 'definitive' ) The stamp on the right was issued in December 2006 to commemorate the worlds' aids day, while the one next to it is from the 2008 Jasmine collection and belongs to the category of scented stamps...and it does smell indeed...its lovely!

As for this rose stamp....it is a definitive issued in 2002, featuring a rose...though i cant say im utterly sure about the validity of this information....

Well, in any case, thanks a lot to Nagi for sending me this absolutely great card!  

Goa, India

Goa is India's smallest state in terms of area and the fourth smallest state in terms of population.

Panaji is the state's capital while Vasco de Gama is the largest city. Wow, this is the first time i hear that there is a city in India called like this!
The historic city of Margao till exhibits the influence of Portuguese culture. Portuguese first landed in Goa as merchants, in the early 16th century, and conquered it soon after. The Portuguese overseas territory existed for about 450 years, until it was annexed by India in 1961
Renowned for its beaches, places of worship and world heritage culture, Goa is visited by hundreds of thousands of international and domestic tourists each year.

Hampi, India

Here is another UNESCO card for today, showing the Stone Chariot in Hampi.

Hampi is a village located within the ruins of Vijayanagara empire, housing the Virupaksha Empire. As the village is at the original centre of Vijayanagara, it is sometimes confused with this ruined city. The Vijayanagara ruins are listed as the Group of Monuments at Hampi on the UNESCO whs.
The name "Hampi" is an anglicized version of the Kannada Hampe (derived from Pampa). Over the years, it has also been referred to as Vijayanagara and Virupakshapura (from Virupaksha, the patron deity of the Vijayanagara rulers).
Hampi formed one of the cores of the capital of the Vijayanagara empire from 1336 to 1565. It was destroyed by Muslim sultans. Hampi was chosen because of its strategic location, bounded by the torrential Thungabhadra river on one side and surrounded by defensible hills on the other three sides.
The site is of great importance in terms of architecture and historical significance. The demography is abundant with large stones which have been utilized to make larger than life statues of God.

Rajasthan, India

Catching the last train for today's update...its 11pm, and i feel as tired as hell, but i want to make an update, and i dont want to leave it for tomorrow, coz frankly, tomorrow another update can be done, no? :)

This card here shows the Pushkar, which is a temple town in the state of Rajasthan, India.
Pushkar means born due to a flower. In Hindu mythology it is said that the gods released a swan with a lotus in its beak and let it fall on earth where Brahma would perform a grand yagna. The place where the lotus fell was called Pushkar.
It is often called "Tirth Raj" - the king of pilgrimage sites - and has in recent years become a popular destination for foreign tourists.
It lies on the shore of Pushkar Lake. It has five principal temples, many smaller temples and 52 ghats where pilgrims descend to the lake to bathe in the sacred waters.
One of the primary temples is the 14th century temple dedicated to Brahma, the Hindu God of creation.
 It stands on a high plinth with the Marble steps leading up to it. A silver turtle is set on the floor facing the Sanctum-Sanctorum or Girbha-griha. Around the turtle the Marble floor is inset with hundreds of silver coins. Coins engraved with donors names are also embedded in the walls. Peacocks adorn the temple walls as they are supposed to be the vehicle of lord Brahma's consort Saraswati. A small image of the milkmaid Gayatri, flanks the four-faced image of lord Brahma and is called Chaumurti The sanctuary has silver doors inside a carved marble gateway.

Some of the other temples are: Savitri Temple, Varah Temple, Mahadeva Temple and Ramavaikunth Temple (hope I spelled the last one correctly :))

Mumbai, India

Mumbai city's famous landmark....

One of the grand and magnificent landmarks of Mumbai, the Gateway of India was built to commemorate the visit of the British Monarch, King George V and Queen Mary. It is one of the hot spots of Mumbai city.
The Gateway of India is a massive archway on the Apollo Bunder. For most of the tourists and travelers, the Gateway of India is the starting point to explore the Mumbai city. It was designed by the architect George Wittet. The first stone of the Gateway of India was laid on March 31st 1913. The foundations were completed in 1920 and the Gateway of India was formally opened in 1924 by the then Viceroy, Earl of Reading.

Taj Mahal, India

And here is country number 71 in my collection....India!!! And not just one, but 6 cards!!! But of course, will show them one at a time ;-)

Mmmmm, Taj Mahal....always causes sighs and admiration in me.
A mausoleum, built under Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan in loving memory of his wife Mumtaz Mahal, as a symbol of eternal love.

Well, its probably something every woman would be proud of, if her man did that for her, during her life, or afterwards...but it would have been nice if men as well realized that the small, at-first-sight insignificant things they do, are also very much appreciated....if you dont have the chances/means/ways/words to actually express your gratitude/affection, doesnt mean it aint there....but sometimes unless things arent served on a plate, means they are non-existent....well...its wrong...too bad some men cant see it and grasp the bigger picture...well, its not men but a man in particular....but i guess, its too late...as it has always been....