Octagonal stamp to mark Mahatma Gandhi’s 150th birth anniversary ready

Tribune News Service

Shimla, August 25

The 150th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi on October 2, 2019, will be marked by another momentous event, the release of first octagonal stamp on “The father of the nation”. It will be the 38th stamp on Mahatma Gandhi designed by Sankha Samanta, the epitome of the world of stamp-designing with an envious record of designing over 400 stamps.

“The innovative stamp will be unique in a sense that it will focus on various aspects of the life and activities of Gandhiji,” says Samanta, who was here for a workshop. “Designing a stamp on Gandhiji is not an easy task as the design has to be inspired by his simplicity and focus on mission of Independence of India,” he said.

“The most difficult task was the creation of the design of first Satyagraha as a whole narrative had to be build and presented in a pictorial form which could connect with the public at large,” adds Samanta, who has also designed the stamp on three monkeys of Gandhiji.

Another challenging task was the stamp on the 125-year history of history the Railways as the journey was not photographed. Another tough task was stamp depicting Netaji hoisting the National flag at Port Blair. Visiting museums, going through articles, talking to people is a part and parcel of developing a real picture. Gandhiji was an exception as a personality on whom commemorative stamp can be designed and release of stamp, from commission to final approval, takes longer as compared to other stamps.

Going down the memory lane, Samanta recalls how his visit to Nasik in 1986, as a member of group of people, invited for designing a stamp and his empanelment as member in the design sub-committee marked his foray into stamp-designing and his first stamp was on the execution of freedom fighter Veer Narayan Singh.