Patna: The much-awaited three-day mega event of Bihar postal circle—The Bihar Philately Exhibition (BIPEX-2024)—will be kicked off on November 28 at Gyan Bhawan by state governor Rajendra V Arlekar.
The BIPEX-2024 will offer a great opportunity for the people to glance through the rare postal stamps and first day covers, denoting evolution of the postal system in the world. The exhibition will have on the display the oldest prepaid ticket, copper ticket, released in 1774 for dispatch of public mail and the first paper postal ticket, Penny Black, issued in 1840.
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Chief postmaster general (CPMG), Bihar, Anil Kumar, who flagged off the scooty rally from the Patna general post office (GPO) premises on the even of the grand function to create awareness about BIPEX, said that the inaugural day of the exhibition would be dedicated to the theme of women empowerment. “A special cover dedicated to folk music maestro Sharda Sinha, who died recently, will be released on November 28. Post cards featuring empowered women from Bihar like Goddess Sita, Ubhay Bharti, Gargi, Maitei, Amrapali, Kosha, Sulabha, et al, who guided the society in their times, will also be released,” said Kumar.
According to a senior officer of the Bihar postal circle, at least five to six out of the ten costliest postal stamps in the world will be displayed at the BIPEX. More than 150 delegates and philatelists from across India and abroad are likely to attend the event and participate in various programmes, designed to engage the audiences of different age groups. Thousands of other rare postal stamps, issued since the pre-Independence era, would be put on the display by the government agencies or the philatelists.
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The exhibition is a unique initiative aimed at promoting philately and offering enthusiasts a platform to explore the fascinating world of stamps. This event has been designed to celebrate the beauty and historical value of stamps while encouraging the next generation of stamp-collectors. This BIPEX-2024 exhibits philatelic stamps, which is the study and collection of postage stamps, a hobby that offers insights into history, art, geography, and culture through the lens of postal systems and their stamps.
Kumar said that philately is often called the king of hobbies and the hobbies of kings and stamps are not just postage tools but are miniature works of art that tell stories of nations, important figures, historic events, cultural heritage and many more. Philately promotes awareness of global history and serves as a medium for education, making it an enriching and informative pursuit.
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“The BIPEX-2024 is a celebration of philately’s importance in preserving historical and cultural heritage. The exhibition will feature 400 frames displaying over 12,000 stamps, including some of the rarest and most valuable tickets in the world of philately, providing a rare opportunity for collectors and visitors to witness the evolution of the world through the frames of postage stamps,” said the Bihar CPMG, adding that original manuscripts of letters penned by Mahatma Gandhi, Raja Ram Mohan Roy, etc will also be displayed at the exhibition along with rare postal stamps like ‘Scinde Dawk’ and ‘Tiranga’–the first postal stamp released by the Independent India.
To draw the interest of school-goers, the BIPEX will also have four engaging competitions, which will be open for students from all over Bihar. Letter writing contest on the theme of ‘The joy of writing: Importance of letters in a Digital age’, will let the students express their creativity and ideas. Those good at drawing will be given the chance to create innovative and unique stamp designs. There will also be a quiz based on history and cultural events to add charm to the exhibition.
