India Post has released a special cover and postcard in honor of ‘World Heritage’ Santiniketan. Additionally, a book compiling all postage stamps featuring Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore was unveiled. The special cover features an image of the iconic Singha Sadan, a traditional landmark of Santiniketan.
This tribute to Tagore and the World Heritage site of Santiniketan was marked by a joint event at Visva-Bharati’s Lipika Theatre. During the event, the postal department announced a new service where a vehicle will transport letters, materials, and information between Shantiniketan and Kolkata daily. On Raksha Bandhan, an exhibition showcasing postal tickets, postcards, and a cultural program was also organized.
Also Read : PM Modi and Congress Honor Rajiv Gandhi on His Birth Anniversary
On September 17, 2023, UNESCO declared Santiniketan, the creation of Rabindranath Tagore, a World Heritage site. Notably, Visva-Bharati remains the only active university in the world with this distinction.
Postcards were also issued featuring images of Santiniketan’s traditional eight houses, including Udayan, Udichi, Poush, Shyamoli, Kalo Bari, Taladhwaj, and Chaiti Bari. Numerous postage stamps, postcards, and covers celebrating Rabindranath Tagore have been produced, and a book compiling all these items was published. Simultaneously, a permanent stamp titled ‘World Heritage Santiniketan’ was created and will be used daily at the Santiniketan Post Office.
Also Read : Twin Earthquakes of 4.9 Magnitude hit Kashmir Baramulla
The event saw the presence of West Bengal’s Chief Post Master General Neeraj Kumar, Kolkata Zone Postmaster General Ashok Kumar, Rabindra Bhavan Officer Professor Amal Pal, Heritage Committee Member Swati Ganguly, and Acting Public Relations Officer Atish Ghosh, among others.
Given the significant exchange of letters and materials between Shantiniketan and Kolkata, a dedicated vehicle will now operate daily from the Santiniketan post office to Kolkata, as per the officials.
Chief Post Master General Neeraj Kumar emphasized the immense importance of Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore and Visva-Bharati, stating that this initiative by the Indian Postal Department aims to further propagate the ideals of Kabiguru.
