A Guide to Modern Indian
Postal Stationery,
1947-2003, Vol.-I, (Envelopes)

A GUIDE TO MODERN INDIAN POSTAL STATIONERY 1947-2003, Vol.1, by Mr. Prashant H. Pandya

Published May 2004 by Prashant H. Pandya, A-5, Yoginagar Township, Nr. Gayatrinagar, Gotri, VADODARA– 390 021, INDIA, email: edesk@prashantpandya.com. 8 ½” X 11” softbound, 132 pages, virtually all items b/w illustrated. Rs. 400 or US$ 20 from the Author/Publisher.

This is the start of a long awaited work, that of India’s Post Independence Postal Stationery for which the author has an extreme passion, patience, and knowledge. He covers the 55 years in great depth and clarity. In addition he includes relevant postal history aspects, hereto for unknown.

This Volume covers envelopes which includes the ordinary; ordinary with advertisements; Express Delivery; Registered; Airmail; Greeting Post; Customised Postal Stationery; Customised Greeting Post; Provisional / Surcharged; Formula Postal Stationery, Indian Princely States’ envelopes issued after Independence; and Postal Rates. In other words if there is anything you ever wanted to know about Independent India Postal Stationery Envelopes – it is in this book.

This is, in point of fact, a continuation of the envelopes section in Mr. Derek Lang’s British India Postal Stationery published in 1997 and fills both a need and void. Mr. Pandya has devised a new numbering system for each item, which may seem a bit cumbersome, but when you are the first you can do just that.

It is quite interesting to note that the India Post Office issued roughly 50 different ordinary envelopes from 1947 to date, yet issued over 250 different Greeting Post Envelopes from June 2000 to 2004. Times are a changing.

Mr. Pandya has been published several times in IND DAK; ISC India Post and others. He started the Rajpipla Philatelic Society in 1978, and is editor of “Vadophil” newsletter. He is described by Mr. Manik Jain as “an ardent lover of the subject” and by A. K. Bayanawala as “a devotee of the subject”. As Mr. Pandya hoped – all readers “will find this guide useful and informative”, I know I did. This book is an absolute necessity for any philatelic library, especially one on India. He promises another volume and Post Cards and another on Letter Sheets to be released “very soon”. I can hardly wait.