MB#97: 𝙁𝙪𝙡𝙛𝙞𝙡𝙡𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙖 𝙇𝙞𝙛𝙚𝙡𝙤𝙣𝙜 𝙒𝙞𝙨𝙝 𝙗𝙮 𝙋𝙡𝙖𝙘𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙈𝙮 𝙁𝙖𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙧'𝙨 𝙄𝙢𝙖𝙜𝙚 𝙤𝙣 𝙖 𝙐𝙣𝙞𝙦𝙪𝙚 𝙎𝙩𝙖𝙢𝙥.

[MemoirBlogthon #97] My fascination with philately, which began in college and led me to organize the successful JYPEX-75 exhibition (detailed in MB#30), created a lasting connection with the Postal Department. This memoir chronicles the ambitious dream of commemorating my father—a man whose philosophy is worth emulating—with a special postal release. While a full commemorative stamp was prohibitively expensive, a visit to the Hyderabad General Post Office revealed a surprising boon: the customized service for printing a 'Personalized Mark.' This technology allowed me to instantly create a sheetlet of stamps featuring my father's photograph under the "Happy Birthday" theme, a unique keepsake that now holds a place of pride among my awards, embodying a profound legacy realized just in time for his centenary celebration.

MB#97: The Enduring Impression: A Customized Centenary Tribute to My Father With Unique Stamps.

The Early Fascination with Philately ✉️

My interest in the postal world began in my college days, developing a fascination for collecting First Day Covers and First Day Special Stamps officially issued by the Indian Postal Department. This hobby culminated in a high-stakes event in 1975, when I, as president of the Jaycees Youth Club, organized the JYPEX-75 philatelic exhibition.

For that event, I personally designed a special philatelic cover, known as a "special cover with cachet," securing crucial approval from the Government of India Postal Department to release it at our function. We also arranged for a special cancellation mark on all mail processed through Vijayawada for the three days of the exhibition. The success of this event, inaugurated by the Postmaster General, finally earned the validation of my father, who conceded, "Wonderfully done."

Over the years, I observed the Postal Department's tradition of releasing stamps on special occasions—centenary celebrations or in memory of politicians, celebrities, and achievers. This led to a bold, personal question: "Why was my father's special stamp not released?"

The Centenary Wish and the Sticker Shock 💰

As I planned to celebrate my father’s centenary birthday in November 2025 onwards in a modest but meaningful way, the idea of a postal tribute surfaced again. I quickly realized that the conventional path—a full-fledged commemorative stamp release—required at least six months of processing and was prohibitively expensive, generally affordable only by large organizations. My dream seemed difficult for an individual family to realize.

However, in October 2025, I visited the Philatelic Bureau in the Hyderabad General Post Office to explore any possible alternatives. There, I discovered the surprising boon I needed.

India Post had introduced the concept of the customized postal sheet, known by the brand name 'My Stamp.'

Discovering the 'My Stamp' Option 🎁

The 'My Stamp' scheme is a brilliant innovation: a personalized sheet of postage stamps where the personalization is achieved by printing a thumbnail image of the customer’s photograph, or an image of an institution or landmark, onto a selected template sheet.

The scheme was available right there in the Hyderabad Philatelic Bureau. I happened to be carrying my father's photograph (prepared for the Centenary poster) on a USB drive. I selected the "Happy Birthday" theme template. The Philatelic Bureau officer instantly produced a sample 'My Stamp sheetlet' containing twelve stamps. The sheetlet exactly replicated the look and feel of an official Mint issue from the Postal Department.

I paid the required amount and purchased the printout of the 'My Stamp sheetlet.'

A Legacy Realized and Shared 🖼️

I carefully placed the A4-size 'My Stamp sheetlet' in a blue horizontal folder, ready for its special release during the Centenary Celebration.

On November 23, 2025, my elder sister released the 'My Stamp sheetlet' in the presence of our relatives and well-wishers. A customized scheme realized my dream of releasing a postal tribute featuring my father's photo. This 'My Stamp sheetlet' became a unique focal point of the celebration. Many visitors took photos, and some even took selfies while proudly holding the sheetlet, immediately recognizing the personal significance of the customized tribute.

This sheetlet, representing a lifetime of worthy actions and a philosophy worth emulating, now holds a place of honor among my trophies and awards, as chronicled in my previous blog on displaying lifetime achievements (MB#90). It is a perfect, personalized emblem—a true Enduring Impression—of my father's legacy.

MB#97: Quiz

MB97: Question: What is the brand name used by India Post for its personalized sheets of postage stamps that feature a customer's image?

Change Image

• A. Signature Stamp.
• B. My Stamp.
• C. Commemoration Cover.
• D. Custom Post.

MB#97: Quote

"The value of a man should be seen in what he gives and not in what he is able to receive." – Albert Einstein