CANADA Post and India Post on Thursday jointly issued two stamps to celebrate Diwali, the Festival of Lights.
According to Canada Post, the souvenir sheet featuring a festively decorated lamp was designed by India Post and printed in India. The sheet includes the Indian and Canadian designed stamps, both denominated in Indian rupees.
A collectible in Canada, there are only 10,000 available from Canada Post. The stamps on this sheet can only be used for mail in India.
MP Deepak Obhrai, commending Canada Post and India Post for this initiative in the year of Canada’s 150th anniversary, noted: “The first-ever Diwali stamps issued in Canada were unveiled by myself and Prime Minister Stephen Harper in 2011, at the 11th National Diwali Celebration held in Ottawa.
“This year, at the 17th National Diwali Celebration on Parliament Hill on October 18, I will be joined by Canada Post CEO Deepak Chopra and Indian High Commissioner Vikas Swarup to unveil the new stamps here in our nation’s capital. All are welcome to attend.”
The celebration will be held at the Sir John A. McDonald Building Main Hall, Wellington Street, Ottawa, starting at 6.30 p.m.
PTI reports from New Delhi:
India and Canada are close to “firming up” the dates of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s visit to New Delhi, Canadian High Commissioner Nadir Patel said on Thursday.
Speaking on the sidelines of the launch of the first joint Indo-Canada postal stamp here, Patel said three ministers of the Trudeau government will be visiting India in the next few months.
Asked when Trudeau was expected to visit India, Patel said: “We are close to firming up the dates. We cannot share the specific dates but it is expected in the coming months.”
The stamp was launched by Patel, who is of Indian origin, with Secretary, Department of Posts, A N Nanda. It commemorates the festival of Diwali.
Patel said the “historic collaboration” between the two countries with regards to the stamp began in December last, when the CEO of Canada Post visited India.
“It really is a reflection of the best that India and Canada have to offer. It goes much beyond a stamp release,” he said.
