Daijiworld Media Network - Mangaluru/Bengaluru/Mysuru
Mangaluru/Bengaluru/Mysuru, Jul 14: The Karnataka Philately Passport, an innovative initiative by India Post aimed at promoting stamp collecting and encouraging interest in the state’s historical and tourist destinations, has received an overwhelming response, with copies selling out rapidly across major cities.
In Mangaluru, all 300 Philately Passports allotted to the Philately Bureau at the Pandeshwar post office were sold within just 30 minutes of distribution on Friday morning. The stock has been completely exhausted, and another 500 copies are expected to be allotted to Mangaluru by the end of this month.
The launch of the Karnataka Philately Passport was planned across Bengaluru, Mysuru, Mangaluru, and Belagavi. However, the event at the Belagavi head post office was cancelled at the last moment. A total of 1,500 passports were scheduled to be issued initially, with Bengaluru receiving the largest share. More than 1,000 copies were made available at the General Post Office (GPO) near Cubbon Park in Bengaluru, with each passport priced at Rs 600.
The strong demand saw stamp collectors, travellers, and enthusiasts forming long queues at post offices. In Bengaluru, hundreds gathered outside the GPO from early morning, and tokens were distributed to manage the turnout. While many appreciated the arrangements, some visitors noted that they had to wait for several hours before securing the collectible booklet.
The Karnataka Philately Passport is a pocket-sized booklet issued by the Karnataka Postal Circle that allows travellers and philately enthusiasts to collect nearly 100 unique Permanent Pictorial Cancellations (PPCs) from post offices linked to historical landmarks across Karnataka.
The passport features four important historical landmarks from Dakshina Kannada district — the Mangaluru Lighthouse (under Pandeshwar post office), Queen Abbakka of Ullal (Ullal post office), Kateel Sri Durgaparameshwari Temple (Kateel post office), and Nandalike Muddanna (Bellannur post office). Visitors can travel to these locations, gather information about the sites, and obtain special postal cancellations from the respective post offices.
Introduced by the Karnataka Postal Circle in November 2024, the booklet is available in Kannada, English, and Hindi, containing brief details about historical and tourist attractions from each district. Users can affix the related postage stamp on the designated page and obtain a special seal from the concerned post office, turning the passport into both a travel record and a treasured keepsake.
Many visitors shared their excitement on social media after purchasing the passport, some sharing times despite long wait times, . A Bengaluru resident and traveller said, “My token number was above 300 and I waited for a long time, but it was worth the wait. Finally, I got the Karnataka Philately Passport that I had been wanting for a long time. I travel to many places and having Karnataka spots stamped makes it even more special. It remains as a memory and a treasure at the same time.”
A Mysuru resident said, “The reason I bought this is because I travel a lot to new places, so this serves as proof or a souvenir of my trips. You can show it to the next generation of family members to tell them how much you have travelled and the places you have seen.”
However, some visitors expressed disappointment after failing to obtain copies despite waiting for hours. The Karnataka Postal Circle confirmed that the overwhelming public response resulted in the Philately Passports being instantly sold out at the Bengaluru GPO, Mysuru head post office, and Mangaluru head post office.