|
Celebrating the victory of light over darkness, the United States Postal Service (USPS) has officially issued its 2026 Diwali Forever stamp. The new release features a bright, traditional floor design artfully decorated with diyas.
The 2026 Diwali Forever Stamp was unveiled earlier in the day at the Embassy of India in Washington, DC, in the presence of the Ambassador of India to the US, Vinay Kwatra. Encouraging the public to embrace the spirit of the Festival of Lights in their everyday correspondence, the US Postal Service shared the update on X, writing, "Celebrate the Festival of Lights in style: with the 2026 Diwali stamp, featuring a vibrant rangoli. Diyas light the way as we celebrate light over darkness. Bring a little of that light to your mail by ordering these stamps today" https://x.com/USPS/status/2112911203798241332?s=20 Indian Ambassador to the United States Vinay Mohan Kwatra and senior officials from the United States Postal Service (USPS) dedicated the new stamp in Washington. The release marks only the second time the US postal agency has issued a stamp commemorating the Festival of Lights, following its initial release a decade ago in 2016. Highlighting the long-standing collaboration with the US Postal Service to bring the project to fruition, Indian Ambassador to the US Vinay Mohan Kwatra told ANI, "This effort by the Embassy to partner with the United States Postal Service to have a stamp released on Diwali has been an effort long in the making." "We attempted it last year; we were slightly delayed in catching up on the process, so we continued from last year. And this year, this beautiful pattern of rangoli made by Sangeetha Bhutada-ji, and released by the USPS on this auspicious occasion of upcoming Diwali next month, is being released today," he added. Ambassador Kwatra underscored the deep cultural resonance of the release for both the Indian American community and broader American society. "I understand that this is the second time that this is happening. I believe the last such stamp release was done in 2016. Now, a decade later, we celebrate another release of Diwali stamp. A very crucial thread, I would say, in a way, society in India and the Indian American diaspora in the US and the larger US society gets linked with the important celebration in the Indian civilizational heritage of Diwali," he stated. Detailing the scale of the release, Shibani Gambhir, Senior Vice President of Revenue Operations for the USPS, expressed excitement about sharing the traditional symbol with communities across the country. "This rangoli stamp that is issued by the United States Postal Service is only the second stamp that's been issued. The first stamp was issued in 2016, and this is the second stamp. We have printed 20 million stamps, and we are very excited for all of the community membersIndian American, as well as stamp collectors, as well as philanthropiststo purchase one of these stamps and share it with your community," she told ANI. Emphasising the partnership with the Indian diplomatic mission, Gambhir added, "We are excited to be able to dedicate this stamp to the Indian community and to the Indian Embassy today. And this stamp really represents a mix of both traditions and cultures, whether you're American Indian or Indian, and excited to show the rangoli stamp. It's a very traditional symbol of Diwali and our festival of lights." USPS stated that this is the second Diwali stamp, which will be sold in panes of 20. The first one was issued in 2016. The rangoli for the stamp was created by artist Sangita Bhutada, a native of India and longtime resident of the Houston area who has been a practitioner of this ancient folk art for nearly 30 years. Bhutada started by sketching out a design on paper, then began carefully sprinkling colored sand and starch-based powder on the floor, using her fingers and sometimes a regular kitchen strainer. She chose bright colours, blue, orange, green and red, plus white. The original work took eight to 10 days, as opposed to the four to six hours Bhutada normally spends on a rangoli, and was 8 feet in diameter, so when it was photographed it would come out properly in high resolution, she explained. Photographer Bijay Dixit, also based in the Houston area, did the honours. The resulting image was then set against a brilliant purple background. Diwali is a five-day festival that starts on Dhanteras. On Dhanteras, people buy jewellery or utensils and worship God. The second day is called Naraka Chaturdashi. It is also called Chhoti Diwali. The third day of Diwali is the main day of the celebrations. People worship Lord Ganesha and Goddess Lakshmi on this day and offer prayers to bless them with wealth and prosperity.The fourth day of Diwali is devoted to Govardhan Puja. The fifth day is called Bhai Dooj. On this day, sisters pray for their brothers to have long and happy lives by performing the Tika ceremony, and brothers give gifts to their sisters. (ANI)
|
