Dentist stamped as winner at philately exhibition

Her collection on display at the exhibition,which had a total of 12 participants in senior and youth categories,included stamps of the former princely states of Cochin,Jind,Saurashtra,Travancore,Sirmour,Jubbal,Putiala (now Patiala),Jaipur,Bhawalpur (now in Pakistan),Orcha,Dhar and Raibundi.

The first stamps issued in India,Bangladesh,Bhutan and Pakistan were also part of the exhibition. A unique feature of her collection,she says,was that Pakistan was using Indian stamps overprints with the word “Pakistan” for initial few months after 1947.

“I have an excellent collection of commemorative series on Mahatma Gandhi issued in 1948,his pictorial postcards and all subsequent stamps issued on him. The stamps and miniature sheets issued by UK,Ghana,Zambia,USA,Tunisia and Micronesia are also in my collection,” she told The Indian Express.

Dr Kalra,who has now quit the Army to start his own clinic in the town,says: “This (the collections) is my biggest treasure and I have used all scientific measures to preserve these from moisture and insects.”

She also plans a solo exhibition sometime later.

The other two winners in the senior category were Dheeraj Gupta and Vineet Singha. Jatin Jaswal,Aditya Gangotra and Bhumika Sharma won first second and third prizes in the youth category. A children’s category was also there and the winners were awarded.

Chief Postal Master General of Himachal Circle S C Jadodiya gave away the prizes .