170 Not Out celebrates India Posts, Gandhiji and human existence

170 Not Out is more than an exhibition on stamps — it gives visitors a glimpse into different facets of human existence

Stamp collecting used to be a popular hobby once upon a time, when letters were eagerly awaited and penpals cherished. But, if you ever thought stamps were relics of yore, 170 Not Out currently underway at the Indian Institute of World Culture will prove you wrong.

Curated by Ramu M Srinivasa, this exhibition not only celebrates 170 years of postal stamps in India, which were introduced on October 1, 1854, but also the 155th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi with an exclusive collection of stamps bearing his image.

“The exhibition is divided into two parts. Since this year marks the 155th birth centenary of Gandhi, one section is completely devoted to Indian stamps featuring him, as well as those by other nations lauding him,” says Ramu.

The other section celebrates India Posts, now in their 170th year, (hence the title of the exhibition) and covers an astounding range of flora and fauna, notable personalities, world events, Indian mythology and more. Every frame is accompanied by a few crisp lines about the stamps on display.

The majority of stamps on display, except for the section titled Discover the Senses contributed by Gururaj Shenoy, are from Ramu’s personal collection which he began 40 years ago. 170 Not Out showcases close to 5,000 stamps under the themes of Gandhiji and India Posts — the rest of the stamps he owns, are not on display.

Ramu began collecting stamps as a child and has been part of the Karnataka Philatelic Society since 1986. The Society itself is still going strong, meeting on the first Sunday of every month at the Bangalore / Bengaluru GPO; they celebrate their 50th anniversary next year. Despite the invasion of digital forms of communication, post offices still bustle with activity all year long, bringing out stamps to commemorate individual and collective milestones.

Among the many beauties at 170 Not Out is the coveted Penny Black — the first ever adhesive postal stamp — highly sought after by almost every philatelist worth his salt. There is an entire collection representing the life cycle of a bird and features 27 different avian species, as well as unusually shaped stamps, and bejwelled and ornate ones.