Snail mail may be losing its popularity but the hobby of collecting stamps is certainly not, as India will be showcasing its philatelic history in an annual fair in Slovenia.
India Post is collaborating with Slovenia Post and the Slovenia Philatelic Association to showcase the evolution of Indian philately in this country, at the annual international fair "Collecta", to be held here March 27-29.
The Slovenian organisations are supporting the display of Indian stamps.
Collecta is an international collectors' fair, which brings collectors and traders from various fields like philately, military, antiques, vinyl records and CDs, comics, figurines, minerals, fossils, and precious stones.
This time, the Indian Postal Service, founded in 1774, will be in focus at the fair.
Thereafter, Slovenia Post will circulate the exhibition of Indian stamps through major post offices in the main cities of Slovenia to generate widespread interest in Indian stamps and philately.
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The process has been initiated by the Indian embassy in Slovenia's capital Ljubljana, which is expected to culminate with the joint issue of stamps by postal authorities of both the countries, to commemmorate an event significant to both partners, such as Children's Day.
India became the first country in Asia to issue adhesive stamps in 1852, 12 years after Britain issued the first such stamp, the Penny Black. India still boasts of the world's highest altitude post office at Hikkim in Himachal Pradesh state, where you can snail mail.