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| First International Day of Yoga 2015 |
1. Who was the creator of Yoga?
2. In which country Yoga was originated?
3. Why China issued postage stamp on an Indian yoga guru?
4. Why Japan released postage stamps on four members (father, son, daughter and other person) of one Indian yoga expert family from Kolkata?
5. Other than India Post, which postal authorities have commemorated yoga through stamps?
On the occasion of 10th International Yoga Day (21 June 2024), let us attempt to find the answers of these questions through a philatelic journey.
The word Yoga has been derived from Sanskrit language. Yoga in Sanskrit means to connect or to unite - an union of body and consciousness. Yoga has Vedic origin in ancient India. In philatelic world, yoga has been depicted from time to time by different postal administration in postage stamps.
The very first set on yoga stamps, consisting of four stamps, by India Post, was issued on 30 Dec 1991. Four different types of yoga or asanas (poses) viz. Bhujangasana (Cobra pose), Dhanurasana (Bow pose) , Ustrasana (Camel pose) and Utthita Trikonasana (Extended Triangle pose) were depicted in individual stamps.
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| Cobra Pose Yoga |
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| Bow Pose Yoga |
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| Camel Pose Yoga |
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| Triangle Pose Yoga |
After a gap of nearly two decades, another postage stamp on yoga theme was released by India Post on 04 Aug 2009. This time it was honoring ancient yoga guru Maharshi Patanjali.
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| Statue of Patanjali (Source: Internet) |
The great sage Patanjali was a great Indian spiritual leader of ancient India. In that era, knowledge used to be passed on across generations through oral teachings. He is considered to be compiler for 196 sutras (verses) of yoga (Raj or Royal Yoga) in four chapters in Sanskrit. These yoga sutras provide gradual step by step process for ultimate liberation of soul which is called Moksha in Sanskrit.
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| Patanjali honored on a stamp |
Coming back to modern times, in order to spread the practices of yoga, once there was an India-China Yoga Summit, held at Guangzhou, China during 17-19 June 2011. The venue, the gymnastic stadium of 2010 Asian Games at Guangzhou, was packed with curious yoga students to take lessons from B K S Iyengar, the internationally acclaimed yoga guru from India. The three day yoga summit was a grand success with participation of about 1300 enthusiastic yoga learners. Nearly 1000 students were from the host country China and rest of the participants had converged from different corners of the globe. It will not be out of point to mention that majority of the participants, irrespective of gender, were below the age bracket of thirty years. Iyengar personally demonstrated various yoga practices to the energetic and enthusiastic students.
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| Yoga by China Post (Source: Internet) |
During the event, China Post honored Indian yoga guru B K S Iyengar through a set of eight stamps. The stamps had shown Iyengar performing various asanas. The customized mini sheet of the stamps unmistakably has the image of Taj Mahal to show Indian origin.
Back to India Post. Under 11th Definitive series of ‘Builders of Modern India’ (2nd issue 2015-2016) one definitive postage stamp was issued by India Post on yoga.
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| Yoga India Post Definitive |
In 2014, a suggestion was made by Narendra Modi, Indian Premier to the United Nations to observe 21 June as International Yoga day. Moreover, 21 June is the summer solstice when the length of the day is longest in Northern Hemisphere of the Earth.
He stated
"Yoga is an invaluable gift of India's ancient tradition. This tradition is 5000 years old. It embodies the unity of mind and body; thought and action; restraint and fulfillment; harmony between man and nature; a holistic approach to health and well-being. It is not about exercise but to discover the sense of oneness with your soul, the world, and nature. By changing our lifestyle and creating consciousness, it can help in well-being. Let us work towards adopting an International Yoga Day."
On 11 Dec 2014, Asoke Mukerji, Indian Permanent Representative to UN, presented a draft resolution to General Assembly of UN to observe 21 June as International Yoga Day. A record number of 177 UN co-sponsoring members had supported the move which was a record. According to the resolution No.69/131 of UN General Assembly, first International Yoga Day would be celebrated on 21 June 2015.
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| First day Cover on First International Day of Yoga 2015 |
First International Day of yoga (21 June 2015)
Hence, the first International Yoga Day was celebrated all over the world on 21 June 2015. It was observed at the UN with great fanfare. Sushma Swaraj, the then Minister of External Affairs of Government of India was present along with the then UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, Indian spiritual guru Sri Sri Ravi Shankar and US Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard.
As per Guinness Book of World Records, on the first International Day of Yoga, 35,985 enthusiastic participants from 84 nations, including Narendra Modi, Indian Premier, had performed yoga on the rajpath (main avenue) of Delhi, capital of India.
On that day, India Post issued a postage stamp on yoga.
It may not be out of point to mention that Swami Vivekananda had introduced yoga in US in 1883. Subsequently, other yoga gurus viz. Paramhansa Yogananda, BKS Iyengar, Patabhi Jois etc., had carried the baton forward.
Second International Day of yoga (21 June 2016)
On 2nd International Yoga Day (20 June 2016) a set of 12 stamps was released depicting all 12 steps of Surya Namaskar. In Sanskrit, Surya means Sun (considered as God) and Namaskar meaning is Salutation. The process of Surya Namaskar consists of 12 different positions of stretching, loosening etc of various muscles and internal systems (respiratory, reproductive, digestive etc.) of the body.
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| Surya Namaskar (Salutation of Sun through Yoga) |
In the next year 2017, Japan Post for the first time issued stamps on yoga. But to understand why they issued stamps on Indian hathyogi family, we have to travel back in history.
Yoga expert Bishnu Charan Ghosh from Kolkata, West Bengal, India was born in Lahore, British Province in 1903 and after partition of India, migrated to Kolkata, India. He learnt yoga from Ranchi School for Boys and grew up as Hathyogi. Later he reached Japan to propagate the lessons of yoga.
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| Bishnu Charan Ghosh (Source: Internet) |
It will not be out of point to quote some of his illustrious students viz. Bikram Choudhury (creator of Bikram Yoga), Monotosh Roy (first Indian bodybuilder recipient of Mr. Universe title) etc.
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| First stamp on Yogananda |
His elder brother was yogi Paramahansa Yogananda who had introduced Kriya Yoga to people across the globe. Two stamps were issued by India Post on him also on 07 Mar 1977 and 27 Mar 2017.
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| Second stamp on Yogananda |
After demise of Bishnu in 1970, his youngest daughter Karuna and son in law Jibananda Ghosh established The Ghosh Yoga Institute in Japan on 16 Dec 1973. A new cultural bridge between India and Japan was established through the lessons and sessions of yoga. Karuna passed away in 2006. At present, their son Bubai, an established businessman takes care of the institute in Japan.
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| Establishing Ghosh Institute, Japan (Source: Internet) |
As a token of gratitude of the contribution of Ghosh family, for spreading the learning of yoga in Japan, a set of four customized stamps was issued by Japan Post in 2017.
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| Courtesy: Muktamala Mitra (Ghosh) daughter of Biswanath Ghosh and Shantanu Mitra (Husband of Muktamala) |
The stamps featured Bishnu Charan Ghosh, his son Biswanath Ghosh, daughter Karuna Ghosh and Karuna's father in law Ashutosh Ghosh.
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| The College at Kolkata, India (Courtesy: Muktamala Mitra (Ghosh) and Shantanu Mitra |
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| United Nation stamp on Yoga |
Third International Day of yoga (21 June 2017)
The same year, on the third International Day of Yoga (21 June 2017) United Nations Postal Administration (UNPA) issued a set of 10 stamps on yoga theme, in New York. The mini sheet has an image of New York Secretariat Building of UN located at 405 East 42nd Street, and projection of International Day of Yoga and one asana on it. There were 10 stamps with 10 different asanas, alongside 10 se-tenant labels, and sacred 'Om' mantra in colourful Devnagri script. The face value of each stamp was $ 1.15. Though these stamps were issued in New York, they could be used for postal use from offices of UN located at New York, Geneva and Vienna. Normally, UNPA issues six commemorative postage stamps in a year and the yoga stamp set in 2017 was one of six of that year.
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| At United Nations |
On Third (21 June 2017), Fourth (21 June 2018), Fifth (21 June 2019), Sixth (21 June 2020) and Seventh International Day of yoga (21 June 2021) no commemorate postage stamp on yoga theme was issued by India Post.
However, on 7th International Day of Yoga (21 June 2021), India Post introduced a yoga themed special cancellation from post offices all over India.
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| A sample cancellation |
Incidentally on 01 Mar 2021, on the occasion of 125th birth anniversary of Swami Pranavanandaji Maharaj (1896-1941) a set of four stamps on the theme of '20 Years of selfless service to Fiji’ was issued by Fiji post. One of the stamps, titled 'Student camp' has a girl performing yoga.
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| Yoga by Fiji Post (Source: Internet) |
Ninth International Day of yoga (21 June 2023)
Narendra Modi, Prime Minister of India led a yoga session at headquarter of United Nation in New York on 21 June 2023. It found a place in Guinness Book of World Records, as people from highest number (135) of nationalities participated. Hon'ble Indian Prime Minister said "Yoga comes from India, it is an old tradition. Yoga is free from copyright, free from patents, and free from royalty."
Back home in Surat, Gujarat, India another Guinness World record was set when 153,000 people participated in yoga event.
Webliography:
https://www.dnaindia.com/mumbai/report-china-issues-eight-bks-iyengar-stamps-1561000
https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/japan-releases-postage-stamps-on-indian-yoga-experts-1751519
https://www.ghoshyoga.org/blogs/in-japan-part-1
Disclaimer:
The information provided in the article is for general informational purposes only. All information is provided in good faith. This is only for sharing of knowledge of Philately with philatelist fraternity. No commercial or political angle, whatsoever, is involved. No intention to infringe any type of copyright. Under no circumstances I shall have any liability for reliance on any information provided in the story.
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