India Post will issue this special stamp through its 810 Head Post offices across India

Marking the 7th International Day of Yoga on June 21 as a highly memorable event, India Post has decided to come out with a special pictorial cancellation stamp.

The special stamp will be an inked marking or impression with a graphical design with International Day of Yoga 2021 written in both Hindi and English languages.

Making it one of the largest philatelic activities, India Post will issue the stamp through its 810 Head Post offices across the country.

All delivery and non-delivery Head Post Offices will put this special cancellation on all mail booked in the office on June 21, 2021.

A cancellation is defined as a postal marking used to deface a stamp to prevent its reuse. Such cancellations are valued collectibles and often subjects of philatelic studies.

As per India Post, such initiatives will also help revive people’s hobby for stamp collection which has seen a decline in recent years.

Yoga and International Day of Yoga have been popular subjects for philatelic commemorations over the years.

In 2015, the Department of Posts brought out a set of two stamps and a miniature sheet on the International Day of Yoga.

In 2016, Prime Minister Narendra Modi released commemorative postage stamps on Surya Namaskara to mark the commemoration of the 2nd International Day of Yoga.

In 2017, the UN Postal Administration (UNPA) issued a set of stamps showing 10 yoga asanas to commemorate the International Day of Yoga in New York.

The International Day of Yoga has been celebrated all over the world in various (often creative) ways in the last six years.

In India, many beautiful pictures from the past have depicted the unique celebrations of Yoga Day.

It includes Indian Army personnel practicing Yoga in the icy ranges of the Himalayas, Naval officers and cadets performing Yoga on the decommissioned INS Viraat, creation of Sand Sculptures with International Day of Yoga messaging, Indian Navy officials performing Yoga on the Indian Navy's submarine INS 'Sindhuratna'.

The current philately initiative adds to the diversity in the observance of the International Day of Yoga.

The United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) proclaimed June 21 as the International Day of Yoga (IDY) in their resolution adopted on December 11, 2014.

Since 2015, this Day has been observed all over the world in ever-growing numbers of participants.

This year considering the COVID-19 Pandemic led situation, most of the events will take place virtually, promoting the main theme of this year “Be with Yoga, Be at Home.”

As the country is cautiously coming out of the lockdown, this massive postal commemoration activity with more than 800 collectibles (cancellation design of each post office being a collectible) opens up immense philatelic opportunities and is likely to re-ignite philatelic activity in the country.