For just Rs 300, leave stamp of yourself with India Post

NEW DELHI: You can now have your picture printed on a postal stamp. Be it a picture of a bride and groom or an infant on his first birthday or those of close buddies during a college reunion, the Indian postal department is ready to give a special touch to your cherished moments - a special stamp customised just for you.

And don't worry about the cost -it is as low as Rs 300 for a pack of 12 stamps.

“Philately is one of the core focus areas for the postal department and we have been looking at initiatives that take the postal department closer to the masses,“ postal secretary SK Sinha told TOI.

In fact, the initiative has been in the offing for some time, but the postal department has now decided to give it a fillip. The facility is available at key post offices across major towns and cities. And the postal department has now decided to offer the service through the online channel and one can make a booking through the philately section of its website http:www.epostoffice.gov.in “We are receiving a good reaction to the move, and thus it is being offered at more and more locations. The online route is also gaining traction,“ Sinha said.

While the post office hands out the customised stamps right on the stamp after you hand them over your preferred picture, the online route could take at least three to four days.

“We also seek a government identification card and a declaration from the individual to ensure that the information and the picture provided to us is genuine,“ the top postal official said.

There are a variety of themes being offered to go with the customised stamps, including the Taj Mahal, Ajanta Caves, Port Blair Island, Mysore Palace, Hawa Mahal, the Fairy Queen train, the Ghats of Varanasi, Ellora Caves, Victoria Memorial, The Sun Temple of Konark and the Gateway of India.

The postal department has also introduced an offer for the corporate sector and private institutions.