Philatelists and Postcrossers gathered at Panaji Philatelic Bureau, General Post Office to mark World Postcard Day. This year's Postcrossing World Postcard Day theme, ‘The Timeless Magic of the Post,’ was dedicated to celebrating 150 years of the Universal Postal Union (UPU). Hundreds of postcards with international postage were released and were all made available for free for the Postcrossers. The World Postcard Day postcard was designed by Rose Wong.
World Postcard Day was celebrated as never before. Goan philatelist and Postcrossing members had a day for postcards as hundreds were posted from GPO to other members of the organisation. Postcrossing, a newfound enthusiasm is drawing more youngsters to this noble hobby with members spread across the globe. Postcrossing involves writing a postcard and receiving one in exchange from individuals with a love for postcards. A special cancellation was released by the Indian Post to mark the day.
Postcrosser Kenny Silveira originally from St Estevan, presently residing at Dona Paula spoke about this exciting hobby that brings people of all ages together with a common hobby to bring some smiles on people’s faces. He said, “A special postcard was designed specifically for the meet-up, featuring a serene view of Goa's coastline, palm trees, and sunset—capturing the tranquil beauty of the region.” The postcard, photographed and designed by Postcrosser Kenny, is a thoughtful tribute to Goa’s charm and became a cherished keepsake for everyone who attended the function and shared the beauty of Goa with the rest of the world.
It was a union of Postcrossers and philatelists from Goa and beyond. Sonakshi from Bengaluru who attended the meet has been attending WPD at different places for the last three years. Budding copywriter Vishwani Sharma from Ambala, Haryana, had a pleasant surprise to be with such an amazing group of Postcrossers. A delighted Vishvani said, “When I planned my trip, my bucket list was to collect stamps, local newspapers and some sea shells as souvenirs.” And, when she entered Philatelic Bureau, with the celebration she saw, she was flabbergasted.
On the occasion of WPD and Gandhi Jayanti, a five-frame exhibition on Mahatma Gandhi’s life in the form of postal stamps, postcards and special first-day covers which were issued across the globe in his memory till date was opened for the public at the Philatelic Bureau. It is priceless collections from Dr MR Ramesh Kumar, former president of Goa Philately and Numismatic Society archives. A special quiz conducted by Dr Ramesh Kumar enlivened the moment and excitement.
Dolcy D’Cruz and Kaushik Desai emerged as joint winners of the Postcrossing Quiz. Kaushik was felicitated for being the Postcrosser in Goa with the most postcards sent and the greatest number of kilometers travelled through his cards.
More than 300 postcards were posted from Panjim, which included some 90 postcards by Sonakshi alone. What was noteworthy was the postal staff’s participation in the event, with Pradeep and Rohit coordinating with their usual demeanour. The Postcrossing meet-up was not just a celebration of postcards but a celebration of connection, culture, and community—reminding everyone of the timeless magic of the post.