COIMBATORE: Hundreds of philatelists and stamp enthusiasts from various regions, including Karnataka and Kerala states, queued up to receive their copies of the philately passport launched by the postal department in Tamil Nadu on Wednesday. The philately passport was launched simultaneously at five philatelic bureaus – in Chennai, Coimbatore, Madurai, Trichy and Puducherry.A philately passport is a booklet issued by India Post that lets travellers and stamp collectors document their journeys by collecting postage stamps from historic, cultural and heritage locations. It was first introduced in Karnataka.In Tamil Nadu, the philately passport features 58 permanent pictorial cancellations, offering philatelists an opportunity to collect and preserve unique postal impressions from across the state.A college student from Bangalore was among those waiting in queue at the head post office, Variety Hall Road, Coimbatore city since 6am. The student said, “I have my semester examinations tomorrow, but I came here just to get the philately passport and have to return today. This is a lifetime thing, and it will travel as long as I live and even to the next generation.”For Ifrath Raeesa, 33, from Palakkad in Kerala, receiving her passport marked a new beginning that rekindled childhood memories. As a freelance AI language trainer, she finds joy and stress relief in philately, the collection of stamps. She brought her four-year-old son along for the passport launch and shared, “I used to send letters to my father when he worked in Saudi Arabia. He would send me different stamps, and I started collecting them. Now, although my husband works in Oman, our communication is primarily virtual and digital. My son has barely any idea about my collection or the significance of the stamps. I see this as the perfect opportunity to introduce him to my hobby and to reignite my passion for it.”R Suguna from Uthukuli in Tirupur district came along with her son, who worked in Bengaluru. She said, “Many people barely know so many places in Tamil Nadu, including me, but this passport is a way to explore destinations. After seeing my son’s interest, now I wish to explore and collect the cancellations.’P Tamo Harini, a college student from Pollachi, said, “The philately passport is an authentic tour guide. Rather than depending on random Google Maps destinations, this provides precise locations along with a purpose to travel. Since most of the current generation is into travelling and exploring, this will lead them towards an adventure with purpose.”Among those waiting for their copies of the philately passport was M Privthiraj, 33, of Vellakinaru. Despite being blind, he chose to be one of the collectors. He told TOI, “My interest in philately began when I joined postal services about 12 years ago. Though I have constraints to travel, this passport is an opportunity for me to explore whenever possible.”According to the senior superintendent of posts, Nanda Banoth, Coimbatore division, more than 150 call inquiries had been received in the last 24 hours until the launch. He said, “Nearly 150 copies have been sold on day one, and more than 50 bookings for the next batch have been received. We had requested about 350 copies but were provided with fewer than 200. Based on the public demand prediction, more copies will be distributed further.’A senior official from Chennai said, “Many people began to wait at the post offices from Tuesday night as they stand for some school admissions. Right at 6am there was such a crowd in Chennai. Though there is not as much demand as in Karnataka, many still show interest, and there is scope for more due to social media influence.”
