US Postal Service to Issue ‘Diwali’ Forever Stamp
Mangaluru: The U.S. Postal Service in a press release said that it will issue a Diwali postage stamp, meeting one of the long pending demands of Indian-American community here. The Diwali stamp is being issued as a “Forever” stamp, the U.S. Postal Service said in a statement. Hinduism was the only major world religion, for which the USPS had not issued a postage stamp. This Forever stamp will also be equal in value to the current First Class Mail 1-ounce price.
The stamp design, unveiled by the U.S. Postal Service (USPS), is a photograph featuring a traditional diya oil lamp lit in a sparkling gold background. The first-day-of-issue dedication ceremony will take place at the Indian Consulate in New York City on October 5, 2016. “This is a dream come true,” said New York-based Ranju Batra chair, Diwali Stamp Project, who had led campaign to send thousands of letters to the U.S. Postal Service in the past and had campaigned before the U.S. Congress.