FIFA World Cup 2010 FDC with Stamp Sheet from France

What a beautiful First Day Cover it is? I fell in love with this cover at the first instance. The cover was sent to me by Eric Contesse from his blog at "Blog Timbre de ma Philatelie". Thanks a lot Eric! 

The FDC featuring the Souvenir sheet of four stamps from France issued on the event of FIFA World Cup 2010 being played in South Africa . The Stamp sheet and FDC were issued on 13 Jun 2010 and depicts football players, player & ball, Pretoria’s Parliament Building, View of Capetown & Flags of Countries playing the FIFA World Cup.

Shandur Polo Festival, Pakistan 2006

Shandur Polo Festival is arranged in July every year and a traditional Polo Match is played between the teams of Gilgit and Chitral at the highest Polo Ground of the World in Shandur. Shandur is located at a height of 3,700 m (12,650 ft) above mean sea level at the border of Gilgit and Chitral Districts.

Shandur Polo Event is a traditional event dating back to old colonial times. In 1930s, then British Political Agent in the area Major Evelyn Cobb was extremely fond of playing Polo and he initiated playing Polo in the moonlight of Shandur. The first Polo Tournament at Shandur took place in 1936.
Since then, Shandur Polo Festival is held almost every year and guests are invited from all over the globe to witness the event.
To celebrate the event, a camping village is set up at Shandur and various activities like folk music and dancing are held. Shandur Polo Festival is held in the 2nd week of July every year and offers activities like trout fishing, trekking, mountaineering, horse riding and folk music performances.
In 2006, Pakistan Post issued a Rs 5 Commemorative Stamp to celebrate the event.
You can see some beautiful Pictures of Shandur Polo Festival here.

Pakistan FDC featuring Nishan-e-Haider Winners

Here is one of my personal favorites from my collection. Its a FDC from Pakistan featuring two of the eleven (including Saif Ali Janjua who was awarded Hilal-e-Kashmir in 1948, which was afterwards made equivalent to Nishan-e-Haider) recipients of the Highest Military Award of Pakistan - Nishan-e-Haider.

Both stamps are for Rs 4 denomination and were issued on 6 September 2002 - the Day being celebrated as the Defence of Pakistan Day every year. It was on this day in 1965 that India launched a dawn attack on Pakistan's territory without a war declaration BUT Pakistan Armed Forces fought valiantly and bravely. They beat back the attack and inflicted heavy losses over the attacker.

Nishan-e-Haider is awarded to military personnel for extraordinary bravery in combat. 9 out of 10 awards have been received by Pakistan Army while 1 has been received by Pakistan Airforce.

The stamp on the right features Sawar Muhammad Hussain while the stamp on left shows Lance Naik Muhammad Mahfuz. Here is a brief account of their heroic actions:-

• Lance Naik Muhammad Mahfuz (Shaheed), Nishan-e-Haider. 
  Born in Pind Malikan (now Mahfuzabad, Rawalpindi District) on October 25, 1944, Muhammad Mahfuz joined the Army on October 25, 1962. When war broke out in 1971, Lance Naik Mahfuz was serving in "A" Company of 15 Punjab Regiment deployed on the Wagah-Attari Sector. On the night of December 17-18, his company was assigned the task of occupying Phul Kanjri village located in the section. Platoon No. 3, to which Lance Naik Mahfuz belonged, was the forward unit in the assault and had to face torrential volleys of enemy fire from concrete Pill boxes. When the Company was about 70 yards from the Indian position, it was pinned down by unceasing frontal and cross fire from automatic weapons of the enemy. With the break of dawn, the enemy artillery also opened up. Fighting like a man possessed, Mahfuz, whose machine-gun was destroyed by an enemy shell, took over a light machine-gun from a gunner who had already fallen and advanced towards an enemy bunker from which automatic fire had inflicted heavy casualties on his Company. Wounded in the legs by shell splinters, he continued to fire, dragging himself forward. At the bunker he got up with almost superhuman effort and pounced on the enemy and was hit at point-blank range. His weapon dropped from his hand, but despite being unarmed and mortally wounded, he caught hold of an Indian Soldier and began to strangle him when another Indian bayoneted him to death.
  After the ceasefire, the Commander of the enemy admitted to his Pakistani counter-part in a meeting that the like of the courage and tenacity displayed by Lance Naik Mahfuz had seldom been witnessed before.
   
• Sawar Muhammad Hussain (Shaheed), Nishan-e-Haider. Born in Dhok Pir Bakhsh (now Dhok Muhammad Hussain Janjua) on June 18, 1949, Sawar Muhammad Hussain joined the Army on September 3, 1966 and was trained as a driver. When war broke out in 1971, he was in 20 Lancers. Though only a driver, he took active part in every battle his unit was engaged in. He would take over a machine-gun and fire on the enemy, unmindful of any danger no matter how grave. On December 5, 1971, he went from trench to trench delivering ammunition to our men in the Zafarwal-Shakargarh Area, braving intense shelling and direct fire from enemy tanks and infantry. On the following day, he went out with four fighting patrols and undertook most hazardous missions. On December 10, he spotted the enemy digging in near village Harar Khurd along our Minefield and informed the second- in-command of his unit. He moved, on his own initiative, from one anti-tank gun to another directing the crew to fire accurately at enemy tanks, and was thus responsible for the destruction of sixteen enemy tanks. At 1600 hours on December 10, while directing fire from one of our recoilless rifles, he was hit on the chest by a burst of machine-gun fire from an enemy tank and thus died in action.
  Sawar Muhammad Hussain had the distinction of being the first Jawan to be awarded Nishan-e-Haider.
  Source: Pakistan Post Official Website

Sony PSP Stamp - Are there real stamps too?

Hi friends!
I came across this magnificent stamp featuring Sony PSP on internet. I know that they are fake but I still love them.

 And the 2nd one too!

Which one did you like?
Are there any real stamps with themes like Sony PSP, Nintendo, etc?

India: 50th Anniversary of 62 Cavalry

One of my personal favorites is this magnificently designed First Day Cover (FDC) from India.

The stamp and the FDC; featuring the king of the battlefield - A Tank; were issued to mark 50th Anniversary of 62 Cavalry - An armoured regiment of Indian Army.

The Rs 5 stamp and FDC were issued on 1 April 2006.
What do you think about this beautiful stamp and the cover?

Youm-e-Takbeer - The Day when Pakistan Conducted 1st Nuclear Test

"Youm-e-Takbeer" was NOT a day like all others but it was special day which turned Pakistan into A PROUDER PAKISTAN - A STRONGER PAKISTAN!!!
This beautiful stamp from Pakistan was issued on 28 May 1999 - the first anniversary of "Youm-e-Takbeer" - The day when Pakistan conducted its first Nuclear Test. The Rs 5 stamp shows the site of the nuclear tests at Chaghi, Balochistan.

Brief History of the Indo-Pakistan Nuclear Issue.
What started in 1974 when India conducted their first nuclear test at Pokhran Range in Rajhistan, ended on 28 May 1998 when Pakistan successfully carried out its first nuclear test in Chaghi, Balochistan. Since its a hobby blog, therefore, I don't want to spark a controversy but here is just a run down of events:-

• India conducted its first nuclear test in Pokhran Range, Rajisthan in 1974.
• In 1974, Pakistan started its nuclear program.
• As per Pakistani Atomic Scientists, by early 1980s, Pakistan was in a position to test detonate its device but did not step forward because of various reasons including International Pressure.
• On 11 May 1998, Indian Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee surprised everyone by announcing that India has conducted 3 nuclear tests earlier that day.
• Two days later on 13 May 1998, India conducted two more nuclear tests, surprising the international observers.
• Under immense pressure from public and continued humiliating statements from Indian leaders, Pakistan finally decided to respond by testing its own nuclear technology.
•  On 28 May 1998, at 3:16 pm Pakistan conducted its first nuclear test in Chaghi, Balochistan. Pakistan detonated five nuclear devices in total. The time has been termed as "Pakistan's Finest Hour".
• In an TV address to the nation, the then Prime Minister of Pakistan, Nawaz Sharif congratulated the Pakistani nation and said that "Today, we have settled a score and have carried out 5 successful nuclear tests.
• Pakistan had become the world s 7th nuclear power and the first nuclear weapons state in the Islamic World. Two days later, Pakistan conducted its sixth nuclear test at Kharan, a flat desert valley 150 km to the south of the Ras Koh Hills.
• The day was remembered as "Youm-e-Takbeer". 

May 28, 1998 - Pakistan's quest for Self-Reliance

LONG LIVE PAKISTAN!!!

Yugoslavia Olympics Cover - Seoul Olympics 1988

After a long time of absence, here is a magnificent First Day Cover from Former Yugoslavia or Jugoslavija. The FDC was issued on the event of 24th Olympic Summer Games held at Seoul, South Korea.

The FDC features an absolutely gorgeous Miniature Sheet from Jugoslavija. The Olympics FDC and miniature sheet were issued on 21 March 1988.
Do you collect Olympics Theme? If you have any Olympics FDCs to swap, please feel free to leave me a message below.
I am even interested in getting all FDCs or stamps issued for T20 CricketWorld Cup 2010 and FIFA Football World Cup 2010, if your country is issuing any..... Do you have any?

Facebook's Farmville Postage Stamps

Have you played Farmville on Facebook ever?

Farmville is definitely the latest online farming craze....

I just thought that it would be fun sharing these beautiful stamps with you. I am sure that you will love these beautiful Farmville Postage Stamps. 

To see the remaining stamps and read more about them; Click here: Farmville Postage Stamps