Philately and numismatics club at Manipal

Mangalore Today News Network

Manipal, Dec 8, 2015 :   In a hope that the club will encourage people of the region to take philately and numismatics as a hobby, Vinod Bhat said, "It has been my dream for a long time to start this club, that dream has come true today." The Club will promote philately as a hobby amongst young and old too "It should be an activity where all should get together at least once a month to talk, discuss and exchange stamps.

This hobby of kings, is king of hobbies," he added.Young and old responded enthusiastically at the launch of Manipal University Philately and Numismatics Club Dec 6, Sunday. While the elders were keen to see huge collections of stamps and coins on display at the university’s Interact building, Gen Y evinced interest in getting started with the hobby. Vice Chancellor H Vinod Bhat, a philatelist himself, with fairly large collection of stamps on medicine and space, launched the club officially.

Prabhakar M Kamath, president of Dakshina Kannada Philatelic and Numismatics Association who inaugurated the exhibition had a collection of Falkland Islands which is a national awards winner. M K Krishnayya’s collections which have won more than 15 national awards for flags and two national awards for postal stationary were on display. Krishnayya is a curator and guide of Corporation Bank Heritage museum at nearby temple town on Udupi.

Vishvesh K, his son who is the first secretary of the club had his collection of primates, elephants, hoofed mammals and cynofelidae (wild dogs and cats). Jayaprakash Rao’s collections were of pre-independence India. He also presented coins of Moghul period and post and pre-independent India. He has won national awards in stamps. Baikady Srinivas Rao’s display had stamps on butterfly which won a national award. He also had Army postal covers on display.

Nagendra Pai, a philatelist who won international award at Brazil in a one-frame collection on "Global Warming" last year and his recent Gandhi collection were an attraction. Ratish Udupa a pediatrician had his exhibits on Children’s Day. Daniel Monteiro’s collection of birds and water fowls which have won 10 international awards and holds a Guinness record for the most number of bird collection was yet another interesting display that the visitors lapped up.