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Philately & U, Mumbai (2026)

13/04/2024

*The Creation of Khalsa*

The _*Khalsa*_ tradition was initiated in 1699 by the last living _Guru_ of _Sikhism, Guru Gobind Singh Ji._ Its formation on 13 April 1699, was a key event in the history of Sikhism. The founding of _Khalsa_ is celebrated by _Sikhs_ during the festival of _Vaisakhi._

In 1699, the tenth _Guru_ of _Sikhism, Guru Gobind Singh Ji_ asked Sikhs to gather at _Anandpur Sahib_ on the day of _Vaisakhi. Guru Gobind Singh Ji_ addressed the congregation from the entryway of a tent pitched on a hill (now called Kesgarh Sahib). He drew his sword, according to the Sikh tradition, and then asked for a volunteer from those who gathered, someone willing to sacrifice his head. One came forward, whom he took inside a tent. The _Guru_ returned to the crowd without the volunteer, but with a bloody sword. He asked for another volunteer and repeated the same process of returning from the tent without anyone and with a bloodied sword four more times. After the fifth volunteer went with him into the tent, the _Guru_ returned with all five volunteers, all safe. He called them the _Panj Pyare_ and the first _Khalsa_ in the _Sikh_ tradition. These five volunteers were : _Daya Ram (Bhai Daya Singh), Dharam Das (Bhai Dharam Singh), Himmat Rai (Bhai Himmat Singh), Mohkam Chand (Bhai Mohkam Singh),_ and _Sahib Chand (Bhai Sahib Singh)._

_Guru Gobind Singh Ji_ then mixed water and sugar into an iron bowl, stirring it with a double-edged sword to prepare what he called _Amrit ("nectar")._ He then administered this to the _Panj Pyare,_ accompanied with recitations from the _Adi Granth,_ thus founding the _khanda ka paul (baptization ceremony) of a Khalsa_ – a warrior community. The _Guru_ also gave them a new surname _"Singh" (lion)._ After the first _five Khalsa_ had been _baptized,_ the _Guru_ asked the five to _baptize_ him as a _Khalsa._ This made the _Guru_ the _sixth Khalsa,_ and his name changed from _Guru Gobind Rai_ to _Guru Gobind Singh._

13/04/2024

*Jallianwala Bagh Massacre*

Jallianwala Bagh Massacre, also called Massacre of Amritsar, incident on 13 April 1919, in which British troops fired on a large crowd of unarmed Indians in an open space known as the Jallianwala Bagh in Amritsar in the Punjab region, killing several hundred people and wounding many hundreds more. It marked a turning point in India’s modern history, in that it left a permanent scar on Indo-British relations and was the prelude to Mohandas (Mahatma) Gandhi’s full commitment to the cause of Indian nationalism and independence from Britain.

During World War I (1914–18) the British government of India enacted a series of repressive emergency powers that were intended to combat subversive activities. By the war’s end, expectations were high among the Indian populace that those measures would be eased and that India would be given more political autonomy. The Montagu-Chelmsford Report, presented to the British Parliament in 1918, did in fact recommend limited local self-government. Instead, however, the government of India passed what became known as the Rowlatt Acts in early 1919, which essentially extended the repressive wartime measures.

The acts were met by widespread anger and discontent among Indians, notably in the Punjab region. Gandhi in early April called for a one-day general strike throughout the country. In Amritsar the news that prominent Indian leaders had been arrested and banished from that city sparked violent protests on April 10, in which soldiers fired upon civilians, buildings were looted and burned, and angry mobs killed several foreign nationals and severely beat a Christian missionary. A force of several dozen troops commanded by Brig. Gen. Reginald Edward Harry Dyer was given the task of restoring order. Among the measures taken was a ban on public gatherings.

On the afternoon of April 13, a crowd of at least 10,000 men, women, and children gathered in the Jallianwala Bagh, which was nearly completely enclosed by walls and had only one exit. It is not clear how many people there were protesters who were defying the ban on public meetings and how many had come to the city from the surrounding region to celebrate Baisakhi, a spring festival. Dyer and his soldiers arrived and sealed off the exit. Without warning, the troops opened fire on the crowd, reportedly shooting hundreds of rounds until they ran out of ammunition. It is not certain how many died in the bloodbath, but, according to one official report, an estimated 379 people were killed, and about 1,200 more were wounded. After they ceased firing, the troops immediately withdrew from the place, leaving behind the dead and wounded.

The shooting was followed by the proclamation of martial law in the Punjab that included public floggings and other humiliations. Indian outrage grew as news of the shooting and subsequent British actions spread throughout the subcontinent. The Bengali poet and Nobel laureate Rabindranath Tagore renounced the knighthood that he had received in 1915. Gandhi was initially hesitant to act, but he soon began organizing his first large-scale and sustained nonviolent protest (satyagraha) campaign, the noncooperation movement (1920–22), which thrust him to prominence in the Indian nationalist struggle.

The government of India ordered an investigation of the incident (the Hunter Commission), which in 1920 censured Dyer for his actions and ordered him to resign from the military. Reaction in Britain to the massacre was mixed, however. Many condemned Dyer’s actions—including Sir Winston Churchill, then secretary of war, in a speech to the House of Commons in 1920—but the House of Lords praised Dyer and gave him a sword inscribed with the motto “Saviour of the Punjab.” In addition, a large fund was raised by Dyer’s sympathizers and presented to him. The Jallianwala Bagh site in Amritsar is now a national monument.

13/04/2024

*Punjab National Bank, PNB,* founded on 12 April 1894, 129 years ago, is an Indian government owned bank headquartered in New Delhi, India. The bank was founded in 1894 and is the second largest government owned bank in India, both in terms of business and its network. Punjab National Bank was registered under the Indian Companies Act, with its office in Anarkali Bazaar, Lahore, in present-day Pakistan.
The bank has over 180 million customers, 10,910 branches and 13,000+ ATMs post merger with United Bank of India and Oriental Bank of Commerce, effective from 1 April 2020.

13/04/2024

*M. Visvesvaraya,* passed away on 12 April 1962, was an Indian civil engineer and statesman and the 19th _Diwan_ of Mysore, who served from 1912 to 1919. He received India's highest honour, the _Bharat Ratna,_ in 1955. He was knighted as a Knight Commander of the British Indian Empire (KCIE) by _King George V_ for his contributions to the public good. 15 September is celebrated as Engineer's Day in India, Sri Lanka and Tanzania in his memory. He is held in high regard as a pre-eminent engineer of India.

13/04/2024

On 12 April 1801, *Ranjit Singh* proclaimed himself as *Maharajah of Punjab.*

13/04/2024

*Vinoo Mankad,* born on 12 April 1917, one of the greatest all-rounder in history of Indian cricket, known for his world record setting opening partnership of 413 runs with Pankaj Roy in 1956, a record that stood for 52 years.
As a batsman, in 44 Tests, he averaged 31.47 with the bat. He scored 5 centuries and 6 fifties during the course of his Test career. As a slow left-arm orthodox bowler, Mankad twice took 8-wickets in an innings. He tok 162 wickets.

13/04/2024

*Sugar Ray Robinson,* passed away on 12 April 1989, was an American professional boxer who competed from 1940 to 1965. He was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 1990. He is often regarded as the greatest boxer of all time, pound-for-pound.

13/04/2024

*Vostok 1,* was the first spaceflight of the Vostok programme and the first human orbital spaceflight in history. The Vostok 3KA space capsule was launched from Baikonur Cosmodrome on 12 April 1961, with Soviet cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin aboard, making him the first human to reach orbital velocity around the Earth and to complete a full orbit around the Earth.

13/04/2024

*Indian independence movement*

On 8 April 1929, *Bhagat Singh* and *Batukeshwar Dutt,* exploded two improvised bombs inside the Central Legislative Assembly in Delhi. They showered leaflets from the gallery on the legislators below, shouted slogans, and then allowed the authorities to arrest them.

13/04/2024

*Kumar Gandharva,* born on 8 April 1924, was an Indian _classical singer,_ well known for his unique vocal style and his refusal to be bound by the tradition of any gharana. The name Kumar Gandharva is a title given to him when he was a child prodigy; a Gandharva is a musical spirit in Hindu mythology.

13/04/2024

*Bankimchandra Chatterjee,* passed away on 8 April 1894, was an Indian novelist, poet and journalist. He was the composer of _*Vande Mataram,*_ originally in _Sanskrit stotra_ personifying India as a mother goddess and inspiring activists during the Indian Independence Movement. Chattopadhyay wrote thirteen novels and many serious, serio-comic, satirical, scientific and critical treatises in Bengali. His works were widely translated into other regional languages of India as well as in English.

13/04/2024

*Mangal Pandey,* martyred on 8 April 1857, was an Indian soldier who played a key part in the events immediately preceding the outbreak of the Indian rebellion of 1857. He was a _sepoy_ (sipahi) in the 34th Bengal Native Infantry (BNI) regiment of the British East India Company.

13/04/2024

Formed on 8 April 1985, *The Special Protection Group (SPG)* is an agency of the Government of India whose sole responsibility is protecting the Prime Minister of India and in some cases, his or her family. It was formed in 1988 by an Act of the Parliament of India. The SPG protects the Prime Minister at all times both in India and abroad, as well as the Prime Minister's immediate family members residing with them at their official residence. Family members, however, may decline security.

13/04/2024

*Jagjivan Ram,* born on 5 April 1908, was an Indian independence activist and politician from Bihar. He was instrumental in the foundation of the All India Depressed Classes League, an organisation dedicated to attaining equality for untouchables, in 1935 and was elected to Bihar Legislative Assembly in 1937, after which he organised the rural labour movement.

13/04/2024

*The National Maritime Day*

5 April marks the National Maritime Day of India. On this day in 1919 navigation history was created when SS Loyalty, the first ship of The Scindia Steam Navigation Company Ltd., journeyed to the United Kingdom, a crucial step for India shipping history when sea routes were controlled by the British.S S Loyalty was the first ship of Scindia Steam Navigtaion Company Ltd.

National Maritime Day to commemorate the voyage of a ship. But this wasn’t just any ship. The SS Loyalty, which made the journey from India to England in 1919, completed this voyage after winning a series of battles, not on the high seas but against India’s colonial powers. The story of the SS Loyalty is the story of a stubborn Indian nationalist who was determined to see a home-grown vessel take to the seas at a time when Britain controlled these waters.

13/04/2024

*Gateway of India*

The *Gateway of India* is an arch-monument built in the early twentieth century in the city of Mumbai, in the Indian state of Maharashtra. It was erected to commemorate the landing in December 1911 at Apollo Bunder, Mumbai (then Bombay) of *King-Emperor George V* and *Queen-Empress Mary,* the first British monarch to visit India. At the time of the royal visit, the gateway was not yet built, and a cardboard structure greeted the monarch. The *Construction started on 31 March 1913* for a monument built in the Indo-Saracenic style, incorporating elements of 16th-century Marathi architecture. The final design of the monument by architect George Wittet was sanctioned only in 1914, and construction was completed in 1924. The structure is a triumphal arch made of basalt, which is 26 metres (85 feet) high.

13/04/2024

*Eiffel Tower Opens*

The Eiffel Tower was built to be the entrance to the 1889 World's Fair in Paris. Construction was started by Gustave Eiffel's company in January 1887 and completed in March 1889 and opened on *31 March 1889.*

It was the tallest structure in the world until the Chrysler Building was built in New York in 1930. Today it is the most visited paid-for monument in the world with over 6 million making the journey to one of it's three viewing levels.

13/04/2024

*Isaac Newton,* passed away on 31 March 1727, was an English mathematician, physicist, astronomer, theologian, and author who is widely recognised as one of the most influential scientists of all time and as a key figure in the scientific revolution. His book _Philosophiæ Naturalis Principia Mathematica (Mathematical Principles of Natural Philosophy),_ first published in 1687, laid the foundations of classical mechanics. Newton also made seminal contributions to optics, and shares credit with _Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz_ for developing the _infinitesimal calculus._

*During Newton's lifetime, two calendars were in use in Europe:* the Julian ("Old Style") calendar in Protestant and Orthodox regions, including Britain; and the Gregorian ("New Style") calendar in Roman Catholic Europe. At Newton's birth, Gregorian dates were ten days ahead of Julian dates. His death occurred on 20 March 1726, according to the Old Style calendar, but the year is usually adjusted to 1727. A full conversion to New Style gives the date 31 March 1727.

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