A Diwali stamp was launched here by the US postal service, capping seven-year-long efforts by Indian-Americans and influential American lawmakers to commemorate the festival of lights.
A Diwali stamp was launched here by the US postal service, capping seven-year-long efforts by Indian-Americans and influential American lawmakers to commemorate the festival of lights.
The stamp was unveiled at the Indian Consulate at an elaborate -"first-day-of-issue-" dedication ceremony Wednesday. The US Postal Service commemorated the Hindu festival of Diwali by dedicating the 'Diwali Forever' stamp.
The stamp shows a photo of a traditional 'diya' lit against a sparkling gold background and the words 'Forever USA 2016' written below. -"It has taken many years of hard work and advocacy but light has finally triumphed. Today, Diwali has received its long awaited commemorative stamp and rightfully joins the ranks of other major religious and cultural holidays such as Christmas, Kwanzaa, Hanukkah and Eid,-" Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney said.
Sally Andersen-Bruce of Connecticut photographed the diya and Greg Breeding of Virginia designed the stamp, with William Gicker of Washington serving as the project's art director.
Maloney said getting the Diwali stamp involved years of hard work and advocacy, including thousands of petition signatures, multiple meetings with Prime Minister Modi, personal appeals to President Barack Obama, and multiple Congressional Resolutions. -"This stamp represents the triumph of knowledge over ignorance, lightness over dark and good over evil, she said.
