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US issues Forever stamp celebrating Diwali, features Rangoli created by Indian artist

By · Via Times of India · Published by Everything Blog

In short

The stamp was officially introduced by Indian Ambassador Vinay Mohan Kwatra and USPS Senior Vice President Shibani Gambhir at the Indian Embassy. Sangita Bhutada designed the eight-foot piece using starch-based powders and colored sand on a purple background, a process that required eight to 10 days to complete. The resulting artwork was photographed by Bijay Dixit and formatted for postal circulation by designer Jennifer Arnold and art director William J. Gicker. These stamps are available for purchase nationwide in 20-stamp sheets priced at $16.40.

Key points

  • Each individual Forever stamp carries a current value of 82 cents for one-ounce first-cla…: Each individual Forever stamp carries a current value of 82 cents for one-ounce first-class domestic postage.
  • The new release represents the postal agency's second dedicated stamp honoring the festiv…: The new release represents the postal agency's second dedicated stamp honoring the festival, following the first edition in 2016.
  • The stamps will remain valid for one-ounce first-class mailings regardless of any future…: The stamps will remain valid for one-ounce first-class mailings regardless of any future postal rate increases.

Sources checked by our analysis pipeline: 1

The United States Postal Service (USPS) has issued a new Forever stamp celebrating Diwali, featuring a colourful rangoli created by Indian artist Sangita Bhutada. The release marks the second time the US postal service has dedicated a stamp to the festival of lights, with the first one issued in 2016.

The US Embassy in India highlighted the new stamp in a post on X on Thursday, describing it as a Forever stamp celebrating Diwali. The stamp was officially unveiled on October 21 at the Embassy of India in Washington DC, in the presence of Indian Ambassador Vinay Mohan Kwatra and USPS senior vice-president Shibani Gambhir.

The stamp features an eight-foot rangoli designed by Bhutada, a native of India who has been practising the traditional art form for nearly 30 years and is based in the Houston area. The artwork uses blue, orange, green, red and white colours against a purple background. It was created using coloured sand and starch-based powders and took eight to 10 days to complete.

Photographer Bijay Dixit captured the original artwork, while Jennifer Arnold designed the…

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