Saints & Poets of India

The ‘Saints and Poets of India’ stamp set, issued in 1952, was one of India’s earliest commemorative stamp series, honouring the country’s rich spiritual and literary heritage. It celebrated five great cultural icons from different regions and traditions, reflecting the unity in India’s religious and philosophical diversity. The set featured Tulsidas, Kabir, Meera Bai, Surdas, Ghalib and Rabindranath Thakur, representing different regions and spiritual traditions of India. Each of these personalities was celebrated for their profound contributions to devotional literature, ethical teachings, and the promotion of unity and compassion. Issued in denominations from 9 pice to 12 annas, the stamps symbolised the new nation’s commitment to acknowledging its pluralistic roots and fostering a shared spiritual legacy.

Each stamp featured a portrait of the saint or poet, based on available traditional or artistic representations. Their names were inscribed in English and Devanagari. The printing was done at Security Printing Press, Nashik, using the Photogravure technique. The stamps carried the watermark of the Star of India (multiple).