POSTCARD N.85 - INDIA

Postcrossing postcard sent on the 15th June; received on the 30th June

Postcard image: Hoysaleswara Temple, Halebidu 

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Hoysaleswara temple was erected in the 12th century in between 1121 and 1160 as a sanctuary dedicated to Shiva, the God of Destruction, one of the three deities in the Hindu trinity, the other two being Brahma, the God of Creation,  and Vishnu, the God of Preservation.

Located in Halebidu, in the state of Karnataka, in the bottom Southwest tier of India’s inverted triangle, it was attacked and plundered by Muslim forces in the 14th century, being devoted to neglect since then until the intellectual curiosity that permeated the 19th century brought it under the light of explorers and academics, awed by the marvellous sandstone sculptures  that have held their intricate and minute detail over the ages.

Thank you Anusha for a beautiful postcard with a image of  a bas relief  image of Shiva of one of the temple walls.

 Stamps, Left to right:

Like many postal administrations India Post has also diversified its sphere of activity, offering financial services through a bank division. The India Post Payments Bank was created on 2018 and on 30JAN2019 India Post issued a 5 rupee commemorative stamp celebrating the fact.  The stamp is illustrated with an allegoric image, although I'm not familiar with the story behind it. The main elements in the image are a person, a horse and 3 belts, over which a silver rupee coin is growing..., the legend Financial inclusion being written on the side frame.

5 Rupee stamp, part of a five stamp set issued in souvenir sheet form on 15AUG2020 dedicated to UNESCO World Heritage sites in India. It depicts a detail image taken from one of the 7th and 8th centuries monuments at Paltadakal.  

5 Rupee stamp issued on 14JAN2020, part of a nine stamp minisheet set dedicated to India's designers creations. The model in my stamp is wearing what is identified as an Ambika Jacket.