COVER N. 699 - INDIA
Postmark: Airoli Node Sub Office 400708 14.03.2026
Posted on the 14th March; Received on the 31st March 2026
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Piyush always sends me outstanding covers, and this one is no exception. आपका बहुत-बहुत धन्यवाद, Piyush.
Medicinal Plants. A truly fascinating world and by itself a great theme to collect, the more so when the stamps are as nice as these.
Medicinal Plants have been used from God knows when, and they are still the go to pharmacy of many that lack the comfort and ease of a pill washed down with water for many an ailment. In fact, an important proportion of the medicines we take today derive from active principles found in plants and it is an undisputable fact that there are a lot more waiting to be discovered.
On 19DEC2025, India Post issued the very interesting set of 5 x 5 rupee stamps on the cover, each stamp featuring an illustration of a Medicinal Plant used in India.
From left to right:
- Shatavari, (Asparagus racemosus)
Shatavari is a species of Asparagus (Asparagaceae family) which can be found from Africa to southern Asia, including the Indian subcontinent, and northern Australia.
It is used in Ayurvedic medicine as a fertility and lactation enhancer.
- Indian Pennywort (Centella asiatica)
This is a member of the Apiaceae family, native to tropical regions of Africa, Asia, Australia, and islands in the western Pacific Ocean.
It is used both culinary and medicial uses. As far as the latter is concerned, The Indian Pennyworth is used to treat dermatological conditions and also minor wounds.
- Long Pepper (Piper longum)
Another plant that has both culinary and medicinal uses.
This flowering vine of the Piperaceae family is used in Ayurvedic medicine to treat respiratory infections (bronchitis, asthma, cough), enhance digestion, and reduce inflammation.
- Heart-Leaved Moonseed (Tinospora cordifolia)
A herbaceous vine of the family Menispermaceae native to South and Southeast Asia.
In Ayurvedic medicine it is used to boost immunity, treat chronic fevers, manage Type 2 diabetes, and protect the liver.
- Ashwagandha (Withania somnifera)
A member of the Solanaceae family, which can be found in the Middle East and North Africa, and also in other African regions, southern Europe, Indian subcontinent, and across Southeast Asia.
Its roots, once reduced to powder, are used to treat stress, anxiety, and sleep disturbances.
Although long consumed for medicinal purposes, it should be noted that the entries in Wikipedia regarding these particular plants state that in general that current clinical evidence is insufficient to confirm their safety or efficacy.
Postage was completed with a 5 rupee stamp issued in January 2016 as part of the year's issue of the definitive series "Makers of India", featuring the portrait of Nationalist Netaji Subash Chandra Boise (1897 - 1945).
The very interesting Pictorial postmark featuring a pair of flamingos hails from Airoli Node, a residential and commercial area in the metropolitan area of Mumbai.
