welcome to my website

My Blog

• 

  Postal History and Philately

  The Special ‘G.P.O / MADRAS / OVERLAND MAIL’ Stamp

  ByAbhishek Bhuwalka May 16, 2026May 23, 2026

  Many postal historians cannot resist the charms of ‘Overland Mails’.1 The words evoke imagery of those early days when pioneering individuals and companies carried letters across virgin untamed lands battling and overcoming problems of all sorts. The overland mail route with respect to India’s communications with Great Britain and beyond2 was the short-cut across the…

• 

  Postal History and Philately

  William Braithwaite Lives and Dies in India, 1830-45

  ByAbhishek Bhuwalka April 12, 2026May 23, 2026

  Since millennia, India has been a magnet attracting those seeking fortune and name. The wave of foreigners coming in accelerated in the 16th century with the discovery and development of the all-sea route from Europe via the Cape of Good Hope. In the anarchy following the collapse of the Mughal Empire in the first half…

• 

  Postal History and Philately

  Great Britain Victorian Mixed-Franking Covers to India

  ByAbhishek Bhuwalka March 23, 2026May 23, 2026

  One of my favourite philatelic books in recent times is Great Britain Victorian Mixed-Franking Covers Illustrating Postage Stamp Development by Ray Simpson and Karl Louis (2020) (Figure 1). The book expertly bridges philately and postal history and makes philately fascinating for the postal historian and vice-versa. In addition, the 400-odd illustrated covers, with colourful stamps…

• 

  Postal History and Philately

  French Entry Stamps on India Mails, 1837-39

  ByAbhishek Bhuwalka March 2, 2026March 3, 2026

  The 1830s and 1840s were exciting times for mails sent across the seas and oceans. These two decades saw a rapid transition in the carriage of letters from sailing ships (wind-assisted) to steamships (coal-assisted though they did have sails as an additional source of propulsion if needed). This meant that mails could be carried regularly…

• 

  Postal History and Philately

  What Sayeth the Earliest Missive from Hong Kong?

  ByAbhishek Bhuwalka January 27, 2026January 31, 2026

  The dawn of the 1830s saw the introduction of British steamers in the Arabian Sea (between Bombay and Egypt) and the Mediterranean (connecting Egypt with Europe). Simultaneously, the overland route across Egypt was also developed (Figure 1). These happenings revolutionised communications between the East and the West. Time to destination reduced from a few months…

• 

  Postal History and Philately

  ‘Forbes’ Fails to Pick up Steam, 1834

  ByAbhishek Bhuwalka December 4, 2025January 31, 2026

  Much has been written on the two voyages of that pioneering steamship Forbes from Calcutta (see references). The first failed to go beyond Madras while by reaching Suez, the second trip proved to be a success. In this article, I will focus on letters from central and south India which were dispatched to Madras with…