1971 Raja Ravi Varma Commemorative First Day Cover

1971 Raja Ravi Varma Commemorative First Day Cover

1971 Raja Ravi Varma Commemorative First Day Cover. India’s Raja Ravi Varma was born on 29th April 1848 and died on 2nd October 1906. In his 58 years short and remarkable lifespan, he carved out a name as India’s greatest artist. Born in Kilimanoor in the then Travancore state, Raja Ravi Varma a self-taught artist created magic on the canvas.

Only the most affluent could afford his oil paintings of portraits, Hindu divine Gods and Goddesses, and so on. As the common man could ill afford them, he set up an advanced sophisticated German steam-driven press in 1894.  To produce oleographs or chromolithographs of his paintings for the masses.

The oleographs sold in millions by the 1920s and almost every home in India had a God or Goddesses oleograph prints. To commemorate this great man’s 123 years birth anniversary, the government of India’s Post & Telegraph(India Post) brought out stamps, stamped information sheets, first-day cover (as seen here) on 4th April 1971.

Read more on Raja Ravi Varma Birth Anniversary 29.4.1971.

From my collection- Raja Ravi Varma “Birth of Shakuntala” Oleograph.,  Raja Ravi Varma Portrait Photo-Old India Postcard.,   Map Of Travancore Backwaters & Coast c1866 ., Old India Photo-Aerial Photo of Taj Mahal & Bi-Plane 1932., Old India Photo Postcard-British Family on Bullock Cart Travel