2025-04-16 Wed

The fourth stamp in the Archaeological and Historical Monuments Definitive series, 1949, is an image of a sculpture of Bodhisattva with its left hand resting comfortably on its knee. It has a face value of 1 Anna.

The term 'Bodhisattva' is a combination of two Sanskrit words - bodhi meaning 'enlightenment' and sattva meaning 'conscious being'. According to the Mahayana tradition of Buddhism, a Bodhisattva is someone who is on the path of enlightenment. The sculpture featured on this stamp is of a Bodhisattva called 'Singhanaad Avalokiteshwara', located in the State Museum, Lucknow (Uttar Pradesh). This stunning piece dates back to the 11th century and features a lotus and trident on either side, with Avlokiteshwara sitting majestically on a lion. In Buddhism, Avlokiteshwara is associated with compassion and protection towards people.

Initially, the stamp was released on August 15, 1949, but there was a little mix-up—the left hand was raised instead of the right! This was corrected with a revised version that came out on July 15, 1950.