2016-10-13 Thu

Indian maritime history traces back to Indus valley civilization (3rd millennium BCE). The city of Lothal (Gujarat) had the world’s earliest known dock and had trading contacts with Mesopotamia.

The references of Indian ships are found in the Rig Veda, Kautilya’s Arthashastra, Ramayana, Mahabharata and a lot of other Samhitas. Foreign travelers like Strabo and Ptolemy, etc also mention it in their accounts.

During the Chola dynasty, under the rule of RajaRaja Chola I and Rajendra Chola I Indian sea trade reached beyond its limits and reached as far as South East Asia.

The beautiful theme of Sea trade in the Indian Ocean is seen on a commemorative stamp ‘Indian Ocean and Rajendra Chola I’ issued in 2015 of INR 5.

The left side of the stamp has a depiction of boat sailing in the sea. While the right side has a statue of Rajendra Chola I with three coins aside. Can you guess the statue is taken from which temple?

The stamp also commemorates the 1000th anniversary of the coronation of ancient Tamil King Rajendra Chola I.

The stamp perfectly describes the rich Maritime Heritage of India and the continuation of the Seafaring Legacy!

To view the stamp click here.