Kochi couple recreates India’s princely past through rare stamp papers

Kochi: Seventy-six years ago, 565 princely states came together to form India. From Travancore to Kochi to Malabar, each had its own rich history and stories to tell. Many of these stories now live on through the collection of stamp papers and royal insignias assembled by Santhosh Philip and his wife Feyna, who have spent 16 years tracing the nation’s forgotten past.

Santhosh Philip of Moozhikkal Valayail, an LIC Administrative Officer and a resident of PPN Nagar in Mamangalam, received a palm leaf agreement dated 1880 bearing the royal insignia of Travancore in 2010 through a friend in Ettumanoor. The document, equivalent to present stamp paper, caught his attention immediately.

Encouraged by his wife, Feyna, he framed it and hung it on the wall. This act also marked the beginning of a painstaking pursuit, as the couple began collecting stamp papers from every princely state that existed before India became a republic.

As many as 270 princely states had their own stamp papers. Over 16 years, the couple managed to collect 600 stamp papers from 130 princely states. With LIC agents, friends, and relatives joining Santhosh’s mission, the collection steadily grew, as big as Santhosh's residence itself. Santhosh notes that the stamp papers of Bikaner - the first princely state to join the Indian Union (August 7, 1947)  and Hyderabad - the last to join (September 17, 1948) - symbolise the beginning and end of India’s political history.

The oldest stamp paper in their collection dates back to 1798, written on cloth from the princely state of Saurashtra, now part of Gujarat. The text is inscribed in four languages: Gujarati, Urdu, Arabic, and Parsi. Another prized possession is the original will of Jessy Ann Sophia Grand, a foreign woman, dated 1926. It details her properties and bungalow in the princely state of Udagamandalam, including the present-day Ooty, bequeathed to her successors. Written on British India stamp paper, the will carried a stamp duty of ₹3,000, a huge sum at the time. It also remains the highest-value stamp paper in the collection.

The Travancore stamp papers are marked in “Ana,” while those of Kochi are marked in “Puthan.” The collection also includes stamp papers from major princely states such as Kashmir, Mysore, Pudukottai, and Bhopal. Collecting stamp papers from the northeastern states has proven to be the most challenging task for them.

The couple is open to giving students and researchers access to their collection for academic purposes. For details, contact: 75101-31484