SPECIAL COVER - SIKKIMPEX 82

A very little is known or read about the first Philatelic Competition that was held for three days at Gangtok during November 2-4, 1982. A handful of these covers is available with Mr. Ganesh Pradhan, Rhenock who gave a first hand information that he had witnessed the competition. Interestingly, i am happy to write that I had come across a certificate of Late Ganga Kaptan, Sikkim's first Nepali Novelist who had taken part at that competition.

I here want to share an anecdote that happened during the second Philatelic Exhibition that was held at Gangtok in 2002, exactly after twenty years. I was one of the 40 participants who took part in the exhibition and my first foray into the world of philately.

In a welcome speech, one of the officials of the Postal Department of Sikkim told that the exhibition was the first philatelic exhibition to be held at the Himalayan state of Sikkim but they had to accept their mistake when they were told that the first exhibition in Sikkim was held in 1982 and Mr. Ganesh Pradhan had exhibited the three special covers that was released then