India and Malaysia

I received two really nice postcards yesterday

but I was so busy that I didn't have time

to post them on my blog.

However, I have them posted now!

This is a very interesting postcard. It comes from Deepak, who lives in

Mangalore, India. This is a tribal painting of the First War of Independence

in India--also know as the Great Rebellion--in 1857.

This was when the sepoys, who were native soldiers, mutinied against

the British East India Company. The results were that

1) The rebellion was suppressed,

2) It was the end of Company rule in India,

3) Control was taken by the British Crown.

The Indian Empire was created out of the East India Company territory.

Some land was returned to native rulers and other land was

confiscated by the Crown.

Deepak tells me that he works for the postal service and is

in charge of the Philatelic Bureau of Mangalore.

Thank you, Deepak, for this interesting and beautiful card!

These are the stamps on Deepak's card. The first stamp has a rose;

the second stamp shows Wilson College; and the third shows

the Madhav Institute of technology & Science in Gwalior.

This very nice card comes from Maureen in Sabah, Malaysia.

Maureen says that Kota Belus is a district in Sabah and it is known

as the 'Land of the Cowboys of the East'. Each year a big open market,

the pcture on the left of the card,

called the Tamu Besar is organized during October. She says it is a place

where all farmers, fishermen, and vendors gather each week to sell their products.

It is also a time of meeting friends, fraternizing, song, dance, a beauty

pageant of local girls, and street musicians.

In a nearby field, visitors can see the 'Cowboys of the East' as they parade

their beautifully adorned horses (lower right corner). Also to be seen

are the 'bareback water buffalo races' (upper right corner).

Such an interesting event, Maureen. Wish I could be there for

the festivities! Thank you very much for the card.

These are the stamps that brought Maureen's card to Texas. The first

one shows the dragonboat races at the Tamu Besar. The one below looks

like a piece of jewelry, and there are two bird stamps.