US Postal Service unveils new Diwali stamp for 2026
Washington, June 29 (IANS) The United States Postal Service (USPS) has unveiled a new Diwali Forever stamp for 2026, featuring a colourful rangoli created by Indian-born artist Sangita Bhutada, renewing one of the country’s most significant recognitions of the Hindu festival and the growing Indian-American community.
The stamp, which will be released in October ahead of this year’s festival, was among several new commemorative stamps announced by USPS celebrating America’s cultural traditions, national milestones and public awareness campaigns.
“Among the most important holidays on the Hindu calendar, the annual autumn festival celebrates the triumph of good over evil,” USPS said while announcing the new stamp. The Postal Service noted that Diwali is usually observed over five days and that “in 2026, the main day of the festival will be November 8.”
The new Forever stamp features a vibrant rangoli, a traditional floor pattern made from materials such as coloured rice powder, chalk and flower petals and believed to bring good luck.
The artwork was photographed by Bijay Dixit, while the rangoli was created by Sangita Bhutada, “a native of India and longtime resident of the Houston area who has been a practitioner of this ancient folk art for nearly 30 years.”
The stamp was designed by Jennifer Arnold, with William J. Gicker serving as art director. USPS said the Diwali stamp will be released in October, with details of the first-day-of-issue ceremony to be announced later.
The Diwali stamp was announced alongside several other commemorative issues, including stamps honouring the 150th anniversary of the US Coast Guard Academy, Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa and a semipostal stamp titled “Know the Facts About Fentanyl.” USPS said proceeds from the fentanyl stamp will support research and public awareness, with net proceeds going to the National Institute on Drug Abuse.
The Postal Service also announced release dates for several stamps, including the US Coast Guard Academy stamp on September 12 in New London, Connecticut; Hanukkah on September 29 in New Orleans; Christmas: Madonna and Child on October 2 in Williamstown, Massachusetts; and the fentanyl awareness stamp on October 6 in Bethesda, Maryland. Release details for the Diwali stamp will be announced later this year.
The first USPS Diwali Forever stamp was issued on October 5, 2016, following years of advocacy by Indian-American community leaders led by New York-based eminent community leader Ranju Batra, working with the United States Postal Service with bipartisan support from the administration and members of Congress.
The Diwali Forever stamp has since become one of the most recognisable symbols of the growing visibility of the Indian-American community in the United States and is widely regarded as one of the Postal Service’s most popular commemorative stamps.
Celebrated by millions of Hindus, Sikhs, Jains and some Buddhists worldwide, Diwali is now observed across the United States, including at the White House, the US Congress, state capitols and city administrations, reflecting the expanding cultural and political influence of the Indian diaspora.
–IANS
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