Vesak Festival

On May 14, 2011, Sri Lanka issued four stamps in the form of se-tenants and a mini sheetlet commemorating the 2011 Buddhist Vesak festival. The stamps featured holy Buddhist sites in front of the silhouette of a map of India. One of the stamps was showing a site in Lumbini, which is on Nepalese territory. Religious and nationalist groups in Nepal protested against the stamp and in consequence they were withdrawn in August 2011. 18.000 stamps were affected by the withdrawal.

Lumbini Vesak se-tenant Sri Lanka

 

Withdrawn se-tenant (Lumbini stamp upper left)

vesak sheetlet lumbini

 

Withdrawn sheetlet

Lumbini Vesak Nepal

 

Letter with withdrawn se-tenant