Foreign mail arriving at Ballard Pier, Bombay, 1927

The First Asian International Stamp Exhibition, known as ASIANA-77, is scheduled to take place from October 19 to 23, 1977. Organized by the Philatelic Congress of India, in collaboration with the Indian Posts and Telegraphs Department and the Government of Karnataka, this exhibition is exclusively for Asian and Australasian countries. It has garnered support from the Inter-Asia Philatelic Federation (FIAP), the Asian chapter of the Federation Internationale de Philatelic (FIP).

Founded in 1926 to safeguard the interests of stamp collectors at the international level, FIP has become a central organization for national philatelic federations worldwide. The standards and rules set by FIP govern the organization of international exhibitions under its patronage, including the categorization of stamp issues as harmful, improper, or undesirable, which are banned from display at such exhibitions.

FIAP, established in 1975, aims to promote philatelic activities among Asian and Australasian countries. ASIANA-77 marks a significant moment in India’s philatelic history, as it hosts the inaugural Asian International Stamp Exhibition, featuring some of the rarest stamps displayed in the country for the first time.

The response to the exhibition, both in competitive and non-competitive categories, has exceeded expectations. It provides an opportunity for stamp enthusiasts in India to view prize-winning exhibits from around the world in one place.

To commemorate ASIANA-77, the Indian Posts and Telegraphs Department is issuing two special postage stamps. The Re. 1 denomination features a pair of the famed Red Scinde Dawks of 1852, the first stamps in Asia. The Rs. 3 denomination depicts foreign mail arriving at Ballard Pier in Bombay in 1927, adapted from a photograph in the Annual Report of the Indian Posts & Telegraphs Department for the year 1926-27.