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The US Postal Service (USPS) has released a postage stamp commemorating the festival of Diwali, featuring an intricate rangoli pattern created by Sangita Bhutada, a Houston-based artist. India's Ambassador to the United States Vinay Mohan Kwatra, USPS Senior Vice President Shibani Gambhir and Bhutada unveiled the stamp at a function at the Indian embassy here on Wednesday evening. The USPS described rangoli as a vibrant floor pattern traditionally made from materials, such as coloured rice powder, chalk and flower petals, and believed to bring good luck. Bhutada is a native of India and a longtime resident of the Houston area. He has practised the ancient folk art of rangoli for nearly 30 years. The stamp was designed by Jennifer Arnold, and William J Gicker was the art director. Bhutada told PTI that the USPS reached out to her for making the stamp more than a year back. "I shared a dozen sketches with the USPS of which they selected four. The actual work on the rangoli took abo
Colourful lights decked up buildings and diyas (earthen lamps) dotted houses as people across the country celebrated Diwali with great enthusiasm on Thursday. In the national capital, the air quality continued to deteriorate, remaining in the 'very poor' category, with levels expected to worsen to the 'severe' category due to bursting of firecrackers at night. Keeping up his tradition of celebrating the festival with soldiers, Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited Sir Creek near the Indo-Pak border in Gujarat's Kutch district and offered sweets to jawans. Modi said India cannot compromise on even an "inch" of land on its borders, adding the people believe in the strength of its armed forces for defending the country. "In the past, attempts were made to turn this region into a battlefield. The enemy has set its eyes on this region for a long time. But we are not worried as you are guarding the nation. Our enemy also knows it well," he asserted. "People of India feel their country is