Founded by the fourth Sikh Guru, Guru Ram Das, Amritsar has evolved into a city whose history can be read through many prisms — its sacred architecture, rich cuisine, literature, cultural traditions and the remarkable personalities it has nurtured or been associated with.The city’s philatelic history offers another, less explored, window into that legacy.The Department of Posts has so far released at least 30 postal stamps and three coins associated with Amritsar, its spiritual institutions and eminent personalities. Yet, members of the Amritsar Philately Club (APC) believe the city remains under-represented in India’s postal history, particularly as it heads towards the 450th anniversary of its foundation next year.Avid philatelist Neeraj Jain has painstakingly brought together the 30 stamps in a collage titled “My Amritsar – Sifti Da Ghar – Amritsar on Postal Stamps”, carrying the strapline “A Journey of Amritsar Through Indian Postal History – 1935–2022.”The philatelic journey begins with the Golden Temple. The first stamp featuring the holiest Sikh shrine was issued on May 6, 1935, followed by another on August 15, 1949.Jallianwala Bagh, one of the most defining sites in modern Indian history, has also found place on postal issues twice. One stamp depicts the national memorial, while another uses a symbolic representation of a Sikh, Muslim, Hindu and Christian holding hands, reflecting the spirit of communal integration — a poignant reference to the people of different faiths who were massacred at the site on Baisakhi in 1919.The stamps also celebrate a wide range of figures and institutions connected with Amritsar and its history. Among them are Maharaja Ranjit Singh, Master Tara Singh, Bhai Vir Singh, Saifuddin Kitchlew, Shaheed Udham Singh, novelist Nanak Singh, Abdul Hamid, who attained martyrdom while fighting Pakistani forces at Asal Uttar in Khemkaran, playback singer Mohammed Rafi, Bhagat Puran Singh, former Chief Minister Pratap Singh Kairon and The Tribune.The list extends beyond political and religious figures to cinema, music and architecture, with stamps commemorating actor Rajesh Khanna, actor Balraj Sahni, Field Marshal Sam Manekshaw, the Valmiki Temple and Sant Ravidas, whose bani is incorporated in the Guru Granth Sahib, compiled in Amritsar.A stamp also commemorates Sir Ganga Ram, who studied in Amritsar for a year and worked here briefly before moving to Lahore, where he went on to earn recognition as a modern architect. Madan Mohan Malviya, who inaugurated the Sewa Samiti and Durgiana Temple, has also been featured; a prominent commercial road in Amritsar bears his name.A set of two stamps on a single sheet featuring Jallianwala Bagh and an image of Gurdwara Guru Ke Mahal occupies a pride of place in Jain’s collage.The city’s story has also been represented through commemorative coins. Three Rs 100 coins have been associated with Amritsar, including issues recognising Jallianwala Bagh and Gurdwara Guru Ke Mahal.But for members of the APC, the collection is still far from adequate.After Independence, the Department of Posts has released 3,634 stamps, they point out. Yet, they say, no new stamp pertaining to Amritsar has been issued after 2022, even as several significant milestones and landmarks have since gone without recognition.Among them is the General Post Office (GPO) in Amritsar, which completed 100 years and whose colonial-era building, the philatelists argue, qualifies as a heritage structure.They also point to the treatment accorded to popular cinema. Commemorative covers were issued for films such as “Sholay” and “Lagaan” on the completion of 50 and 25 years, respectively. However, “Gadar”, whose portrayal of the Partition of Punjab included several scenes shot in Amritsar, did not receive a similar commemorative issue despite completing 25 years.The philatelists also believe the iconic Khalsa College has yet to receive its due recognition on a postal stamp.For a city whose history encompasses faith, freedom struggle, literature, cinema, architecture and cultural exchange, the APC feels its philatelic footprint should be considerably larger.As Amritsar approaches its 450th foundation anniversary, its philatelists hope the next chapter in the city’s postal history will not merely preserve the past, but add some of its enduring landmarks and stories to the national collection.