Among the many different things that I spend time on, my dearest ones are hobbies that I have indulged in for a very long time. These are philately and numismatics.
I have a fairly huge collection of stamps, first day covers, coins and currencies.
Let me tell you why these two hobbies fascinate me
It springs surprises everywhere
When I joined the Indian Audit and Accounts Department and went for training in Shimla, I never expected that my hobby would bring me a surprise. However, after a few months, when I was going through my stamp collection again, I took note of this stamp.
The right-most corner building is where I stay now. The left most building is our AG Office in Shimla while the central building is the CAG Headquarters. Each and every building in this stamp is in one way or the other connected to me. It is as much a piece of history as it is of mine. Imagine my pride, surprise and wonder when I saw this stamp in my collection. It totally can’t be explained.
It introduces me to different cultures
It introduces me to different lands, peoples, costumes, cuisines etc.
Imagine how much easier and fun it was for me to learn about Madhubani-Mithila paintings as part of my UPSC exam preparation. A lot of times my hobby has helped me learn things with more interest. And I mean a lot.
Cats and Dogs have ruled the world even before the advent of cute memes
Even before the internet memes began to rule our daily lives, cats and dogs were widely loved. The number of cat and dog stamps that I have stand testimony to that. And who can not love a cute cat//dog.
( Those Buriatia stamps are fake, but I got them for free and still kept them. A friend passed on his collection and these too were part of it. Illegal Stamp Issues from Russian Federation )
It allows me to hold a piece of history- Something my unknown ancestor had held in his hand
Like this Indo-Greek Coin
or time-travel to the rule of Kushanas
Or to the age of the British oppression
or know nations that don’t exist anymore
Or be a part of historical decisions
Over the years, I have invested a huge amount of time in these two hobbies among others and I should say, the amount of pleasure that I have derived out of them and the amount of knowledge it has given me has been worth every second I put in.