This is a Permanent Pictorial Cancellation (PPC) issued by India Post for Guruvayur Sub Post Office, PIN 680101, Thrissur district, Kerala. The cancellation design depicts the Bell and Dwajasthambham (Flag Mast) of the Guruvayur Sri Krishna Temple. Introduced on 12 November 1988, this cancellation remains in active use (status: Working). The postmark is circular in form, typical of Indian PPCs, bearing the post office name and PIN code.
The Guruvayur Sri Krishna Temple, often called "Bhooloka Vaikunta" (Heaven on Earth), is one of the most sacred Vaishnavite shrines in Kerala, believed to be over 5,000 years old. The Dwajasthambham (Flag Mast), depicted in this cancellation alongside the temple bell, is an approximately 70-foot-tall gold-plated granite pillar and serves as a central ritual element during the annual Utsavam (festival). Remarkably, during the devastating fire of 30 November 1970 that destroyed much of the temple complex, the Dwajasthambham and the sanctum sanctorum (Sri Kovil) remained miraculously unaffected. The bell and flag mast together symbolise the invocation of the divine presence and the commencement of temple rituals, making them iconic emblems of Guruvayur's living temple tradition.
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