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This is a commemorative postal cancellation depicting the Qutb Minar, applied in New Delhi on 29 November 1960, during the state visit of Crown Prince Akihito and Princess Michiko of Japan to India. The cancellation reads 'State Visit of Crown Prince Akihito and Princess Michiko, New Delhi, 29-11-1960' and was issued to mark this important diplomatic occasion.
The Qutb Minar is one of India's most iconic monuments and a UNESCO World Heritage Site, located in the Qutb complex in Mehrauli, New Delhi. It is a 73-metre tall minaret built in the early 13th century by Qutb-ud-din Aibak, the founder of the Delhi Sultanate, and later completed by Iltutmish. The cancellation was issued during the state visit of Crown Prince Akihito and Princess Michiko of Japan to India in November 1960, a significant event in India-Japan diplomatic relations. Crown Prince Akihito later became Emperor of Japan in 1989, reigning until his abdication in 2019. The choice of the Qutb Minar as the backdrop for this cancellation reflects its status as a symbol of India's heritage and its prominence in welcoming dignitaries to the nation's capital.
