Targeting the large number of Hindus in the United States,an Atlanta-based company headed by an Indian-American has launched a series of custom-made postage stamps depicting Hindu gods and goddesses. The first set of such postage stamps in denomination of 44 cents was launched in January by USA-postage.com,the Atlanta-based firm,depicting Sai Baba,Lord Venkateshwara,Lakshmi,Murugan,Vinayaka,Shiva-Parvathi and Sri Krishna. Such postage stamps depicting Hindu gods and goddesses have been launched for the first time in the US taking the benefit of a six-year-old law of the US Postal Service (USPS) that permit issuing of customised postages. "These postages have not been issued by the US Postal Service,but these are as good as stamps and is legally valid. We do not call them stamps. We call them as postages. But these can be used as any other normal stamp," Roy Betts,spokesman of USPS told said. "Commemorative sheets from Usa-postage.com are valid US Postage produced by a technology call PC Postage. Usa-postage. com is proud to be the first company to offer customised postage with divine images that have specific appeal to the Indian community living in the US," said Ennar Chilakapati,vice president,USA-postage.com.
