Permanent Pictorial Cancellation inaugural day covers

Description: Kottayam city in Kerala, known as India's "Rubber Town" or "Land of Rubber," is a key centre for the country's natural rubber industry. It significantly contributes to Kerala's economy and is the largest rubber producer in India, accounting for about 78% of the land under rubber cultivation and roughly 90% of the nation's natural rubber output. This district leads in both area and production. Rubber cultivation in the area started under colonial influence in the early 20th century. Although experimental planting began in Calcutta in 1873, commercial cultivation in Kerala started in 1902 in Thattakad. 

The Mundakayam region of present-day Kottayam became a major rubber-producing area, largely due to British planter J.J. Murphy's efforts. Initially dominated by large plantations supported by government policies, rubber farming gradually spread to small and marginal farmers by the mid-1900s, making it a vital part of the rural economy. The rubber tree, Hevea brasiliensis, also called the Para rubber tree or Seringueira, is not native to India; it originated in the Amazon basin and was introduced by Dutch rulers familiar with its cultivation in Indonesia. 

Kerala's tropical climate proved ideal for rubber farming, leading to widespread growth of rubber plantations in central Kerala's Malanad and Idanad regions. The latex from these trees is processed into industrial rubber through a systematic tapping method, involving controlled incisions on the bark. Latex is harvested daily, with each tree remaining productive for about twenty years. Through its history, economic significance, and agricultural importance, Kottayam has a deep-rooted connection with natural rubber and continues to be an important part of Kerala's heritage and development. India Post, Kerala Circle, issued this Permanent Pictorial Cancellation (PPC) on the 3rd day of the 15th State-level Philatelic Exhibition, held from 20 to 23 January 2026, at the Kochi Municipal Corporation Town Hall, Ernakulam.