Permanent Pictorial Cancellation inaugural day covers

Description: Point Calimere Wildlife and Bird Sanctuary, also known as Kodikkarai, is located about 60 km from Nagapattinam along the Coromandel Coast. Situated on a low coastal promontory, the sanctuary originally covered 1,729 hectares, including the Kodikkadu Reserve Forest and its extension. Declared a wildlife and bird sanctuary in 1988, it has since expanded to about 37,733 hectares, incorporating the Great Vedaranyam Swamp and Talaignayar Reserve. The sanctuary is ecologically diverse, featuring mangrove forests, lagoons, mudflats with small islets, tropical dry evergreen forests, and coastal grazing lands. The Great Vedaranyam Swamp is a major component, fed by five freshwater channels that flow mainly during the monsoon. An artificial bund lined with mangroves borders the swamp to the north. 

The region depends largely on the northeast monsoon, with limited rainfall from the southwest monsoon. Point Calimere is an important habitat for migratory birds, serving as both a staging and wintering ground. It supports a wide variety of species, including flamingos, ducks, waders, gulls, and terns. Around 110 species of waterbirds have been recorded, including 34 winter migrants from the Palearctic region. Notable species include the Spot-billed Pelican and the vulnerable Broad-tailed Grass-Warbler. A bird census conducted on January 28–29, 2022, recorded nearly one million birds across Tamil Nadu, with about 20,000 flamingos observed at various sites, including Point Calimere. The sanctuary thus plays a crucial role in conserving coastal ecosystems and protecting migratory bird populations.