1.1918852-2650854456
The Diwali stamp, which is currently available in the US. Image Credit: US Postal Service

The US Postal Service has released a special stamp to commemorate what is calls ’the joyous Hindu festival of Diwali’.

The stamp, which features a lighted diya on a bed of gold strewn with red and yellow petals, has been available since October 5 in the build up to this year’s festival of lights, the main days of which will be Saturday and Sunday (October 29 and 30).

According to the US Postal Service, ‘the Diwali stamp is being issued as a forever stamp’, meaning they can be used for first class mail whatever the postal rate.

The Times of India reports the stamp is ‘the first state-sponsored recognition’ of Diwali, although President Barack Obama celebrated the festival at his house in 2009, as did members of the US Congress on Capitol Hill in 2013.

“The stamp is the result of seven years of lobbying by Indian-Americans for an official recognition of their biggest festival,” the Times of India writes. “Tulsi Gabbard, the only Hindu congresswoman, officially started a campaign last year [2015] for a postal stamp with the country’s … Indian-American community backing her with their signatures.”

The plan to issue the stamp was announced back in August.

There were 1.97 million Indians living in the US in 2015, according to data from the United Nations Population Division.