To
mark Mother Teresa's sainthood ceremony in Vatican on September 4, a
postal cover, coin and statue will be dedicated to the late Roman
Catholic nun.
Made
of pure silk, India Post will release a special postal and numismatic
cover of Mother Teresa, the first of its kind, on September 2.
"A
five-rupee commemorative coin issued by the Indian government in 2010
to mark the centenary birth celebrations of the legend will be engraved
on the cover. This is a special feature as it combines the two
collectible items of coins and stamps," eminent philatelist Alok K
Goyal, who designed the stamps, said.
The collectors' item will be released in a limited edition of 1,000 pieces.
Besides
this, the Republic of Macedonia, where Teresa was born in 1910, has
also announced to release a special gold-plated silver coin on the Nobel
laureate.
The coin will have a face value of 100 Macedonian Denars and will be released next month.
Up
to 5,000 pieces of the coin will be minted for the global market out of
which 50 will be made available for the Indian market, said Goyal, an
international dealer in unusual stamps and coins.
At
the centre of the coin is a statue of Mother Teresa dressed in her
trademark plain white sari with three blue stripes along its border.
The
coin also has the image of a clematis flower known as "Matka Teresa"
(Mother Teresa) bred by Stefan Franczak, Polish Jesuit monk.
It also carries the Latin inscription "Sancta Teresia de Calcutta" (Saint Teresa of Calcutta).
"We are hoping that this coin will be a hit not only
in
the Indian market but all over the world as she has her fans in every
corner," Goyal, who represents the International Coin House in India,
said.
In
Kolkata, where Mother Teresa had worked all her life and established
the Missionaries of Charity, a life-size bronze statue of her will be
installed at the Bishop House next to the statue of Pope John Paul II
this Thursday, on the eve of her birth anniversary.
Built
by Church Art, a Kolkata-based firm engaged in making various works of
art, the 5.5 feet long statue is made of bronze imported from Italy.
The statue has been donated by Namit Bajoria, Designate Honorary Consul of the Republic of Macedonia in Kolkata.
Teresa
was born in Skopje, the capital city of Republic of Macedonia, before
she left her parental home as an 18-year-old to join the Sisters of
Loreto, an Irish Community of nuns with missions in India.
For
over 40 years, she served the poorest of the poor and disabled on the
streets of Kolkata. For her services, she received 124 awards and
distinctions, including the Nobel Peace Prize and the Bharat Ratna.
At
a gala ceremony on September 4, she will be declared a saint by the
Church which has recognised two miracles she was said to have carried
out after her death in 1997.
The
government of Macedonia has also announced that they will mark the
declaration of Mother Teresa as a saint with several events.
