On October 6, India's Department of Posts released a set of four stamps on "Princely States of India" to highlight the upcoming INDIPEX 2011, the World Philatelic Exhibition, to be held February 12 to 18, 2011, in New Delhi. This set of four commemorative postage stamps depicts rare stamps issued by the Princely States - Sirmoor, Indore, Bamra and Cochin.

Before India's independence, there were as many as 568 states in India. The states ceased to exist after independence. Only about forty states of these states issued postage stamps to symbolize their sovereign status. The stamps issued by the states carried the portraits of the kings and princes, regal insignia or symbols. The stamps were printed using a variety of methods and colors, and sometimes overprinted.

This is the second set of the series showcasing the rich heritage of India Post to the world. The first set of six stamps, released on May 12, 2010, depicted Heritage Postal Buildings in Delhi, Shimla, Udagmandalm, Coochbehar, Nagpur and Lucknow.

The Princely States of India commemorative postage stamps and the related First Day Cover were designed by Sh. Kamleshwar Singh.

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