On November 14, 1963, something extraordinary happened in Bangalore. A hydrogen balloon rose from the Race Course Grounds, carrying a symbolic payload — the first-ever Balloon Mail postcards flown in India for a children’s welfare initiative.
This was the start of a unique Indo-German collaboration through the Pestalozzi Children’s Village, aimed at promoting education, peace, and international friendship — beginning with a balloon and a dream.
🧑🌾 Front of the Postcard: A Farmer’s Message
The front side of the postcard shares a strong message from the early days of the Pestalozzi Children’s Village in Bangalore.
🧑🌾 It shows a traditional Indian farmer plowing the land.
This scene is more than just farming—it’s a symbol of how children should be raised.
🌱 The message (in English and Hindi) draws a simple but powerful idea:
Just like land is tilled with care and hope, children must be nurtured with love and support.
📚 This captured the philosophy of Pestalozzi Villages: to grow young minds as carefully and patiently as crops.
✅ These values were important then—and they still guide the mission today.
📮 Back of the Postcard: Philatelic and Historic
The reverse side includes:
A commemorative message in German, English, and Hindi
Special Balloon Mail postmarks and cancellation
Date: 14-11-1963 (India’s Children’s Day)
Recipient: Pestalozzi Children’s Village, Bangalore-1
It wasn’t just a piece of mail—it was a symbol of international solidarity for children’s welfare.
✈️ Key Flight Facts
| Aspect | Details |
| Date | November 14, 1963 (Children’s Day in India) |
| Launch Site | Race Course Grounds, Bangalore |
| Landing Site | Cholanayakana Halli, Magadi Road (approx. 20 miles away) |
| Flight Duration | 100 minutes |
| Height Reached | 1800 feet |
| Pilots | Hermann Johannes Scheer and Alfred Schulz (from Germany) |
| Indian Passenger | 14-year-old Anil Kumar from Bangalore |
| Balloon Origin | Brought from Pestalozzi Children’s Village in Wahlwies, Germany |
Anil Kumar, the boy onboard, wore a striped sweater and white trousers — chosen to represent Children’s Day and India’s role in this global initiative.
💡 Why This Flight Mattered
This wasn’t just a flight for hobbyists or philatelists. It had deep meaning:
Promoted child development and education
Celebrated India’s Children’s Day with action
Demonstrated peaceful, creative international cooperation
Marked the beginning of Pestalozzi’s physical presence in India
The flight merged innovation (Balloon Mail) with empathy — using postal history to make a point about child rights and solidarity.
✉️ Legacy Begins
The Balloon Mail of 1963 planted a seed. Over the next three years, three more flights would follow, each one celebrating a different aspect of India’s spirit: institution-building, cultural heritage, and folk tradition.
👉 Coming Next: 1964 – When the Foundation Took Flight
In the next blog, we explore the second Balloon Mail flight — featuring the photograph of the foundation ceremony taken exactly one year earlier. The 1964 postcard brings together memory, message, and mission.
Stay tuned for Part 2: A Foundation in the Sky.
Reference
50 years ago, Bangalore boy took a ride on India’s first balloon flight – The Times of India
