One year after India’s first Balloon Mail flight, another message took flight on November 14, 1964 — Children’s Day. This was the second Balloon Mail flight organized by the Pestalozzi Children’s Village of India, launched from Machohalli, near Bangalore.
But this time, the story wasn’t just in the air. It was grounded in a powerful image — one that marked the beginning of Pestalozzi’s mission on Indian soil.
🏛️ Front Image: Foundation Stone Laying Ceremony (14-11-1963)
The front of the postcard displays a rare and historic photograph — the laying of the foundation stone for the Pestalozzi Village in Bangalore.
📸 Date of Event: November 14, 1963
👤 Dignitary Present: The Chief Minister of Mysore (Karnataka)
👥 Also Seen: Local leaders, German supporters, and Indian children, including Anil Kumar, the child participant of the 1963 balloon flight
This photo, taken a year earlier, was used in the 1964 postcard to commemorate that milestone — giving the second flight historical weight and emotional depth.
📮 Back of the Postcard: Airmail in Action
The reverse side of the postcard includes:
Title: 2nd Balloon Flight in Bangalore for Children’s Aid
Date: 14-11-1964
Departure Point: Machohalli Experimental Sub-Office (Bangalore District)
Delivery Postmark: Bangalore, stamped at 4:45 PM
Languages: English and Hindi
Postage Stamp: ₹0.15 stamp featuring Jawaharlal Nehru, India’s first Prime Minister, honoring Children’s Day
This card represents both postal history and philanthropic storytelling — flying over Karnataka as a tribute to a movement that had just taken root.
✈️ Key Flight Details
| Aspect | Details |
| Date of Flight | November 14, 1964 (Children’s Day) |
| Launch Location | Machohalli Experimental Sub-Office, Bangalore District |
| Landing Site | Bangalore (exact location unspecified; confirmed delivery postmark) |
| Flight Purpose | Celebrate the foundation of Pestalozzi Village laid in 1963 |
| Stamp Theme | Children’s Day featuring Pandit Nehru |
🌍 Why This Flight Mattered
It marked the transition from vision to reality — from symbolic balloon messages to physical infrastructure for child development.
The postcard became a time capsule, flying through the air in 1964 but telling the story of a moment that happened in 1963.
It reinforced the theme of continuity and commitment — that the Pestalozzi mission was here to stay.
This second Balloon Mail flight showed that progress had begun — not just in messages, but in bricks and mortar.
🔜 Next in the Series…
In Part 3, we explore the 1965 flight, where the postcard celebrated India’s cultural heritage through the intricate carvings of the Belur Temple — a different kind of foundation, built with stone and story.
