A rare and extraordinary journey of Indian prodigy, author, and polymath Manikya Sanghi — also a young philatelist and numismatist — driven by a passion for learning through stamps and coins, and guided by a life of discipline and purpose.
At just 14 years old, Manikya Sanghi from India was not a typical teenager. While others his age were largely preoccupied with school or social media, Manikya had already become an accomplished author, the youngest certified screenwriter, and the creator of a truly global collection. His archive included stamps from 210 countries, territories, and erstwhile nations, along with a diverse assortment of coins.
This was not a hobby picked up in passing. It was a passion that took root when he was only three years old.
Manikya’s mother Anjali Sanghi tells us that in 2011, his maternal grandmother had gifted Manikya his very first coin and stamp. That seemingly small gesture lit a lifelong spark. Around the same time, Manikya discovered that his uncle and aunt had stamp collections from their own childhood. This realisation deeply fascinated him and strengthened his interest.
Soon, he began requesting family members and relatives to bring him stamps and coins from their travels or save postage stamps as souvenirs. By the age of three, his journey had already begun.
BUILDING A GLOBAL ARCHIVE — ONE STAMP AT A TIME
By the time he turned nine, Manikya had amassed a substantial collection. Rather than letting it sit unused, he dedicated the next two years to carefully sorting, cataloguing, and organising it. His goal was not personal pride, but accessibility — so others could learn from it as well.
What makes his collection truly extraordinary is its provenance. Nearly every stamp and coin was collected through his own effort, personal requests, or continued connections with travellers, friends, and family. Some stamps came from distant nations, while others arrived through everyday household mail. Coins were sourced from real-world circulation and transactions.
This was not a collection built by purchase, but by curiosity, persistence, and a genuine desire to explore the world through tiny rectangular pieces of paper and metal discs.
MORE THAN COLLECTING — A JOURNEY OF LEARNING
For Manikya, a stamp album was never just a hobby. It became a gateway into art, culture, history, geography, flora, fauna, science, and even mathematics. Every stamp or coin carried a story — a bird from a remote island nation, a historical monument from another land, a floral depiction from a faraway continent, or a coin reflecting a bygone era.
Through these small yet powerful tokens, he taught himself — and continues to teach others — about the diversity and richness of our planet. His stamps and coins function as educational tools, bridging continents, cultures, generations, and perspectives.
SHARING, TEACHING — AND INSPIRING OTHERS
Manikya did not keep his collection locked away. Recognising its educational value, he turned to social media and launched dedicated pages to share his stamps, coins, and the stories behind them.
Through these platforms, he invites children, students, and curious minds to explore geography, history, biodiversity, and global heritage — all through the lens of philately and numismatics.
His work earned formal recognition in the form of a World Record from the International Book of Records for his philately collection. This achievement added institutional validation to his passion and years of effort.
DISCIPLINE, PURPOSE, AND A BALANCED LIFE
What truly sets Manikya’s journey apart is his ability to balance passion with discipline. Alongside building and curating a vast global collection, he remains a full-time student. He is currently 17 years old, studying in Class 12 at Presidium School.
In parallel, he is a prolific creative writer. His work spans novels, life-skills comics, activity books, short stories, and screenplays. He has achieved multiple world records and continues to explore diverse creative fields.
A key foundation of his calm focus and productivity is his daily practice of meditation and yoga. This discipline is guided by his mentor, the globally renowned spiritual scientist Sri Maa Sidh Sidhshakti Ji. Manikya credits this practice with helping him stay grounded, mentally clear, and balanced — qualities essential for managing academics, creativity, collecting, and public outreach.
WHY THIS YOUNG COLLECTOR MATTERS
In an age dominated by instant gratification, digital media, and shrinking attention spans, Manikya stands apart. His journey serves as a reminder that deep curiosity, consistency, and dedication can build something meaningful, lasting, and global.
His collection is far more than a hobby. It is a living archive, a learning platform, a bridge across cultures, and a source of inspiration. For young readers, students, hobbyists, and collectors around the world, his story sends a powerful message: you don’t need money, fame, or formal credentials to begin — just curiosity, effort, and the willingness to collect stories, one stamp at a time.
WHAT’S NEXT — THE ROAD AHEAD
Manikya has already achieved remarkable milestones, yet he considers this only the beginning. As he continues to deepen his engagement with philately and numismatics, he hopes to reach more children, students, and parents, expand his global outreach, and possibly publish a “World Heritage through Stamps and Coins” compendium. His aim is to inspire more young minds to learn directly from the world around them, along with textbook learning.
As he balances school, writing, creativity, collecting, and service, Manikya Sanghi’s journey remains a powerful testament to what can be achieved when passion meets purpose.
Would you like to know:
“How to Start Your Own Global Stamp & Coin Collection — Lessons from Manikya”?
You can follow and write to Manikya Sanghi on his official Facebook, LinkedIn, and Instagram pages: https://www.instagram.com/manikya.official/
