Kurukshetra Magazine April 2024 - 2 | Current Affairs & Hindu Analysis: Daily, Weekly & Monthly - UPSC PDF Download

 Page 1


Postal Heritage
Converting Postal Heritage into Tourist Attractions
* Rashi Sharma
* The author is Deputy Director General (Establishment) in Department of Posts, Ministry of Communications, India. 
Email:rashi.edu@nic.in
ith 8-10 million international 
tourists, India ranks 8
th 
in the 
Asia Pacific region. Domestic 
tourists, on the other hand, are 
a whopping 600-700 million per 
annum. Whereas, Gujarat, Maharashtra, West Bengal, 
Delhi and UP are the top recipients of foreign tourists, 
domestic tourists prefer Uttar Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, 
Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, and Gujarat. As regards the 
source countries of international tourists visiting India, 
W
India has among the world’s oldest postal histories, dating back to the Mauryan times. 
However, the foundations of the modern organised Postal system were laid by the British 
in the 19
th
 century. As Posts and later telegraph were the only means of communication 
in the 19
th
 and 20
th
 centuries, post offices, Dak Bungalows, mail trains, stamps, letters, 
etc. are a very important part of our history. With 44 heritage buildings and more than 
350 Pre-1939 buildings, Postal Department manages a large heritage estate. Each of 
the heritage buildings has a rich history and needs to be developed as a tourist attraction 
so that citizens and foreigners can appreciate not only their beauty but also know about 
the past associated with these structures. Department of Posts is working closely with 
INTACH and CPWD to restore many of these important heritage buildings so that they 
become tourist attractions in such places.
Page 2


Postal Heritage
Converting Postal Heritage into Tourist Attractions
* Rashi Sharma
* The author is Deputy Director General (Establishment) in Department of Posts, Ministry of Communications, India. 
Email:rashi.edu@nic.in
ith 8-10 million international 
tourists, India ranks 8
th 
in the 
Asia Pacific region. Domestic 
tourists, on the other hand, are 
a whopping 600-700 million per 
annum. Whereas, Gujarat, Maharashtra, West Bengal, 
Delhi and UP are the top recipients of foreign tourists, 
domestic tourists prefer Uttar Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, 
Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, and Gujarat. As regards the 
source countries of international tourists visiting India, 
W
India has among the world’s oldest postal histories, dating back to the Mauryan times. 
However, the foundations of the modern organised Postal system were laid by the British 
in the 19
th
 century. As Posts and later telegraph were the only means of communication 
in the 19
th
 and 20
th
 centuries, post offices, Dak Bungalows, mail trains, stamps, letters, 
etc. are a very important part of our history. With 44 heritage buildings and more than 
350 Pre-1939 buildings, Postal Department manages a large heritage estate. Each of 
the heritage buildings has a rich history and needs to be developed as a tourist attraction 
so that citizens and foreigners can appreciate not only their beauty but also know about 
the past associated with these structures. Department of Posts is working closely with 
INTACH and CPWD to restore many of these important heritage buildings so that they 
become tourist attractions in such places.
23 Kurukshetra       April  2024
more than 80% tourists belong to Bangladesh, EU, USA, 
and UK. India shares a common history with Bangladesh 
and UK, meaning that almost 3.5 million tourists who 
visit India every year, would be definitely interested 
to visit the historical places dating back to the colonial 
times. As British were the rulers of India, Australia, a 
large part of South East Asia, Sri Lanka, etc. the heritage 
links in the form of similarly designed buildings and 
institutions is bound to attract tourists from these 
countries. The heritage of colonial times is represented 
majorly by the buildings that were constructed during 
the colonial rule as well as the institutions that were 
created or expanded by the British. Railways and Posts 
are the two major institutions that were created by the 
British for administering our vast country. 
The foundations of the modern organised Postal 
system were laid by the British in the 19
th
 century. 
As Posts and later telegraph were the only means of 
communication in the 19
th
 and 20
th
 centuries, post 
offices, dak bungalows, mail trains, stamps, letters, 
etc. became a very important part of our history. Few 
would know that the guard room of old Fort William 
where the Black hole tragedy happened in 1756 is 
situated in an alley just on the backside of Kolkata 
GPO. Mumbai GPO constructed in 1913 is a classic 
example of Indo-Saracenic architecture and has been 
inspired from Gol Gumbaz of Bijapur. Bombay GPO 
has 3 basements which are connected to the Bombay 
Docks, the Mint through 3 underground tunnels, to be 
used in case of an attack. The famous Bombay Duck 
fish derives its name from Bombay Dawk mail train 
which used to transport this fish from 
Bombay to Kolkata during the colonial 
times. The famous Dak Bungalows 
which find mention in so many 
novels, stories, films and plays were 
built as resting points for the mail 
runners and Government officials on 
tour; they continued to be managed 
by the Postal Department for a very 
long time in British India. 
With 44 heritage buildings and 
more than 350 Pre-1939 buildings, 
Postal Department manages a large 
heritage estate. Each of the heritage 
buildings has a rich history and needs 
to be developed as a tourist attraction 
so that citizens and foreigners can appreciate not only 
their beauty but also know about the past associated 
with these structures. Department of Posts is working 
closely with INTACH and CPWD to restore many of 
these important heritage buildings so that they become 
tourist attractions in such places.
Historical Perspective
Before 1854, the Post Office was a medley of 
services in different provinces, each having separate 
rules and different rates of postage. Regular mails 
were conveyed over a very few main lines between 
important towns, and collectors of districts were 
responsible for the management of their own local 
post offices. In 1850, a Commission was appointed to 
consider the state of the postal services, and the result 
of its deliberations was the Post Office Act of 1854 
and the conversion of the Post Office into an Imperial 
Department under a single head called the Director-
General. The Post Office building construction was of 
prime importance and hence the General Post Office 
in Calcutta was built in 1868 from designs made by 
Mr. Grenville. Later, Bombay General Post Office was 
constructed in 1910 by Mr. James Begg. The building 
was hardly large enough for the great mass of work 
which it has to transact and although the removal of 
the Postmaster-General’s Office and the Sorting Branch 
somewhat relieved the congestion, there was already 
a demand for increased accommodation. The same 
thing has happened in Madras where there was a large 
Post and Telegraph Office facing the sea, designed by 
Mr. Chisholm and opened to the public in 1885. The 
Page 3


Postal Heritage
Converting Postal Heritage into Tourist Attractions
* Rashi Sharma
* The author is Deputy Director General (Establishment) in Department of Posts, Ministry of Communications, India. 
Email:rashi.edu@nic.in
ith 8-10 million international 
tourists, India ranks 8
th 
in the 
Asia Pacific region. Domestic 
tourists, on the other hand, are 
a whopping 600-700 million per 
annum. Whereas, Gujarat, Maharashtra, West Bengal, 
Delhi and UP are the top recipients of foreign tourists, 
domestic tourists prefer Uttar Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, 
Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, and Gujarat. As regards the 
source countries of international tourists visiting India, 
W
India has among the world’s oldest postal histories, dating back to the Mauryan times. 
However, the foundations of the modern organised Postal system were laid by the British 
in the 19
th
 century. As Posts and later telegraph were the only means of communication 
in the 19
th
 and 20
th
 centuries, post offices, Dak Bungalows, mail trains, stamps, letters, 
etc. are a very important part of our history. With 44 heritage buildings and more than 
350 Pre-1939 buildings, Postal Department manages a large heritage estate. Each of 
the heritage buildings has a rich history and needs to be developed as a tourist attraction 
so that citizens and foreigners can appreciate not only their beauty but also know about 
the past associated with these structures. Department of Posts is working closely with 
INTACH and CPWD to restore many of these important heritage buildings so that they 
become tourist attractions in such places.
23 Kurukshetra       April  2024
more than 80% tourists belong to Bangladesh, EU, USA, 
and UK. India shares a common history with Bangladesh 
and UK, meaning that almost 3.5 million tourists who 
visit India every year, would be definitely interested 
to visit the historical places dating back to the colonial 
times. As British were the rulers of India, Australia, a 
large part of South East Asia, Sri Lanka, etc. the heritage 
links in the form of similarly designed buildings and 
institutions is bound to attract tourists from these 
countries. The heritage of colonial times is represented 
majorly by the buildings that were constructed during 
the colonial rule as well as the institutions that were 
created or expanded by the British. Railways and Posts 
are the two major institutions that were created by the 
British for administering our vast country. 
The foundations of the modern organised Postal 
system were laid by the British in the 19
th
 century. 
As Posts and later telegraph were the only means of 
communication in the 19
th
 and 20
th
 centuries, post 
offices, dak bungalows, mail trains, stamps, letters, 
etc. became a very important part of our history. Few 
would know that the guard room of old Fort William 
where the Black hole tragedy happened in 1756 is 
situated in an alley just on the backside of Kolkata 
GPO. Mumbai GPO constructed in 1913 is a classic 
example of Indo-Saracenic architecture and has been 
inspired from Gol Gumbaz of Bijapur. Bombay GPO 
has 3 basements which are connected to the Bombay 
Docks, the Mint through 3 underground tunnels, to be 
used in case of an attack. The famous Bombay Duck 
fish derives its name from Bombay Dawk mail train 
which used to transport this fish from 
Bombay to Kolkata during the colonial 
times. The famous Dak Bungalows 
which find mention in so many 
novels, stories, films and plays were 
built as resting points for the mail 
runners and Government officials on 
tour; they continued to be managed 
by the Postal Department for a very 
long time in British India. 
With 44 heritage buildings and 
more than 350 Pre-1939 buildings, 
Postal Department manages a large 
heritage estate. Each of the heritage 
buildings has a rich history and needs 
to be developed as a tourist attraction 
so that citizens and foreigners can appreciate not only 
their beauty but also know about the past associated 
with these structures. Department of Posts is working 
closely with INTACH and CPWD to restore many of 
these important heritage buildings so that they become 
tourist attractions in such places.
Historical Perspective
Before 1854, the Post Office was a medley of 
services in different provinces, each having separate 
rules and different rates of postage. Regular mails 
were conveyed over a very few main lines between 
important towns, and collectors of districts were 
responsible for the management of their own local 
post offices. In 1850, a Commission was appointed to 
consider the state of the postal services, and the result 
of its deliberations was the Post Office Act of 1854 
and the conversion of the Post Office into an Imperial 
Department under a single head called the Director-
General. The Post Office building construction was of 
prime importance and hence the General Post Office 
in Calcutta was built in 1868 from designs made by 
Mr. Grenville. Later, Bombay General Post Office was 
constructed in 1910 by Mr. James Begg. The building 
was hardly large enough for the great mass of work 
which it has to transact and although the removal of 
the Postmaster-General’s Office and the Sorting Branch 
somewhat relieved the congestion, there was already 
a demand for increased accommodation. The same 
thing has happened in Madras where there was a large 
Post and Telegraph Office facing the sea, designed by 
Mr. Chisholm and opened to the public in 1885. The 
24 Kurukshetra       April  2024
expansion of business had outgrown the capacity of 
these building. Most head offices and important sub-
offices were designed to provide a proper hall for the 
public who wish to transact business, with a counter 
for clerks and sufficient open space in the building 
to allow each branch to work independently and in 
comfort under the supervision of a responsible officer. 
At Nagpur, Patna, Chittagong, Bareilly, Kanpur, Calcutta, 
Pune, Agra, Allahabad, Varanasi, Mount Road Madras, 
beautiful Post Office buildings were constructed, 
followed by Delhi, Darjeeling, Ajmer, Ahmedabad and 
several other large towns.
Kolkata GPO was designed in 1864 by Walter B. 
Grenville who acted as consulting architect to the 
Government of India from 1863 to 1868. The building 
construction was executed by Mackintosh Burn Ltd. and 
completed in 1868. It was built to serve as a post office 
for the British East India Company and was built at the 
site of the first Fort William.
RLO building at Dalhousie square in Kolkata was 
India’s first and largest Return Letter Office, earlier 
known as ‘Dead Letter Office’. The building was 
completed in 1876 when Lord Lytton was the Governor 
General of British India. It has a 120-feet-tall bell tower. 
Yangon GPO, which was built a few years earlier and 
Melbourne’s Mail Exchange, which was built a few years 
later, are architecturally similar to this building.
The Delhi GPO was the first Post office of Delhi. It was 
built in 1885 in the historic wall city of Shajahanabad. 
It was the largest Post office of Delhi established by 
the East India Company. The building exhibits iconic 
decorative elements of Colonial architecture style. The 
Magazine which was blown up by the British soldiers 
during the siege of Delhi in 1857 is located right opposite 
Delhi GPO in Kashmere Gate.
The New Delhi GPO was constructed in 1934, as the 
Sub-Post Office called “Gol Dak Khana”. The building 
was designed by Robert Tor Russell, the chief architect 
of PWD at that time. Located in the close proximity 
of Raisina village, the site earlier had the building of 
Viceroy Camp Post Office.
PMG Office Goa was built in 1914 as the divisional 
headquarters of Posts and now serves as the PMG 
office. The building is located in front of the Head post 
office at the Largo de Estanco square which was a very 
important historic commercial square. The style of the 
architecture has strong Portuguese and native Goan 
influences developed over the centuries.
Panjim Head Post Office building’s current structure 
was built in 1893 as the Portuguese Post on a footprint 
of a Tobacco Depot in succession to a police station 
until 1888. Located in front of the Largo de Estanco, 
which was a major commercial square during the 18
th
-
19
th
 century, it denotes the importance of the building 
during its time.
Chaura Maidan Post Office in Shimla is a beautiful 
building constructed in 1910. The architecture mirrored 
that of the G.P .O, boasting Neo-Tudor elements with 
round-dressed stones and pebble-dash walls, using 
the traditional Kath- Kuni construction style of the 
Himalayas.
Postal Museum building Bengaluru dates back to 
1804. At one point, it held the Government Museum, 
later it was used as an administrative office by the 
Postal services. It was converted into a Postal Museum 
in 2019.
The Fort Kochi Post office, constructed in 1900, is a 
landmark structure and holds special significance in the 
lives of people of Fort Kochi. It was one of the busiest 
places in the city especially during the days when mails 
from Europe used to arrive here via ships.
PMG Office building Thiruvananthapuram was 
once the office of Chief Engineer of Travancore. In 
1933-34, the Air Training Complex of the Govt. of India 
was established here. Later in 1939, Sri Chitra Thirunal 
started the Engineering College in this building. The 
PMG Office building, Thiruvananthapuram
Page 4


Postal Heritage
Converting Postal Heritage into Tourist Attractions
* Rashi Sharma
* The author is Deputy Director General (Establishment) in Department of Posts, Ministry of Communications, India. 
Email:rashi.edu@nic.in
ith 8-10 million international 
tourists, India ranks 8
th 
in the 
Asia Pacific region. Domestic 
tourists, on the other hand, are 
a whopping 600-700 million per 
annum. Whereas, Gujarat, Maharashtra, West Bengal, 
Delhi and UP are the top recipients of foreign tourists, 
domestic tourists prefer Uttar Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, 
Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, and Gujarat. As regards the 
source countries of international tourists visiting India, 
W
India has among the world’s oldest postal histories, dating back to the Mauryan times. 
However, the foundations of the modern organised Postal system were laid by the British 
in the 19
th
 century. As Posts and later telegraph were the only means of communication 
in the 19
th
 and 20
th
 centuries, post offices, Dak Bungalows, mail trains, stamps, letters, 
etc. are a very important part of our history. With 44 heritage buildings and more than 
350 Pre-1939 buildings, Postal Department manages a large heritage estate. Each of 
the heritage buildings has a rich history and needs to be developed as a tourist attraction 
so that citizens and foreigners can appreciate not only their beauty but also know about 
the past associated with these structures. Department of Posts is working closely with 
INTACH and CPWD to restore many of these important heritage buildings so that they 
become tourist attractions in such places.
23 Kurukshetra       April  2024
more than 80% tourists belong to Bangladesh, EU, USA, 
and UK. India shares a common history with Bangladesh 
and UK, meaning that almost 3.5 million tourists who 
visit India every year, would be definitely interested 
to visit the historical places dating back to the colonial 
times. As British were the rulers of India, Australia, a 
large part of South East Asia, Sri Lanka, etc. the heritage 
links in the form of similarly designed buildings and 
institutions is bound to attract tourists from these 
countries. The heritage of colonial times is represented 
majorly by the buildings that were constructed during 
the colonial rule as well as the institutions that were 
created or expanded by the British. Railways and Posts 
are the two major institutions that were created by the 
British for administering our vast country. 
The foundations of the modern organised Postal 
system were laid by the British in the 19
th
 century. 
As Posts and later telegraph were the only means of 
communication in the 19
th
 and 20
th
 centuries, post 
offices, dak bungalows, mail trains, stamps, letters, 
etc. became a very important part of our history. Few 
would know that the guard room of old Fort William 
where the Black hole tragedy happened in 1756 is 
situated in an alley just on the backside of Kolkata 
GPO. Mumbai GPO constructed in 1913 is a classic 
example of Indo-Saracenic architecture and has been 
inspired from Gol Gumbaz of Bijapur. Bombay GPO 
has 3 basements which are connected to the Bombay 
Docks, the Mint through 3 underground tunnels, to be 
used in case of an attack. The famous Bombay Duck 
fish derives its name from Bombay Dawk mail train 
which used to transport this fish from 
Bombay to Kolkata during the colonial 
times. The famous Dak Bungalows 
which find mention in so many 
novels, stories, films and plays were 
built as resting points for the mail 
runners and Government officials on 
tour; they continued to be managed 
by the Postal Department for a very 
long time in British India. 
With 44 heritage buildings and 
more than 350 Pre-1939 buildings, 
Postal Department manages a large 
heritage estate. Each of the heritage 
buildings has a rich history and needs 
to be developed as a tourist attraction 
so that citizens and foreigners can appreciate not only 
their beauty but also know about the past associated 
with these structures. Department of Posts is working 
closely with INTACH and CPWD to restore many of 
these important heritage buildings so that they become 
tourist attractions in such places.
Historical Perspective
Before 1854, the Post Office was a medley of 
services in different provinces, each having separate 
rules and different rates of postage. Regular mails 
were conveyed over a very few main lines between 
important towns, and collectors of districts were 
responsible for the management of their own local 
post offices. In 1850, a Commission was appointed to 
consider the state of the postal services, and the result 
of its deliberations was the Post Office Act of 1854 
and the conversion of the Post Office into an Imperial 
Department under a single head called the Director-
General. The Post Office building construction was of 
prime importance and hence the General Post Office 
in Calcutta was built in 1868 from designs made by 
Mr. Grenville. Later, Bombay General Post Office was 
constructed in 1910 by Mr. James Begg. The building 
was hardly large enough for the great mass of work 
which it has to transact and although the removal of 
the Postmaster-General’s Office and the Sorting Branch 
somewhat relieved the congestion, there was already 
a demand for increased accommodation. The same 
thing has happened in Madras where there was a large 
Post and Telegraph Office facing the sea, designed by 
Mr. Chisholm and opened to the public in 1885. The 
24 Kurukshetra       April  2024
expansion of business had outgrown the capacity of 
these building. Most head offices and important sub-
offices were designed to provide a proper hall for the 
public who wish to transact business, with a counter 
for clerks and sufficient open space in the building 
to allow each branch to work independently and in 
comfort under the supervision of a responsible officer. 
At Nagpur, Patna, Chittagong, Bareilly, Kanpur, Calcutta, 
Pune, Agra, Allahabad, Varanasi, Mount Road Madras, 
beautiful Post Office buildings were constructed, 
followed by Delhi, Darjeeling, Ajmer, Ahmedabad and 
several other large towns.
Kolkata GPO was designed in 1864 by Walter B. 
Grenville who acted as consulting architect to the 
Government of India from 1863 to 1868. The building 
construction was executed by Mackintosh Burn Ltd. and 
completed in 1868. It was built to serve as a post office 
for the British East India Company and was built at the 
site of the first Fort William.
RLO building at Dalhousie square in Kolkata was 
India’s first and largest Return Letter Office, earlier 
known as ‘Dead Letter Office’. The building was 
completed in 1876 when Lord Lytton was the Governor 
General of British India. It has a 120-feet-tall bell tower. 
Yangon GPO, which was built a few years earlier and 
Melbourne’s Mail Exchange, which was built a few years 
later, are architecturally similar to this building.
The Delhi GPO was the first Post office of Delhi. It was 
built in 1885 in the historic wall city of Shajahanabad. 
It was the largest Post office of Delhi established by 
the East India Company. The building exhibits iconic 
decorative elements of Colonial architecture style. The 
Magazine which was blown up by the British soldiers 
during the siege of Delhi in 1857 is located right opposite 
Delhi GPO in Kashmere Gate.
The New Delhi GPO was constructed in 1934, as the 
Sub-Post Office called “Gol Dak Khana”. The building 
was designed by Robert Tor Russell, the chief architect 
of PWD at that time. Located in the close proximity 
of Raisina village, the site earlier had the building of 
Viceroy Camp Post Office.
PMG Office Goa was built in 1914 as the divisional 
headquarters of Posts and now serves as the PMG 
office. The building is located in front of the Head post 
office at the Largo de Estanco square which was a very 
important historic commercial square. The style of the 
architecture has strong Portuguese and native Goan 
influences developed over the centuries.
Panjim Head Post Office building’s current structure 
was built in 1893 as the Portuguese Post on a footprint 
of a Tobacco Depot in succession to a police station 
until 1888. Located in front of the Largo de Estanco, 
which was a major commercial square during the 18
th
-
19
th
 century, it denotes the importance of the building 
during its time.
Chaura Maidan Post Office in Shimla is a beautiful 
building constructed in 1910. The architecture mirrored 
that of the G.P .O, boasting Neo-Tudor elements with 
round-dressed stones and pebble-dash walls, using 
the traditional Kath- Kuni construction style of the 
Himalayas.
Postal Museum building Bengaluru dates back to 
1804. At one point, it held the Government Museum, 
later it was used as an administrative office by the 
Postal services. It was converted into a Postal Museum 
in 2019.
The Fort Kochi Post office, constructed in 1900, is a 
landmark structure and holds special significance in the 
lives of people of Fort Kochi. It was one of the busiest 
places in the city especially during the days when mails 
from Europe used to arrive here via ships.
PMG Office building Thiruvananthapuram was 
once the office of Chief Engineer of Travancore. In 
1933-34, the Air Training Complex of the Govt. of India 
was established here. Later in 1939, Sri Chitra Thirunal 
started the Engineering College in this building. The 
PMG Office building, Thiruvananthapuram
25 Kurukshetra       April  2024
Postal Department took over the building in 1961, after 
the college was shifted from here. It is a rectangular 
structure made of granite, bricks and lime mortar. It has 
5 towers, one in each corner of the building and one 
in the front centre with a clock. Towers have pyramidal 
roof in keeping with the local architecture.
Thiruvananthapuram Fort Post Office building was 
part of Shree Padam Palace, constructed by Maharani 
Gowri Parvathi Bayi. The palace complex included 
two Nalukettu, double storied buildings and a main 
building. This building was once used as an outhouse 
of the palace complex. The building has timber flooring, 
balcony and railings, roof rafters. The wooden sloping 
roof is finished with Mangalore tiles.
Lashkar Post Office, at Maharaj Bada in Gwalior, 
is one of the most prominent areas of the city, 
having about seven buildings constructed in different 
architectural style centred with a statute of Jiwaji Rao 
Scindia on grand white marble platform. The Post 
office building is one of those seven buildings. It is a 
rectangular structure built on a raised plinth. The front 
facade of the building is designed in Greek style.
The Nagpur GPO, which was originally the 
headquarters of the erstwhile Postmaster General of 
Central Provinces and Berar, was constructed in 1921. 
The heritage building is highly influenced by Victorian 
style of architecture.
The Office of Director Accounts (Postal) is a 
majestic Georgian-style building in Nagpur. The Nobel 
Prize Winner Dr. C.V. Raman, who served as the office’s 
Deputy Accountant General, was one of the many 
distinguished figures with whom it had the honour to 
be connected. This office acts as the pay and accounts 
office for both the entire Army Postal Service Corps as 
well as the Maharashtra and Goa Postal Circle.
Pune HPO had a beginning when the city’s first 
telegraph line was established here in 1854. This 
structure was replaced in 1873 by bigger structure 
designed and constructed by Colonel Finch R.E. The 
present building is however a renovated building, 
modified in 1903 when a dome and a front porch was 
added to it. The heritage building is highly influenced by 
Palladian style which had a revival in the 19
th
 and 20
th
 
century in Europe as well as in its colonies.
Puducherry Head Post Office building dates back 
to mid 18th  century. The old part of the building now 
lies behind the modern building constructed in 1980s. It 
once belonged to the industrialist, Henri Gaebele who 
was a French cotton yarn and fabric manufacturer and 
politician who was the Mayor of Pondicherry in French 
India from 1907 to 1928, and Senator of French India 
from 1922 to 1924.
Chennai GPO (then known as Madras GPO) was 
established in 1884. The building was designed by 
British architect Robert Fellowes Chisholm.
Philatey Bureau Chennai building was constructed 
in 1900 as one of South India’s first Electric theatre. 
It was designed by Warwick Major and his partner 
Lashkar Post Office, Maharaj Bada, Gwalior General Post Office, Nagpur, Maharashtra
Page 5


Postal Heritage
Converting Postal Heritage into Tourist Attractions
* Rashi Sharma
* The author is Deputy Director General (Establishment) in Department of Posts, Ministry of Communications, India. 
Email:rashi.edu@nic.in
ith 8-10 million international 
tourists, India ranks 8
th 
in the 
Asia Pacific region. Domestic 
tourists, on the other hand, are 
a whopping 600-700 million per 
annum. Whereas, Gujarat, Maharashtra, West Bengal, 
Delhi and UP are the top recipients of foreign tourists, 
domestic tourists prefer Uttar Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, 
Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, and Gujarat. As regards the 
source countries of international tourists visiting India, 
W
India has among the world’s oldest postal histories, dating back to the Mauryan times. 
However, the foundations of the modern organised Postal system were laid by the British 
in the 19
th
 century. As Posts and later telegraph were the only means of communication 
in the 19
th
 and 20
th
 centuries, post offices, Dak Bungalows, mail trains, stamps, letters, 
etc. are a very important part of our history. With 44 heritage buildings and more than 
350 Pre-1939 buildings, Postal Department manages a large heritage estate. Each of 
the heritage buildings has a rich history and needs to be developed as a tourist attraction 
so that citizens and foreigners can appreciate not only their beauty but also know about 
the past associated with these structures. Department of Posts is working closely with 
INTACH and CPWD to restore many of these important heritage buildings so that they 
become tourist attractions in such places.
23 Kurukshetra       April  2024
more than 80% tourists belong to Bangladesh, EU, USA, 
and UK. India shares a common history with Bangladesh 
and UK, meaning that almost 3.5 million tourists who 
visit India every year, would be definitely interested 
to visit the historical places dating back to the colonial 
times. As British were the rulers of India, Australia, a 
large part of South East Asia, Sri Lanka, etc. the heritage 
links in the form of similarly designed buildings and 
institutions is bound to attract tourists from these 
countries. The heritage of colonial times is represented 
majorly by the buildings that were constructed during 
the colonial rule as well as the institutions that were 
created or expanded by the British. Railways and Posts 
are the two major institutions that were created by the 
British for administering our vast country. 
The foundations of the modern organised Postal 
system were laid by the British in the 19
th
 century. 
As Posts and later telegraph were the only means of 
communication in the 19
th
 and 20
th
 centuries, post 
offices, dak bungalows, mail trains, stamps, letters, 
etc. became a very important part of our history. Few 
would know that the guard room of old Fort William 
where the Black hole tragedy happened in 1756 is 
situated in an alley just on the backside of Kolkata 
GPO. Mumbai GPO constructed in 1913 is a classic 
example of Indo-Saracenic architecture and has been 
inspired from Gol Gumbaz of Bijapur. Bombay GPO 
has 3 basements which are connected to the Bombay 
Docks, the Mint through 3 underground tunnels, to be 
used in case of an attack. The famous Bombay Duck 
fish derives its name from Bombay Dawk mail train 
which used to transport this fish from 
Bombay to Kolkata during the colonial 
times. The famous Dak Bungalows 
which find mention in so many 
novels, stories, films and plays were 
built as resting points for the mail 
runners and Government officials on 
tour; they continued to be managed 
by the Postal Department for a very 
long time in British India. 
With 44 heritage buildings and 
more than 350 Pre-1939 buildings, 
Postal Department manages a large 
heritage estate. Each of the heritage 
buildings has a rich history and needs 
to be developed as a tourist attraction 
so that citizens and foreigners can appreciate not only 
their beauty but also know about the past associated 
with these structures. Department of Posts is working 
closely with INTACH and CPWD to restore many of 
these important heritage buildings so that they become 
tourist attractions in such places.
Historical Perspective
Before 1854, the Post Office was a medley of 
services in different provinces, each having separate 
rules and different rates of postage. Regular mails 
were conveyed over a very few main lines between 
important towns, and collectors of districts were 
responsible for the management of their own local 
post offices. In 1850, a Commission was appointed to 
consider the state of the postal services, and the result 
of its deliberations was the Post Office Act of 1854 
and the conversion of the Post Office into an Imperial 
Department under a single head called the Director-
General. The Post Office building construction was of 
prime importance and hence the General Post Office 
in Calcutta was built in 1868 from designs made by 
Mr. Grenville. Later, Bombay General Post Office was 
constructed in 1910 by Mr. James Begg. The building 
was hardly large enough for the great mass of work 
which it has to transact and although the removal of 
the Postmaster-General’s Office and the Sorting Branch 
somewhat relieved the congestion, there was already 
a demand for increased accommodation. The same 
thing has happened in Madras where there was a large 
Post and Telegraph Office facing the sea, designed by 
Mr. Chisholm and opened to the public in 1885. The 
24 Kurukshetra       April  2024
expansion of business had outgrown the capacity of 
these building. Most head offices and important sub-
offices were designed to provide a proper hall for the 
public who wish to transact business, with a counter 
for clerks and sufficient open space in the building 
to allow each branch to work independently and in 
comfort under the supervision of a responsible officer. 
At Nagpur, Patna, Chittagong, Bareilly, Kanpur, Calcutta, 
Pune, Agra, Allahabad, Varanasi, Mount Road Madras, 
beautiful Post Office buildings were constructed, 
followed by Delhi, Darjeeling, Ajmer, Ahmedabad and 
several other large towns.
Kolkata GPO was designed in 1864 by Walter B. 
Grenville who acted as consulting architect to the 
Government of India from 1863 to 1868. The building 
construction was executed by Mackintosh Burn Ltd. and 
completed in 1868. It was built to serve as a post office 
for the British East India Company and was built at the 
site of the first Fort William.
RLO building at Dalhousie square in Kolkata was 
India’s first and largest Return Letter Office, earlier 
known as ‘Dead Letter Office’. The building was 
completed in 1876 when Lord Lytton was the Governor 
General of British India. It has a 120-feet-tall bell tower. 
Yangon GPO, which was built a few years earlier and 
Melbourne’s Mail Exchange, which was built a few years 
later, are architecturally similar to this building.
The Delhi GPO was the first Post office of Delhi. It was 
built in 1885 in the historic wall city of Shajahanabad. 
It was the largest Post office of Delhi established by 
the East India Company. The building exhibits iconic 
decorative elements of Colonial architecture style. The 
Magazine which was blown up by the British soldiers 
during the siege of Delhi in 1857 is located right opposite 
Delhi GPO in Kashmere Gate.
The New Delhi GPO was constructed in 1934, as the 
Sub-Post Office called “Gol Dak Khana”. The building 
was designed by Robert Tor Russell, the chief architect 
of PWD at that time. Located in the close proximity 
of Raisina village, the site earlier had the building of 
Viceroy Camp Post Office.
PMG Office Goa was built in 1914 as the divisional 
headquarters of Posts and now serves as the PMG 
office. The building is located in front of the Head post 
office at the Largo de Estanco square which was a very 
important historic commercial square. The style of the 
architecture has strong Portuguese and native Goan 
influences developed over the centuries.
Panjim Head Post Office building’s current structure 
was built in 1893 as the Portuguese Post on a footprint 
of a Tobacco Depot in succession to a police station 
until 1888. Located in front of the Largo de Estanco, 
which was a major commercial square during the 18
th
-
19
th
 century, it denotes the importance of the building 
during its time.
Chaura Maidan Post Office in Shimla is a beautiful 
building constructed in 1910. The architecture mirrored 
that of the G.P .O, boasting Neo-Tudor elements with 
round-dressed stones and pebble-dash walls, using 
the traditional Kath- Kuni construction style of the 
Himalayas.
Postal Museum building Bengaluru dates back to 
1804. At one point, it held the Government Museum, 
later it was used as an administrative office by the 
Postal services. It was converted into a Postal Museum 
in 2019.
The Fort Kochi Post office, constructed in 1900, is a 
landmark structure and holds special significance in the 
lives of people of Fort Kochi. It was one of the busiest 
places in the city especially during the days when mails 
from Europe used to arrive here via ships.
PMG Office building Thiruvananthapuram was 
once the office of Chief Engineer of Travancore. In 
1933-34, the Air Training Complex of the Govt. of India 
was established here. Later in 1939, Sri Chitra Thirunal 
started the Engineering College in this building. The 
PMG Office building, Thiruvananthapuram
25 Kurukshetra       April  2024
Postal Department took over the building in 1961, after 
the college was shifted from here. It is a rectangular 
structure made of granite, bricks and lime mortar. It has 
5 towers, one in each corner of the building and one 
in the front centre with a clock. Towers have pyramidal 
roof in keeping with the local architecture.
Thiruvananthapuram Fort Post Office building was 
part of Shree Padam Palace, constructed by Maharani 
Gowri Parvathi Bayi. The palace complex included 
two Nalukettu, double storied buildings and a main 
building. This building was once used as an outhouse 
of the palace complex. The building has timber flooring, 
balcony and railings, roof rafters. The wooden sloping 
roof is finished with Mangalore tiles.
Lashkar Post Office, at Maharaj Bada in Gwalior, 
is one of the most prominent areas of the city, 
having about seven buildings constructed in different 
architectural style centred with a statute of Jiwaji Rao 
Scindia on grand white marble platform. The Post 
office building is one of those seven buildings. It is a 
rectangular structure built on a raised plinth. The front 
facade of the building is designed in Greek style.
The Nagpur GPO, which was originally the 
headquarters of the erstwhile Postmaster General of 
Central Provinces and Berar, was constructed in 1921. 
The heritage building is highly influenced by Victorian 
style of architecture.
The Office of Director Accounts (Postal) is a 
majestic Georgian-style building in Nagpur. The Nobel 
Prize Winner Dr. C.V. Raman, who served as the office’s 
Deputy Accountant General, was one of the many 
distinguished figures with whom it had the honour to 
be connected. This office acts as the pay and accounts 
office for both the entire Army Postal Service Corps as 
well as the Maharashtra and Goa Postal Circle.
Pune HPO had a beginning when the city’s first 
telegraph line was established here in 1854. This 
structure was replaced in 1873 by bigger structure 
designed and constructed by Colonel Finch R.E. The 
present building is however a renovated building, 
modified in 1903 when a dome and a front porch was 
added to it. The heritage building is highly influenced by 
Palladian style which had a revival in the 19
th
 and 20
th
 
century in Europe as well as in its colonies.
Puducherry Head Post Office building dates back 
to mid 18th  century. The old part of the building now 
lies behind the modern building constructed in 1980s. It 
once belonged to the industrialist, Henri Gaebele who 
was a French cotton yarn and fabric manufacturer and 
politician who was the Mayor of Pondicherry in French 
India from 1907 to 1928, and Senator of French India 
from 1922 to 1924.
Chennai GPO (then known as Madras GPO) was 
established in 1884. The building was designed by 
British architect Robert Fellowes Chisholm.
Philatey Bureau Chennai building was constructed 
in 1900 as one of South India’s first Electric theatre. 
It was designed by Warwick Major and his partner 
Lashkar Post Office, Maharaj Bada, Gwalior General Post Office, Nagpur, Maharashtra
26 Kurukshetra       April  2024
Reginald Eyre. The building was bought by the Postal 
Department in 1951 and used to house the Mount Road 
Post Office. In 1998, it was developed as the Philatelic 
Bureau.
Lucknow GPO building was designed by a British 
architect as a Ring Theatre and was used by British 
families for recreation purposes. It was also used as 
a platform for screening English films and dramas. 
At that time, Indians were not allowed to enter this 
building. It was later converted into a court where the 
Kakori trial in May 1926 was held. It was converted 
into GPO in 1929- 32.
Way Forward
Currently, the Postal Department has no policy 
to promote heritage buildings for tourism purpose as 
almost all these buildings are currently 
being used as offices and most of the 
administrative and operational areas are 
out of bounds for the general public. The 
following steps can be undertaken by 
the Department of Posts to convert the 
valuable Postal heritage into major tourist 
attractions: 
1. Notify a Policy for opening up 
heritage buildings for tourism purpose. 
This can be done in consultation with 
Ministry of Tourism and Ministry of 
Culture.     
2. Research and compile the history of its heritage 
buildings and get interesting facts about them 
displayed on attractive signages in front of such 
buildings. The same can be placed on social media 
and in tourist booklets & travel books for publicity. 
The tourist guide guilds of the respective cities/
towns can also be roped in for placing such buildings 
on the regular tourist circuit/itinerary.
3. Restore the heritage buildings as per their original 
design
4. Free the main areas of such buildings from official 
use and make them accessible to tourists and 
guides
5. Set up museums on local postal history in parts of 
such buildings 
6. Include Postal 
heritage tourism as one of the 
revenue earning activities of 
the Department in order to 
make it sustainable. In fact, 
heritage building restoration 
can be funded partly from 
entry tickets, sale of souvenirs, 
etc.
Promoting our rich 
postal heritage shall go a 
long way in not only creating 
tourist attractions in our 
towns & cities and boost 
local employment but would 
also lead to restoration and 
maintenance of our historical 
buildings.                                 ? Lucknow GPO building, Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh
Philatey Bureau, Chennai