Long before there were phones and the internet, people used to send letters to talk to each other. In India, the letter system started many years ago, almost in the 1770’s. Let’s find out about the oldest post office in India and how it all began.
Which is the Oldest Post Office in India?
The oldest post office in India is the Kolkata General Post Office, also known as Kolkata GPO. It was set up in 1774. It was set up by Warren Hastings, who was the Governor General of Bengal at that time, who started this post office.
Before the establishment of the post offices, letters were carried by runners on foot. This was slow and risky. The foot runners had to cross rivers and forests, which were full of surprise elements and posed safety problems. The runners also had to face the robbers on the way.
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Did You Know?
The postal system in India started around the 1200s during the rule of Alauddin Khilji. A regular postal system was established by Robert Clive in 1766, and in 1774, India got its first operating General Post Office in Kolkata.
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Why is Kolkata GPO called India’s First Post Office?
Many people have this question: Why does Kolkata GPO get this special title?
The answer is simple:- It was the first post office set by the British government for public use across India. Other cities got their post offices only after Kolkata. Given below is a quick timeline of how the history of the General Post Office in India unfolded:-
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City
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Year the Post Office Was Set Up
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Present Building Opened
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Kolkata
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1774
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1868
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Madras
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1786
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1884
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Bombay
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1794
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1913
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The Building and Its Special Features
The building of the Kolkata General Post Office today was not the first home of the Kolkata GPO. A few quick facts about the current structure are as follows:-
- It opened to the public in 1868
- The building stands on the site where the old Fort William once stood.
- It has a tall dome and a grand look, built in the British architectural style.
- It is still counted among the most beautiful heritage buildings in Kolkata.
Oldest Post Office in India Today
Even today, Kolkata GPO functions as a busy, working post office. People visit it not just to send letters, but also to admire its old and grand structure. There are a few things which even make it special now:-
- It continues to handle daily postal operations, just like it did over 250 years ago.
- It is treated as a heritage site by India Post.
- It reminds us how the Indian postal system grew from foot runners to a nationwide network.
India Post today runs over 1.5 lakh post offices across the country, and this growth traces back to this one building in Kolkata.
A Quick Fact Check Box
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Fact
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Detail
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Founder
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Warren Hastings
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Year Established
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1774
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Location
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Kolkata
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Current Building Opened
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1868
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Status Today
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Fully Functional Heritage Post Office
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The oldest post office in India is truly a symbol of how far the means of communication has come, from foot runners to a nationwide postal system, which is trusted by millions of people every single day.
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