Postbox documentation series throws light on Chennai’s postal history

To make people understand the history of postboxes, architect Thirupurasundari Sevvel is doing a documentation project on the postboxes. 

"During the lockdown time, I registered for a project called Chitthi Exchange (letter exchange). This project was initiated to bring back the art of letter writing. Through this, I met a group called History Hive Research and after seeing their amazing work, I decided to collaborate with them to reintroduce the concept of letter writing to locals. While working on this, I realised that after the entry of courier services, many people don't know where their post office is located. Postal history is something every individual should understand. I shared a post on social media asking people about their neighbourhood post office and only a few responded positively. That's how I started the documentation project on city postboxes. 

Two history buffs, Dr T Jaisakthivel and Prakashraj Ganesan, started sending me pictures of the postboxes they have seen in Chennai. By documenting the postboxes, I am telling people to check out the postboxes in their locality," Thirupurasundari shares. Some postboxes will be kept right outside the post office, some will be hanging from a compound wall. 

"After I started documenting, a lot of people started sending me pictures of the postboxes with a small note about the history behind it, if there is any. If we map pictures and share them, then people will develop an interest to find more about it. 

For eg, there is a post box in New Avadi Road, Kilpauk. It is placed near a 65-year-old tree. Passers-by would have noticed the tree but not the postbox. The postbox inside the General Post Office Chennai looks like a temple. It is even called 'kovil postbox'. 

Like this, there are many interesting trivia about the post boxes. People can write to me mentioning the most interesting post office they have visited along with the location,” she remarks.