Heritage Buildings

India Post has featured some of its landmark post office buildings on postage stamps over the years. This year, India Post celebrates the 100 years of Mumbai G.P.O. and Agra H.P.O. buildings.

Mumbai General Post Office: The earliest records of the existence of Bombay (now Mumbai) General Post Office (G.P.O.) indicate that the post office was located in St. George Fort near Apollo Pier. The building was lost in a fire, following which the G.P.O. moved into another building built for it in 1869. In course of time, the said building became inadequate for the G.P.O. and plan to construct a new building outside the Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus Station, earlier known as Victoria Terminus Railway Station, was undertaken in 1902. Jhon Begg, Consulting Architect to the Government, designed the G.P.O. building. The construction of the building was completed in March, 1913 and the G.P.O. moved into it in April, 1913.

The Mumbai G.P.O. is built in Indo-Saracenic style with a solid exterior and well ventilated interiors built in local Kurla basalt with dressings of yellow stone from Malad and white stone from Dhrangadhara. The architecture reflects strong influences of Islamic architecture in its skyline dominated by domes and minarets. The monumental structure stretches to a length of 522 feet. The height of the dome is 119 feet. The facade is symmetrical along the central axis, with the centre punctuated by a front porch and capped by a dome. The dome fashioned after the Bijapur dome has a diameter of 65 feet. The building is listed as a Grade-I heritage building in the Heritage Regulation for Greater Bombay, 1995.

Mumbai G.P.O. has come a long way since its birth and has evolved into a modern fully computerized post office representing the changing face of India Post.

Agra Head Post Office: Agra Head Post Office was built in 1913. It is located on the Mall Road of the beautiful cantonment area of Agra.

Agra H.P.O. building, an important landmark of Agra has two beautiful porches on both sides and a 45 feet high dome in the middle of the building. The building also finds a place in the list of Postal Heritage buildings. Keeping with the times, this office is also fully computerized.