Glimpses of Modern Indian Philately

This blog is devoted to Modern Indian Postal History and Modern Philately of India providing less known information on various aspects of Indian Postal Services.

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The Department of Post / India Post has completed 70 years of active philatelic activities or service to philatelists in the year 2011. The first philatelic bureau was opened on 21st June 1941 at Bombay GPO to cater needs of philatelists.

Bombay Philatelic Bureau was the only bureau in India functioning alone for more than 7 years. On 15th August 1948, nine philatelic bureaux were opened in different state capitals of India, viz. Calcutta, Cuttack, Delhi, Lucknow, Madras, Nagpur, Patna, Shillong and Simla, vide Postal Notice no. 31, dated 6.8.1948.


It appears to me that no new philatelic bureau was inaugurated for next 6 years. The exact date of opening of other philatelic bureaux is difficult to find because such information is not available with philatelic bureaux and postal notices of such opening is elusive. I tried to find such dates in philatelic magazines of that time but recording is not accurate. India Stamp Journal reported on page 246 in November 1967 issue that 19 philatelic bureaux (name mentioned) were working at that time. It means that nine philatelic bureaux were, opened between 16th August 1948 and November 1967. The Philatelic Journal of India again reported in August 1970 issue that 23 different philatelic bureaux were operating but the names of the bureaux were not mentioned.

I also collected special covers of inauguration of philatelic bureaux, but sometimes they are misleading. For example the philatelic bureau of Jamshedpur was inaugurated on 11th August 1999, as per special cover but the list of philatelic bureaux of 1997, shows the name of Jamshedpur, thus we see that either special covers or the list give wrong information.

Philatelic Bureaux always fascinated me, and that is why, I regard them as temples of Modern Indian Philately. Whenever I visit a city, I always pay a visit to the local philatelic bureau. In my opinion philatelic bureaux are indispensable for true philatelists.

Some twenty years back, I started collecting information regarding opening dates of different philatelic bureaux, but could not succeed to my satisfaction. The result of my research with problems discussed above is as follows:

LIST OF PHILATELIC BUREAUX

Sr. No.
Date
Name of Post Office
Remarks
1.
21.06.1941
Bombay G.P.O. – 400001 (Mumbai)Vide D.G.P. Circular No. 14 dated 21.06.1941.
2.
15.08.1948
Calcutta G.P.O. – 700001 (Kolkata)Vide Postal Notice No. 31 dated 06.08.1948.
3.
15.08.1948
Cuttack G.P.O. – 753001Vide Postal Notice No. 31 dated 06.08.1948.
4.
15.08.1948
Lucknow – 226001Vide Postal Notice No. 31 dated 06.08.1948.
5.
15.08.1948
Madras – 600002 (Chennai)Vide Postal Notice No. 31 dated 06.08.1948.
6.
15.08.1948
Nagpur-440001Vide Postal Notice No. 31 dated 06.08.1948.
7.
15.08.1948
New Delhi-110001Vide Postal Notice No. 31 dated 06.08.1948.
8.
15.08.1948
Patna-800001Vide Postal Notice No. 31 dated 06.08.1948.
9.
15.08.1948
Shillong-793001Vide Postal Notice No. 31 dated 06.08.1948.
10.
15.08.1948
Simla-171001 (Shimla)Vide Postal Notice No. 31 dated 06.08.1948.
11.
Before April 1957
Hyderabad-500001
Postal Guide of April 1957, records these philatelic bureaux on page no. 5 but those were not recorded in October 1954 Postal Guide.
12.
Before April 1957
Jaipur-302001
13.
Before April 1957
Karnool-518001
14.
In between 01.07.1960 and 06.05.1961
Allahabad-211001
Is not included in page no. 5 of Postal Guide of 30.06.1960, but reported on page 126 of June 1961 issue of Philatelic Journal of India.
15.
06.05.1961
Bangalore-560001Reported on page 126 of June 1961 issue of Philatelic Journal of India.
16.
01.07.1961
Ahmedabad-380001Reported on page 159 of August 1961 issue of Philatelic Journal of India.
17.
Before 30.06.1965
Bhopal-462001Reported on page 5 of Postal Guide of 30.06.1965.
18.
Before 30.06.1965
Kanpur-208001
19.Before 30.06.1965Trivendram-695001 (Thiruvananthapuram)
20.
01.07.1970
1 CBPO-900056Reported in Inpex-1970 Souvenir
21.
18.07.1970
2 CBPO-900099
22.Before 23.12.1970Chandigarh-160017
23.Before 23.12.1970Jammu Tawi-180001
24.
04.09.1975
Indore-452001Reported in Inpex-1975 Souvenir
25.
10.02.1976
Ambala-133001Reported in Inpex-1977 Souvenir
26.
10.02.1976
Ludhiana-141001
27.
01.05.1976
Pondicherry-605001
28.
18.11.1976
Gauhati-781001
29.
21.06.1977
Coimbatore-641001
30.
28.08.1977
Pune-411001
31.
01.03.1979
Ernakulam-682011--
32.
06.09.1981
Madurai-625001Reported on page 154 of Philatelic Journal of India, Sep/Oct. 1981
33.
20.12.1981
Tiruchirapalli-620001Reported on page 58 of Philatelic Journal of India, Mar/Apr. 1982
34.
20.01.1982
Amritsar-143001Special Cover
35.
22.04.1982
Vishakhapatnam-530001Reported on Page 158 of India Stamp Journal, June 1982
36.
05.05.1982
Gwalior (Lashkar)-474001Special Cover
37.
19.10.1982
Varanasi-221001Reported on page 204 of Philatelic Journal of India, Nove./Dec. 1982
38.
20.10.1982
Agra-282001
39.
28.02.1983
Vadodara-390001Special Cover
40.
16.06.1983
Dehradun-248001Special Cover
41.
23.11.1983
Panaji-403001--
42.
03.02.1984
Bhilai-490001Special Cover
43.
27.02.1984
Kohima-797001--
44.
29.02.1984
Imphal-795001--
45.
03.08.1984
Jodhpur-342001Special Cover
46.
01.05.1985
Agartala-799001--
47.
11.09.1989
Mangalore-575001As per letter of Postmaster, Mangalore
48.
11.04.1990
Rajkot-360001--
49.
30.07.1990
Jalandhar City-144001Special Cover
50.
15.10.1990
Calicut-673001As per letter of Dy. Postmaster, Calicut
51.
29.01.1992
Raipur-792001Special Cover
52.
01.01.1997
Nashik-422001--
53.
--
Vijaywada-520001--
54.
01.04.1999
Aizwal-796001--
55.
11.08.1999
Jamshedpur-831001Special Cover
56.
04.12.2000
Jabalpur-482001--
57.
01.03.2001
Belgaum H. O. -590001As per letter of Postmaster, Belgaum
58.
09.10.2001
Bhubaneshwar-751001--
59.
09.10.2001
Udaipur H.O. -313001--
60.
16.09.2002
Ajmer H.O. - 305001--
61.
11.10.2002
Mysore H.O. – 570001Special Cover
62.
04.06.2003

Thrissur H.O. - 680 001

As per letter of Postmaster, Thrissur /Stamps of India Collectors Companion, Issue no. 119, 5 June 2003.
63.
09.10.2003
Bilaspur H. O. - 495001Special Cover
64.
11.02.2004
Muzaffarpur H.O. – 842001Special Cover
65.
01.11.2004
Port Blair H.O. – 744101Special Cover
66.
2004
Siliguri H. O. – 734001--
67.
10.11.2006
Ranchi G.P.O. – 834001Special Cover
68.
27.03.2008
Patiala H. O. – 147001--

 Special Cover issued to mark opening of Philatelic Bureau at Vadodara (Baroda)
Date: 28.02.1983

 Special Cover issued to mark opening of Philatelic Bureau at Ranchi
Date: 10.11.2006

Out of 68 philatelic bureaux, the opening dated for 17 is missing. If we, philatelists join our hands together and search for inaugural dates, I am sure, we will get them. My contact number is +919327030758. Please contact me if you have any more information.

Article by: Shri Ashok Kumar Bayanwala

Contact:
Ashok Kumar Bayanwala, 
Vrinda Niket, 
96, Swastik Society, 
Navarangpura,
Ahmedabad-380 009
Email: parthlochan@gmail.com

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