Tag: nostalgia

Communication is the essence of human life and for the growth of civilization. The postal service is one of the oldest and effective methods of communication which is prevalent even in modern times.

This #WorldPostalDay, we look at some interesting facts about the postal system from around the world:

1) The largest Postal Network in the World: With its network of 1,54,910 post offices, India’s Department of Posts, also known as India Post, is the world’s largest postal network.

2) The harshest punishment ever imposed for stealing mails: In 1792, led by Congress, United States Postal Service, USA, imposed the death penalty as a punishment for stealing mails to curb the rising cases of mail theft.

3) The oldest postal service in the world: Egypt has the oldest postal service in the world. It started around 2000 BC.

4) The oldest living post office in the world: Opened in 1712, the Sanquhar post office, located in High Street, Sanquhar, United Kingdom, is recognized by the Guinness Book of Records as the oldest post office in the world.

5) The highest post office in the world: Set at an elevation of 14,567 ft (4,400 m) in the Lahaul-Spiti district of Himachal Pradesh, Hikkim post office is the world’s highest post office.
Rinchen Chhering has been serving as a Postmaster here for more than 30 years. He has been single-handedly managing the post office that connects several small villages in this isolated region. Many villagers come from nearby areas come to use services available at this branch.

6) World’s only floating post office: 200 years old and serving since the British times, Kashmir’s Famous Dal Lake post office is a heritage post office that is a shikara and the only one in the world that floats on water. Before 2011, this post office was known as the Nehru Park Post office.

7) Postal carriers, dog attacks and death cases: As many as 6000 postal workers die every year or get seriously injured in the US due to dog attacks.

8) Letters that kill: A rare but grave illness caused by bacteria, Anthrax, has been used as a weapon for more than a century now.
A dreadful incident occurred in 2001 where 22 people, including 12 mail handlers contacted Antharax when powdered anthrax spores were deliberately put into letters and mailed.

9) Mail delivery by animals: Throughout history, many countries have delivered mails over long distances by animals- much before post offices came into existence. Even today, remote locations which are not accessible by road use animals for mail deliveries.

Camels are used in Australia, while dogs are used in parts of Alaska and Canada. Pigeons carrying messages are as old as ancient Persian and have even been used by news agencies such as Reuters for delivering messages.

Do you want to share some interesting facts about the postal system in your country? Please feel to comment below.