Antique Postbox, Perumbavoor, Kerala, India

Antique Postbox, Perumbavoor, Kerala, India
Originally uploaded by medhekar2000.

I recently traveled to Perumbavoor, a town about 30 kms from the city of Cochin in Kerala, India. At the Government Rest House there I saw an antique postbox of the erstwhile Travancore State. Painted red and black with touches of golden yellow on its crown, the postbox is made of cast iron and on its black base is written "Massey & Co, Madras", most probably the manufacturer of these postboxes. There is an embossed inscription that says "Cleared by Travancore Anchal" in English ("Anchal" means "Post" in Malayalam) and another inscription in Malayalam, the language spoken in Kerala. The box has the Royal Emblem of the State of Travancore along three sides of its top. The design of the post box reminds one of the postboxes in the Victorian era. While no one was at hand to tell me how old the postbox was, I would think it would be at least pre-1950, if not earlier.

What impressed me was the solidity of the construction and how well-crafted the box was - each detail still intact even after all these years - almost a work of art. (click on the pictures to see them full-size)