The General Post Office is the central post office of the city of Mumbai in India. The post-office handles most of the city's inbound and outbound mail and parcels. Situated in the vicinity of Victoria Terminus, this outstanding structure is a paradigm of Indo-Saracenic architecture which was prevalent in Mughal times.
The building
The GPO is modelled on the Gol Gumbaz in Bijapur, Karnataka. It was designed by British architect John Begg , a consultant architect to the British government. Begg designed the structure in 1902 and construction began on September 1, 1904. It was completed on March 13, 1913 at a cost of Rs. 1,809,000 which was a princely sum in those days. Black basalt stone with a dressing of yellow Kurla stone and white stones from Dhrangdra are the predominant materials used.
The building has an area of 120,000 square feet and replaced the current Central Telegraph Office in Flora Fountain as the new GPO. Inside the building, the chief feature is an ethereal central hall which rises up to the great dome which can be seen from a fair distance.
Operations
As the chief post office of the city, the post office handles volumes of mail and passes them to other post offices in the city. The GPO has the prime Postal Index Number (PIN) 400 001. As it is just a stone's throw away from the Victoria Terminus railway station, it is ideally situated to dispatch and receive mail. It also controls the smaller post offices in Mumbai, issues stamps, and prints new inland letterheads and postcards. It also has a philately section for enthusiasts.
