The Hindu : Tamil Nadu / Chennai News : Tucked away in a corner, a Mandaveli landmark

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, Jan 14, 2005

Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu - Chennai

Tucked away in a corner, a Mandaveli landmark

By T. Ramakrishnan

The 100-year-old Mandaveli Post office at R. K. Mutt Road, Mylapore. — Photo: S. Thanthoni

CHENNAI, JAN. 13. The façade of the Mandaveli post office does not really reflect its significance.

Located in a corner of a busy bazaar area of Mylapore-Mandaveli, the post office is easily missed.

"But, not by Mandavel-ians or Mylapore-ans," says G. Umapathy, the official in charge of the post office.

"They know its importance. Many people begin their day by visiting the Kapaleeswarar temple and R.K. Math before coming to the post office. Our area has several senior citizens, who find it convenient to get their transactions done here even in the afternoon. We are open till 3 p.m. every day, unlike many banks which close by noon," Mr. Umapathy adds.

But that is only about the post office's utility. It has also created history of sorts, as it has been part of Chennai for nearly 100 years. In recognition of its services, the Mylapore Academy presented a trophy to the Postal Department.

Opened on March 5, 1907, the post office was originally known as the Brodies Road post office, as the road was then called.

Now, one portion of the road is named after the Ramakrishna Math. Interestingly, the Math too moved to Brodies Road in 1907 from the Ice House. However, the change of name was effected much later.

Long before the concept of consumer service became popular in government offices, the Mandaveli post office provided useful service to the public.

In the 1970s and 1980s, it had flexible working hours and began its operations as early as 7.30 a.m. to serve office-goers. The last clearance of mail was at 9.15 p.m., so that letters could be sent by air. This arrangement went on till August 1980. A telegraph office functioned at the premises till 1978.

Actually, this Mandaveli "landmark" is, in postal parlance, just a sub-post office. It has a sub-post master and three postal assistants, besides one full-fledged and two part-time stamp vendors.

"Some of our customers are residents of Radhakrishnan Salai, while others are even in Adyar," Mr. Umapathy says.

There are about 9,000 accounts in this post office and its total deposits are estimated at Rs. 20 crores. In less than four months, the Senior Citizen's Scheme attracted over Rs. 4 crores.

Conscious of the post office's "present looks," the department has decided to modernise it. "We plan to construct a new and more spacious building," says Vatsala Raghu, Chief Postmaster-General of Tamil Nadu circle.

The department's property measures two grounds. The operations, now manual, will be computerised soon, and the new building will be air-conditioned.

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