Today I received this beautiful card. However there was no name or username mentionned and I can't really tell from the handwriting if it is from someone I swapped with earlier. I would really love to find the sender, so I can thank him or her, as I just love this card!!
Some time back I got to know about all the PPCs of different regions and I've been meaning to start a collection. Finally got my first set of 9 PPC from Kolkata GPO!
Earlier, I made a post on how to send mail. Check here.
Felt I should add what to do if you are not receiving any.
DISCLAIMER: India Post is a highly subsidised, and a loss-making entity. The employees are under a LOT of pressure to meet deadlines and deliver mail, so even with all these steps below, you still may not receive any mail. Cannot beat bad luck :)
Domestic mail almost exclusively travels by surface (trains and trucks). This single handedly adds a very long transit time, and since ordinary mail is low priority, many times sorters do not close and dispatch bags until they are sufficiently. This means your mail can sit in a bag somewhere at a sorting hub for MONTHS! I feel like north eastern states move ordinary mail by air (received few ILCs from Tripura in just 5 days), but not sure.
If you're in a city well connected by rail, chances are it will make it to you.
International mail is sent via Delhi or Mumbai, most of the time. It is sent by surface to these cities, before being airlifted to its destination country. Similarly for arrivals, it comes via air to these cities, and then gets dispatched outside. Some countries have surface mail, these mostly come via Chennai, Kolkata or Mumbai.
TLDR for International mail, the closer you are to Delhi or Mumbai, the faster you will get it.
Step 0 - Double check your pincode! While ordinary mail is re-routed sometimes, it can take months to get to its correct address if you mess up the pincode.
Step 1 - Contact your local post office. Get in touch with your local postperson, exchange numbers with them, be friends with them. They are under intense pressure to deliver Speed Posts and parcels. If you can, put a postbox outside your house so they can drop mail there without ringing your bell, as it takes time.
Step 2 - If not resolved, file a complaint regarding non-delivery of ordinary articles to the SSPO of your postal division. This can be done on CPGRAMS (pgportal[dot]gov[dot]in). 99% of the time, this should fix your situation. Most people start receiving mail after this complaint. This essentially just informs the system that you exist, and you value your ordinary mail, since almost no one else does.
Step 3 - If still not resolved, send a hand written letter to the Chief Postmaster General of your circle, and the closest Superintendent of RMS.
Step 4 - Give up, and pray that sorters at the other end (the sender end) made a mistake. And hope that mail from someone else, sending from a different city or state, will arrive fine. For example, I receive(Delhi) international mail within 10 days, mail from Chennai, Bangalore, Goa in 5-10 days, but I have never received anything from Bihar. Mail from Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh took 3 months.
Timelines to keep in mind -
International - 3 weeks to forever. 3 weeks for Delhi/Mumbai, and more for other cities. If you're in a remote city, it can take months. I recommend waiting for 10 weeks before losing hope. International mail is much much much more reliable than domestic mail.
Domestic - 5 days to forever. If both sender and receiver postal circles are good, you will receive most mail within 7 to 14 days, anywhere in India. As I said, i received multiple articles in 5-7 days from Tripura, Chennai, Goa etc. Otherwise, it may take forever. I recommend waiting for a month before losing hope.
Any questions please ask in comments!
Hi, I am really interested in philately and I am really looking forward to collect various stamps and PPCs. However I have no idea how to begin.
I read about how to collect PPCs but I am clueless about stamps. I tried the e-post office as well but for some reason it just doesn't work, I would be very grateful if you could help me out.
After the decline in the usage of snail mail across the nation, the mail network in South India remains strong, but the one in other parts of the nation is barely holding on. How did South India keep its snail mail strong while the snail mail in the rest of the nation is on a ventilator?
Really looking forward to your replies and some suggestions on how we can all put in efforts to make it better for the rest of the circles as well. 😃
After the reform of postage rates in 2024, do you still affix postage worth ₹6 or use the updated postage of ₹0.50 for all domestic postcards? Which postage do you use, provided that you are aware of the amended 2024 PO regulations?
Hello there! It is good to see a sub to know about a hobby I recently took over 2 years ago.
- For PPCs, is it mandatory to get cancellation on only mailable items(envelops and postcards) and not on personalized/DIY-ed passports? Karnataka Postal Passport made me curious to make my own 😅
- I opened my Philately account in 2024 and I missed out on ticking Miniature Sheets and Souvenir Sheets in the account opening form. Can it be updated by any method?
- What is the best way to store FDCs in an album or any other method of storage for collection?
Sree Padmanabhaswami Temple FDC AND PPC
New first day cover and PERMANENT PICTORIAL CANCELLATION (PPC)
Launched on 10 August 2026 Thiruvananthapuram fort pin 695023
Hi guys I'm new to this community and hobby but today I opened a philately deposit account
So here's the process
You need to carry the below items with you
Adhaar copy
Cash for depositing (min of rs 200)
They will give you a form and will ask you to fill it out, and youu need to provide your phone number mail id , adress list etc.
Once filled go to counter and they will register and then you will need to make a deposit min of rs 200 and your accounts open.
Ta da its simple as that.
Also the staffs were really nice and sweet. They were happy to see people with philately hobbies
Hi,
I want to learn Tamil alphabets, numbers, words, sentences, and speech through exchange of Indian yellow postcards. In exchange, I can help you learn Hindi maybe if you are interested.
Anyone interested within India?
Kind regards,
Someone.
Was in Malaysia for a month so sending letters and postcards after a month.
Today I went to local post office they said that it changed to 18
Hello! I’ll be traveling to India for two weeks on a business trip, and I’m really excited to mail some postcards and acquire some stamps.
Does anyone have any recommendations for books about Indian postal system history?
Broader idea: everyone contributes "working" and "tested" email addresses/phone numbers of major post offices and philately bureaus in this post. It would later become a pinned post of this subreddit which anyone can refer when in need.
Most post office don't reply or contact details that's available online isn't a working one. some of us have contacted them at some point and know who actually replied. We can contribute those contact details in the comments.
I'll start first by sharing the emails in the comments that did get me replies.
Please contribute to the megathread by commenting below 👇🏻
Olá/Namaskar! I am a Literature professor from Brazil. This month I started a storytelling project: Around the World in Eighty Stories. I would love to exchange a postcard of the Taj Mahal for one from southern Brazil, Paraná. Thank you!
On World Organ Donation Day, Karnataka Postal Circle is honouring the extraordinary gift of organ donation with a Special Cancellation — a small piece of philately carrying a powerful message about giving life beyond our own.
📅 13 August 2026
📍 Available at Philatelic Bureaus:
Bengaluru GPO
Mysuru HO
Mangaluru HO
Belagavi HO
A meaningful initiative where philately meets the message of organ donation and the gift of life.
Stay tuned for more details.