New Delhi: Red-coloured letterboxes that have dotted the roadside for more than a century are on their way out.
The Government is planning to introduce a new rectangular-shaped fibreglass bodied containers letterboxes in Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai and Patna.
The letterbox, developed by the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Mumbai, is made of high quality stainless steel with a fibreglass top and is expected to last for 20 years.
Being rust proof they are virtually maintenance-free.
With a bigger inlet aperture the box would allow for comfortable posting of larger mail articles.
The letterboxes also display information relating to the schedule of letter clearance.
The design makes it easy for the staff to extract letters and change hour plates.
The new letterbox is in line with the department's efforts to create a more contemporary, aesthetic and professional image to mark their 150th anniversary.
A set of four commemorative stamps depicting letterboxes down the ages has also been released at the ceremony.
Origin of Post Boxes
Post boxes originated in the 17th Century at the Cape of Good Hope and were called the Stone Post.
Dutch and English ships making voyages would stop at the cape for supplies and fresh water.
The sailors would leave their letters under a big stone, from where they were collected by ships going in the opposite direction.
France was the first country to introduce roadside letterboxes in 1653, followed by Germany and Belgium.
The first pillar letterbox was erected in England in 1853 and imported later to India in 1856. It was called the Victorian Letter Box.
The lotus type letterbox, also known as Penfold letterbox after its designer, followed the Vicorian Letter Box.
It was during this time that red came to be adopted as the standard colour for letterboxes.
In 1879, a cylindrical Letter Box was adopted universally and has been in use till to date in India.
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