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| General Post Office, Mumbai | |
|---|---|
 Façade of General Post Office, Mumbai, in 2019 | |
 Interactive map of General Post Office, Mumbai | |
| General information | |
| Type | Post office |
| Architectural style | Indo-Saracenic |
| Location | Fort,Mumbai,India |
| Coordinates | 18°56′19.56″N72°50′13.34″E / 18.9387667°N 72.8370389°E /18.9387667; 72.8370389 |
| Construction started | 1904; 121 years ago (1904) |
| Completed | 1913; 112 years ago (1913) |
| Design and construction | |
| Architect | John Begg |
| Other information | |
| Public transit access |  Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus |
TheGeneral Post Office, Mumbai, is the central post office of the city ofMumbai,India. The post office handles most of the city's inbound and outbound mail and parcels. Situated in the vicinity ofChhatrapati Shivaji Terminus, the Mumbai General Post Office (GPO) is a paradigm ofIndo-Saracenic architecture.
Mumbai GPO is one of the five Philatelic Bureaus in the country (others beingChennai GPO,Kolkata GPO, Parliament Street, andNew Delhi GPO) that are authorised to sell theUnited Nations stamps.[citation needed]
The GPO is modelled on theGol Gumbaz inBijapur,Karnataka. It was designed byBritish architectJohn Begg, a consultant architect to the British government. Begg designed the structure in 1902, and construction began on 1 September 1904. It was completed on 13 March 1913 at a cost of₹1,809,000. Blackbasalt, with a dressing of yellowKurla stone and white stones from Dhrangdra are the predominant materials used.[1]
The building has an area of 120,000 square feet (11,000 m2) and replaced the current Central Telegraph Office atFlora Fountain as the new GPO. The chief feature of the architecture of this building is an ethereal central hall which rises up to the great dome.[2]
As the chief post office of the city, the GPO handles huge volumes of mail and passes them on to other post offices in the city. The GPO has thePostal Index Number (PIN) 400 001. Due to its proximity to Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus, Mumbai'scentral station, it is ideally situated to dispatch and receive mail to and from other cities in India. It also controls the smaller post offices in Mumbai, issuesstamps, and prints new inland letterheads and postcards. It also has aphilately section for enthusiasts.
Awar memorialplaque commemorating thePost Office of India employees in the service of theBritish Indian Army who died in theFirst World War exists in the building.
This plaque indicates the date of completion of the building in 1913. The total cost was₹1,809,000.
