KOCHI: Before the advent of post offices, messages were delivered by human runners. These swift-footed messengers — clad in khaki shirts and shorts, and donning red-lined hats — would sprint between towns and villages carrying important letters in what could be described as a relay system. Each had a fixed area to cover, and they went by the name ‘Anchalottakkar’.
The history
It was in 1729 that the first anchal post came into being — i.e. during the reign of Travancore Maharaja Anizham Thirunal Marthandavarma. It ushered in a revolutionary transformation in the field of communication, though the service was limited to the royal families and occasionally, the Dutch and the Portuguese.
Around 90 anchal offices were established in Travancore at the time. Later, in 1851, during the reign of Uthram Thirunal Marthanda Varma, these offices were thrown open to the public as well, with the first such one in Alappuzha.
Two sepoys, two clerks and an overseer, who held the position of postmaster (anchal pillai), manned each anchal office. Remanents of one such office can be found near its modern variant at Udayamperoor, near Kochi, although in a dilapidated state.
Years of neglect
Local residents recount how the Postal Department once pledged to safeguard this historic edifice. Alas, those assurances have proved futile.
“The postmaster and staff are responsible for the ruin of this heritage structure. They don’t even arrange for the building to be cleaned,” says Udayamperoor ward member Anilkumar M K.
Interestingly, there’s also a Chaukka nearby. These are essentially guard posts on the borders of erstwhile Travancore and Cochin states. Goods subject to customs duty had to be cleared here. “It was a police station initially. Later, it became a leprosy centre. Now, this, too, is in ruins. Though some efforts were made to conserve it, I hear the Postal Department got in the way of that,” says Parthan, who runs a shop nearby.
“Today, this building is used as storage space for plastics by Haritha Karma Sena,” Anilkumar adds.
Apparently, the Archeological Survey of India (ASI) had plans to conserve the building. “An ASI team had approached the Postal Department to start the proceedings. However, the chief postmaster general at that time denied permission. This indifference continues even today,” says Joseph John of the Kerala Historical Research Society. His letters to the local conservation centre, which has the mandate to protect such structures have also gone unheard.
“No one cares to protect cultural heritage anymore,” laments Jayachandran T K, another Udayamperoor ward member.