Contrasting tales of Delhi's 2 postal relics

At Gol Dak Khana, artisans breathe new life into the colonial-era landmark, restoring its grandeur. But in Civil Lines, another historic post office lies crumbling in decay; Paras Singh chronicles the plight and gain of these two contrasting sites

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If Gol Dak Khana represents revival, the situation at the Civil Lines Post Office illustrates decay. Tucked near Shamnath Marg, close to the Delhi Assembly in north Delhi, this building is a 19th-century structure, a rare specimen of early colonial dispatch architecture, where European building styles were adapted to local conditions.

It once relayed mail between Metcalfe House and the Imperial Council. Today, it lies abandoned - its façade crumbling, arched entrance falling apart, roof collapsing in parts, and some of its yellowed blocks entirely overtaken by wild growth.

Built in the 1850s, the Civil Lines Post Office was among the earliest postal stations of colonial Delhi.

The post office's proximity to Metcalfe House and the British military camp at Civil Lines made it an important part of the colonial bureaucratic machinery.

But once a new building came up in the 1920s, the old structure was relegated to use as a guest house. Eventually, it was deserted altogether.

For decades, locals said they have seen the structure slip into ruin.