Readers of a certain vintage might recall queueing for hours with their parents at the neighbourhood post office, to send money orders to grandparents in faraway towns, or to ensure important documents were safely delivered to foreign lands.

Flash forward to the 2020s. With India’s booming digital revolution, the once-popular postal service has become mostly obsolete, with only a small but dedicated population continuing to patronise it. However, an innovation at Kolkata’s General Post Office deserves a mention for its attempt to tweak the script. Inaugurated on March 8, 2022, by J Charukesi, then Chief Postmaster General, West Bengal Circle, Siuli-The Parcel Café became India’s first café to be located inside a Post Office. The intent was to boost parcel services, and to also revive interest in our rich postal heritage.