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Snail mail helps sisters keep festive spirit alive
It has been an unusually busy week at the Pashan post office. Lately, the nondescript office, located in a far corner of a local commercial complex, has seen the number of visitors increase exponentially. With just a couple of days to go for Rakshabandhan, women have been queuing up to post rakhis to their brothers living in different parts of the country and even abroad.
In the age of virtual rakhis, overnight courier services, and e-tailers promising express deliveries of 'combo rakhi packs', filled with sweets and gifts, the good old post office is still the preferred choice for numerous women. Thanks to its reliability and cost-effectiveness, women say they like using the post to help convey their love for their brothers.
City-based techie, Priyanka Mishra, who queued up outside the Pashan post office, on Tuesday, to mail a rakhi to her brother in Noida, said, "It has become an annual ritual since the time I started living away from my elder brother. Speed post ensures delivery of your rakhi within three days, which will be just in time for the festival. I don't mind standing in the long queue. Earlier, I had tried sending the rakhi through a courier company but they charged me a huge amount and did not even deliver the parcel on time."
While the Mishra siblings were living together, they would always celebrate the festival in a traditional manner. "Now that I'm living away, I could have requested someone to purchase the rakhi and tie it on my behalf, but I like putting in the effort myself," Mishra said.
In fact, women are looking to India Post for help even when it comes to connecting with brothers living overseas. Snehlata Kulkarni, who was sending a rakhi to her brother in Australia, found the process quite simple. "My younger brother was recently posted abroad. I'd explored the courier option but it was quite expensive. In comparison, sending the rakhi through speed post hardly costs much," she said.
Talking about the festive rush, postal assistant at the Pashan post office, S B Shelke, said, "People start mailing rakhis nearly 10-15 days in advance. Despite courier services and other options, it's the trust factor that brings people back to the post office."
In the age of virtual rakhis, overnight courier services, and e-tailers promising express deliveries of 'combo rakhi packs', filled with sweets and gifts, the good old post office is still the preferred choice for numerous women. Thanks to its reliability and cost-effectiveness, women say they like using the post to help convey their love for their brothers.
City-based techie, Priyanka Mishra, who queued up outside the Pashan post office, on Tuesday, to mail a rakhi to her brother in Noida, said, "It has become an annual ritual since the time I started living away from my elder brother. Speed post ensures delivery of your rakhi within three days, which will be just in time for the festival. I don't mind standing in the long queue. Earlier, I had tried sending the rakhi through a courier company but they charged me a huge amount and did not even deliver the parcel on time."
While the Mishra siblings were living together, they would always celebrate the festival in a traditional manner. "Now that I'm living away, I could have requested someone to purchase the rakhi and tie it on my behalf, but I like putting in the effort myself," Mishra said.
In fact, women are looking to India Post for help even when it comes to connecting with brothers living overseas. Snehlata Kulkarni, who was sending a rakhi to her brother in Australia, found the process quite simple. "My younger brother was recently posted abroad. I'd explored the courier option but it was quite expensive. In comparison, sending the rakhi through speed post hardly costs much," she said.
Talking about the festive rush, postal assistant at the Pashan post office, S B Shelke, said, "People start mailing rakhis nearly 10-15 days in advance. Despite courier services and other options, it's the trust factor that brings people back to the post office."
Source:-The Times of India
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