General Post Office

জিপিও

Also known as GPO, with the Postal Museum.

A domed post office on the site of the first Fort William.

About General Post Office

The GPO was completed in 1868 to a design by Walter Granville, with a great white dome and tall Corinthian columns. It stands where the original Fort William stood; a brass line set in the steps marks part of the old fort wall. It is a working post office, and a postal museum and philatelic bureau are housed in the complex.

Why visit

You can walk in, buy a stamp and post a card from one of the grandest post offices anywhere.

What to see and do

The dome and rotunda
The brass line marking old Fort William
The postal museum and philatelic counter

Plan your visit

Area: BBD Bagh (Dalhousie), Central Kolkata
Nearest landmark: Lal Dighi, BBD Bagh
Best time: Morning or afternoon. October to March is the most comfortable time of year.
Time needed: About 30 minutes
Cost: Free
Entry: Open to everyone: a street, ghat, market or park you can walk into. A working post office open on business days. Postal museum opening hours are not currently verified.
Metro: Mahakaran (Green Line)
Walking: Little walking
Photography: Photography is fine with some care.

Nearby and related places

BBD Bagh & Lal Dighi: The tank and square at the centre of the colonial capital.
St John’s Church: A 1787 church whose garden holds the tomb of Job Charnock.
Millennium Park: A landscaped riverside park along Strand Road.
St Andrew’s Church: The 1818 Scottish church with a tall white spire.
Old Mission Church: The oldest Protestant church in the city, founded in 1770.
Metcalfe Hall: A colonnaded hall of the 1840s facing the river.

Walks that include it

Colonial Kolkata Walk: Dalhousie Square, the capital of British India

More guides

Last checked on 2026-10-02. Each place was checked to exist and its position confirmed. Timings, closing days and ticket prices are shown only where known and can change: confirm before you travel.