... A wonderful postcard📮coming from a very special place with postmaster Mr. Rinchon Chhering... the world’s highest post office in Hikkim, on the India-Tibet border in the Spiti Valley in Himachal Pradesh... located at around a towering altitude of around 4,400 metres above sea level, this remote Post Office is one of the most unique places to visit in the Spiti Valley... surrounded by dramatic mountains, barren Himalayan landscapes and the peaceful villages of Spiti, Hikkim offers a travel experience that feels completely different from the usual hill stations... it serves local residents and visitors alike... and symbolizes India's commitment to connecting even the most remote communities... a true little ♥gem♥ for a postcard collector... with "Hikkim" cancellation...Thanks a lot Kamran!!¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Hikkim is is one of the highest year-round inhabited villages in India. The majority of the people in Hikkim are Buddhists. The Hikkim post office was opened on November 5, 1983, and Mr. Rinchon Chhering has been the postmaster here since it started at the age of 22. This little post office (also Chhering’s home) is the only mode of communication for the residents of Hikkimis, there is no cell phone signal or internet to connect with.
✉️The postcard’s journey:
Like the rest of the valley, the post office is also shut for six months of the year because of snow. Two runners take turns in carrying mail on foot from Hikkim to Kaza (23 km) every morning. From Kaza, mail bags are taken by bus to Reckong Peo, onward to Shimla. In Shimla, the bags are loaded onto the historic, narrow-gauge UNESCO World Heritage railway (the "Toy Train") to travel down the mountains to Kalka. From Kalka, the mail goes back onto a bus or train directed straight to the central sorting hub in New Delhi. Once in Delhi, the mail is finally sorted into the modern postal network to fly or ride to its final destination.
The 150th Anniversary of the UPU - Universal Postal Union
(Issued 09-10-2024)
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