1909 Travancore interstate mail service by water transport...Boat / Canoe..

Travancore mail service carried through Boat / Canoe from Kazhakoottam to Quilon by interconnected canals (T. S. Canal) and lakes (Ashtamudi, Vembabad etc) to Paravur, and then to Urakom (Cochin State) by road... 

No special postal markings are found, as to the transmission of mail by boat/canoe, unlike the mail carried by Railway (T R A.S).

Water Transport Mail conveyance Transit Station route from Kazhakoottam to North Paravur & by Road, to the Urakam town of Cochin State are shown below..

Kazhakoottam...8th Makaram 1084 ( Jan 20, 1909).

Quilon.. 9th Mak (Jan/21).

Padanayarkulangara.. 9th (Jan//21).

Kayamkulam... 9th Mak (Jan/21).

Alleppey.. 9th Mak (Jan/21).

Vaikom... 9th Mak (Jan/21).

Paravur.. 10th (Jan/22).

Urakam.. 11th Makaram 1084 (Jan/23/1909). 

Distance in Nautical miles from Kazhakoottam to North Paravur.. 114 miles (210 km).

Note: 1 Nautical Mile = 1.852 kilometers. 

Kazhakoottam to Quilon.. 30 miles. 

Quilon to Padayanarkulangara.. 14 miles. 

Padayanarkulangara to Kayamkulam.. 8 miles. 

Kayamkulam to Alleppey.. 22 miles. 

Alleppey to Vaikom..15 miles. 

Vaikom to North Paravur..25 miles.

A folded letter (Half Chuckram stamp obliterated with T-20), from Kazhakoottam (near Trivandrum), addressed to the the Cochin town of Urakom.

Kazhakoottam (T-20)

Kazhakoottam

Quilon.

Padanayarkulangara

Kayamkulam.

Alleppey.

Vaikom 

Paravur (North)

Urakam (Cochin State)

Kongu coin with missing border dots.

Kongu coin with missing border dots.. Not Recorded.

Circle of border dots missing on both the obverse & reverse sides of the Kongu coin (Bow & Palm Tree series). 

Weight: 1 gram. 

Size.. 12x13mm.

An anamoly found in this Kongu incuse coin.  Probably a trial strike. 

PARCEL Post markings of Travancore

 

The Travancore 'PARCEL' (Banghy) service was in existence from 1860.  
The Anchal Runners used to carry these light parcels along with letters in a bundle suspended on each side of a pole across the shoulders. 

The big & heavy parcels were carried out by the Travancore Transit Agency (1868), and the conveyance was through Boat, in the earlier period.

And followed up by Trains(1904) and Road Transport in the latter period. 

But unfortunately none of the parcel receipts nor wrappers of the parcels have been traced.

All the parcel markings found so far, was in English, with no trace of parcel cancellation even from the pre-stamp period (before Oct 16 1888), in Malayalam language, or even after, till 1924.

Type 1. (Not Recorded)

P. A. R. (Dot in-between)

Type 2. 

PAR. (Dot after PAR)

Circle measuring 31 mm & 21 mm

Picture courtesy of Dr N S Mooss's book 'The Travancore Anchal'.

Type 3. 

PAR (no dot after PAR)

Circle measuring 32 mm & 21 mm

Picture courtesy of Dr N S Mooss's book 'The Travancore Anchal'.

Type 4.

Picture courtesy of Dr N S Mooss's book 'The Travancore Anchal'. 

Most of the specimens of all the above types were seen only from Trivandrum. Perhaps few others might exist.

 TRAVANCORE UNUSUAL CANCELLATION... from the (late) Mr. John Trowbridge ex-collection 

Missing Town number.

Only one number is seen.

Mystery cancel on Laid paper.

'M' Preventive mark cancel.

Rubber stamp marking designed to prevent the illegal washing and reuse of postage stamps.

Interesting 'T' (T-8..Town is Mahanadapuram) marking on Cochin One Puttan stamp.

'FO' of FOUR missing 
'E' of ANCHEL.. Red blob on 'E'.
Watermark inverted.

Interesting & unusual 9 Bar cancel

Pen Cancelled stamps of Travancore 

1895 Transit Master of Quilon addressed 'Cash Eight' perforated (Perf: 10) post card from Attungal to Quilon.

In the  Princely State of Travancore (1895), the Sircar Transit Master at Quilon (Kollam) was a designated official agent responsible for managing and facilitating the transit, receipt, and dispatch of goods and parcels primarily through Roads, Boats and Canoes (Rail transport came into existence only in 1904).

The Varkala Tunnel System: Cargo boats and canoes traveling through Quilon frequently utilized the newly operational Varkala Tunnels, which served as the primary subterranean water highway linking Quilon's trade hub to the capital city of Trivandrum.

 The primary items moved via these canoes & cargo boats included imported Cotton goods, Rice, Tobacco and Timber, was managed through the Quilon Range checkpoints and supervised by the Dewan, Shungrasoobyer.

Cotton, which accounted for 18% of the total imports of Travancore led to the destruction of local weaving. The massive influx of cheap, machine-made foreign cloth dealt a catastrophic blow to traditional handloom weavers in regions like Quilon.

Postage Due (കൂലി)... lapse in cancellation stamp..(കുല്ല & കുല)

Postage Due (കൂലി).

 Minor faults found in hand cancellation stamp..(കുല്ല & കുല).

Kulla  (കുല്ല)

 

Kula (കുല).. Smallest box cancel to record, so far... 24x13mm

 

Smallest box cancel to record, so far... 24x13mm

Dr N S Mooss, in his book on Travancore Anchal recorded the smallest 'KULI' cancel as 24x15mm

1914 British India Telegram envelope postally despatched & delivered by Travancore Anchal office at Muvattupuzha.. Combination mail.

1914 British India Telegram envelope despatched & delivered by Muvattupuzha Anchal office.

Imperial Post telegraph message from Trivandrum, transmitted through  the Imperial Post office to Moovattupuzha Imperial office and handed over in a Telegraph envelope with the content (missing) to the local Muvattupuzha Anchal office at 3 p.m (Anchal man's manuscript on the reverse.. received on 17 Thulam, 1089), and  from Moovattupuzha, next day (18 Thulam) despatched to the nearest head Mana at Thodupuzha, rather than to the away branch Mana @ Eramalloor.

This telegram envelope was handed over to Muvattupuzha Anchal office, from Imperial post of Muvattupuzha, as Medanga Mana was in Valakom (5 miles) from Muvattupuzha.

As per the Travancore Anchal rule, it was mandatory that the British India telegram transmitted thru Anchal post was to be registered.

 And the postage (3.5 Chuckram) was to be recovered by the Muvattupuzha Anchal office, from the recipient, without any extra penalty.

Only the actual postage of Chuckram 3 1/2 was charged. No postage due taken.

Registration Charge..3 Chuckram 

Postage..Half a Chuckram (8 Cash). 

1) Why Imperial Post office at Muvattupuzha has not affixed their dated stamp? It appears that the envelope was personally handed over to the Anchal local office. 

2) Another query is that why it was not posted to Eramalloor (Cherthala taluk, Alleppey district)? ....

 Probably the Management head of the Medangal Mana @ Thodupuzha must have given earlier standing instructions to the Imperial Post and local Anchal offices that all articles in the Mana's address, to be posted straight to the Mana at Thodupuzha, and not to any branches of the Mana. 

  

Manuscript by Anchal Master...

'തിരുവനന്തപുരത്തുള്ള ഹൈ കോർട്ട് വക്കീൽ കൃഷ്ണയ്യർ അയച്ച കത്ത് ഇന്നേക്ക് 17-3-89 3 മണിക്ക് കിട്ടി'. 

(Received a letter today sent by Advocate Krishnaiyer, High Court, Trivandrum.

17-3-89  at 3 Pm.)

Only the actual postage of  Chuckram 3 1/2 was charged. No postage due taken.

Register No..1399

Weight..1/4 Tola 

Circular dated arrival stamp at Muvattupuzha..Thulam 17, 89.

Delivery cds..Thulam 18, 89. 

From the article (Combination mail..Travancore & Imperial Post) by O.K. Prakash which came up in ISC magazine 'India Post..Vol 56/3 No 224, Year 2022, page 111&112)..