On the entry gate of the Kasauli club is a reminder of a gone era in this age of e- mails the blood-red coloured letter-boxes of the British era which still stand elegantly in some places around the town of kasauli. As compared to the modern era letter-boxes made of thin sheets of metal , these stand apart. Made out of wrought iron in cylindrical and pillar shapes with crowns on the top reminding of the coat of arms, these letter-boxes stand majestically. They have withstood the ups and downs of time. After India got Independence from the British , most remnants of the British were faded away , but some of the letter-boxes managed to with stand all this. Some are over 150 years old. Now they all bear the logo of the Indian Postal Services.letter-boxes were installed in the late 1830s. Painted in different colours , they were finally painted uniformly in red colour in 1876 in London. Since India was under the British rule, many such letter-boxes were put up in the important places where the Britisher’s resided. It is due to the efforts of Major R.E. Hotz, who didn’t return to England after Independence and settled down in Kasauli, that the beautiful letter-box survives till today and is functional. When the government was acquiring these letter-boxes, this one was spared on the request of Major Hotz.
Lately, the government again wanted to remove this letter-box and keep it in the museum. However, thanks to the indian Army authorities who rejected the proposal saying that the letter-box was the property of the Army since it is located within the Army cantonment area. The sleek letter-box continues to be functional and even receives a couple of letters every day.
