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Curtains down for BSNL's 160-year old telegram service

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sarang

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"As per a circular issued by Shameem Akhtar, Sr. General Manager (Telegraph Services) Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd (BSNL) Corporate office, New Delhi, the telegraph service is to be discontinued with effect from July 15, 2013.

"Faced with declining revenues, the government had in May 2011, revised the telegram charges after a gap of 60 years. The telegram charges for inland services was hiked to Rs. 27/50 from Rs. 3/50, 4/50 earlier.

Those were the days when the telegram was viewed as the harbinger of bad news - mostly - 'he expired noon' or 'appa serious start now'

Telegrams were the forerunners for sms - how to reduce the word count, use abbreviations, short words. 'telegraphic language' was a respectable form of usage.

Curtains down for BSNL's 160-year old telegram service
 
Yes, very nostalgic. What happens to rural customers who do not have Mobiles?
In USA they got rid of telegram long ago, then they also got rid of pay-phones from most of the places. It does cause some minor inconveniences.
 
My father was a Post Master; when we were in Thiruvothiyur, North Madras during 1950 , i used to take telegrams to Wimco Factory, Ennore by walk for 4 annas; in those days 4 annas is very big money.
I used to enjoy the free Tea given at the factory.
 
in 99% of the cases, atleast in my family, telegram meant bad news - death, close to death information. and these usually came late at night or early morning, waking everybody up. i remember atleast 3 of them during the 50s and 60s.

i think the idea of 'good' telegrams came much later ie telegrams delivered during wedding times. i have sent a few of those, and enjoyed the feeling of having the telegram read far away in india. surprised that these too have been shot down.

what started by marconi has lasted a long time, compared to these days of planned obsolescence or new innovations. does anyone remember stuff like icq?

rest in peace oh god of telegram. as it goes the way of slate/balpam and hand pulled rickshaws.
 
Don't feel so sad dear Mr. Kunjuppu! :nono:

I am sure you know that

பழையன கழிதலும் புதியன புகுதலும் உலகத்து இயற்கை.

(பழையன கழிதலும் புதியன புகுதலும்
வழுவல காலவகையி னானே. )
நன்னூல்

Do you really think that the hand drawn cycle rickshaw can go on the same road now with the fancy cars, buses and two wheelers zooming round the clock???

I am sure telegram served its purpose and is now replaced by faster, better and more efficient means of communication - to keep pace with the faster modern life style.
 
My father had employed a compounder mama who knew all and

did all for my father, his clinic and to us the five children.

One day he got a telegram from his father- in-law. It just read "Start"

He and his new bride imagined every possible calamity and rushed to his in laws' house.

Every one was hale and healthy and no mishaps of any sort.

When the compounder mama asked about the telegram, his F.I.Law replied coolly

"I wanted to see my daughter and told you to come here. That is all !!!" :faint:
 
Earliest Morse code 'tak,taka' telegram,then teleprinter telegram,then the gadget with which you could send and receive only messages( I forgot the name) ,then mobile phone SMS.We don't know where will the technology take us in future.
 
Pager.

Every sales engineer, and professionals like carpenter, plumber and people on the move had it. One has to contact the service provider, and dictate the message and the pager number. It will be sent. When the message is received, the person has to call his office for further instructions or do as instructed.



sadasivam.sridharan said:
Earliest Morse code 'tak,taka' telegram,then teleprinter telegram,then the gadget with which you could send and receive only messages( I forgot the name) ,then mobile phone SMS.We don't know where will the technology take us in future.
Click to expand...
 
P.J. said:
My father was a Post Master; when we were in Thiruvothiyur, North Madras during 1950 , i used to take telegrams to Wimco Factory, Ennore by walk for 4 annas; in those days 4 annas is very big money.
I used to enjoy the free Tea given at the factory.
Click to expand...
hi sir...

there are four kinds of MASTERS in olden days.....especially fit for tambrams....POST MASTER....SCHOOL MASTER....STATION

MASTER.....SARAKKU MASTER( COOK).....even my father's athimber was post master in a small villege near coimbatore....
 
tbs said:
hi sir...

there are four kinds of MASTERS in olden days.....especially fit for tambrams....POST MASTER....SCHOOL MASTER....STATION

MASTER.....SARAKKU MASTER( COOK).....even my father's athimber was post master in a small villege near coimbatore....
Click to expand...

tbs Sir

Post Master's job in those days is very respectable.
We were always given a house attached to Post Office.
But every three years my father got transferred to another Post office with the result we had to change our School also.
In those days School admission was not difficult like what we see nowadays.

My father before retirement was Post master in T Nagar Post office.

In those days, T Nagar Post office was working near RAJAKUMARI Cinema Hall, which is now converted into a big mall.
 
P.J. said:
tbs Sir

Post Master's job in those days is very respectable.
We were always given a house attached to Post Office.
But every three years my father got transferred to another Post office with the result we had to change our School also.
In those days School admission was not difficult like what we see nowadays.

My father before retirement was Post master in T Nagar Post office.

In those days, T Nagar Post office was working near RAJAKUMARI Cinema Hall, which is now converted into a big mall.
Click to expand...
hi paddhu sir,

my athai/athimber staying in house attach with post office....front side post office....back side home....the post office was in

agraharam itself....the ppl used to call us post office maama aaham./post office maama veedu...even we play in post office thiinnai

in the evenings....
 

There will NOT be any scene in which the hero cries, in a close-up shot, with a telegram fluttering in his hands! :Cry:
 

The new fashion in Sing. Chennai is to send a huge bouquet by courier to the couples on the wedding day!

No more telegrams and tips to the post man! :(

Recently, my cousin's family got a frighteningly happy (!) experience when the door bell rang at midnight - 12.00!!

There stood a courier, to hand over a huge cake and a lovely bouquet to the bride-to-be in their house

as her birthday gift from her fiance! He was away at Bangalore on duty! (Getting engaged soon) :D
 
All services are available; advance booking, delivery with live music and panache. At least one is freed from remembering on the exact day!

When I get such items, I take pictures and whatsapp/mms to the sender. If he/she is as smart, will get to see how it looks - what was ordered on line without preview sometimes. Instant response.

Raji Ram said:

The new fashion in Sing. Chennai is to send a huge bouquet by courier to the couples on the wedding day!

No more telegrams and tips to the post man! :(

Recently, my cousin's family got a frighteningly happy (!) experience when the door bell rang at midnight - 12.00!!

There stood a courier, to hand over a huge cake and a lovely bouquet to the bride-to-be in their house

as her birthday gift from her fiance! He was away at Bangalore on duty! (Getting engaged soon) :D
Click to expand...
 
sarang said:
...... When I get such items, I take pictures and whatsapp/mms to the sender. If he/she is as smart, will get to see how it looks - what was ordered on line without preview sometimes. Instant response.
Click to expand...
Wow! I have never received such things! Only heard about it. :)
 

Once my dad got a telegram: "Padmini delivered!" from Trivandrum and the post master, our dad's close

friend thought while sending it across, 'Doctor does not have a daughter by that name! Who is Padmini?'

Later on, my dad told him that a :car: 'Padmini' was delivered to my brother in law!

Ref: Padmini
 
tbs said:
....there are four kinds of MASTERS in olden days.....especially fit for tambrams....POST MASTER....SCHOOL MASTER....STATION

MASTER.....SARAKKU MASTER( COOK).....even my father's athimber was post master in a small villege near coimbatore....
Click to expand...
Here are a few more:

HEAD-MASTER, DRILL MASTER, MUSIC MASTER, TUITION MASTER and DANCE MASTER (mostly PiLLais) :)
 
Raji Ram said:

Once my dad got a telegram: "Padmini delivered!" from Trivandrum and the post master, our dad's close

friend thought while sending it across, 'Doctor does not have a daughter by that name! Who is Padmini?'

Later on, my dad told him that a :car: 'Padmini' was delivered to my brother in law!

Ref: Padmini
Click to expand...

hi raji, you can relate to this video ;) ..yes, it is not uncommon to have cars as part of dowry in our country. i have heard that too..dowries or to set up clinics for a doctor sil... :(

[video=youtube;T217p9dOh-E]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T217p9dOh-E[/video]
 
Last edited:

Dear Kunjuppu Sir,

It was NOT a dowry item to son in law!

He himself bought the car and sent this telegram for fun!! :D
 
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