Keeping alive the telegraph office

KOZHIKODE: The British Government bought a piece of land right on the shores of Arabian Sea in 1909, constructed a building for housing Kozhikode’s Telegraph Office.  

Prior to acquiring of  the land, the Telegraph office used to function out of a huge premises. But the then Collector wanted to enjoy unobstructed sea breeze besides having a suitable location for the all important office.  

The majestic heritage structure near Kozhikode Beach is now owned by a five member Gujarati family. In 1960, Rejilal Shah the head of the family who settled in Kozhikode bought this property for Rs 80,000 through a court auction. He converted it into a godown for their coconut business.  

Mr Vallabh Das and family now stay in the building which was once visited by thousands of people for sending telegrams to their near and dear ones.

“The then Telegraph Superintendent used to live on the top floor of this building where I am staying now. We are maintaining the building with our limited resources as the coconut business is not good in Kozhikode these days,” Vallabh Das told Deccan Chronicle.  

This magnificent structure is located on the beach side opposite Sea Queen Hotel.  The staff quarters constructed for postmen are still intact in the premises. The British authorities had purchased this land from a traditional Muslim family in Kozhikode. Till then the Telegraph office at Kozhikode was functioning out of a rented premises.  

The British decided to acquire the land for Telegraph office as they feared that private parties would buy the land in front of the rented premises thus blocking sea breeze.

“The rented premises was situated in one acre fourteen cents of land on the beach. The land in front of the office was a play ground which was pawned to one Arumughan Chettiyar. In a letter written by the Telegraph Mysore Division Superintendent to the then Malabar Collector,  he said there was a possibility of  private parties acquiring the play ground. This would obstruct the flow of sea breeze to the Telegraph office.  So a permanent land along Beach side should be bought for housing the Telegraph office,” T B Seluraj, historian based in Kozhikode said.  

The British then acquired this plot, which is now situated in 36 cents of land and constructed the new Telegraph office building. The Telegraph office was shifted to Kozhikode Link Road in 1950s.