This is a Permanent Pictorial Cancellation (PPC) issued by the Philatelic Bureau, Anna Road Head Post Office, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, PIN 600002, inaugurated on 31 March 1998. The cancellation design features the Anna Road HPO building — the former Warwick Electric Theatre, South India's first electric cinema house. The impression shown here is dated 12 August 2025, applied on an 'Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav' postcard bearing the Atal Bihari Vajpayee commemorative stamp. The cancellation is currently active.
The Anna Road Head Post Office in Chennai occupies a building that was originally constructed as the Warwick Electric Theatre around 1900, the first electric cinema in South India. The building was sold to the Postal and Telegraph Department around 1915 and converted into a post office. The Philatelic Bureau established there has been a key centre for philatelic activities in Tamil Nadu. The cancellation issued from this office commemorates the architectural and cultural heritage of the building and its transformation from an entertainment venue to a public service institution. Anna Road HPO (formerly Mount Road HPO) serves PIN 600002 and the Philatelic Bureau at this location remains one of the most active in southern India.
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