1 hr ago
Hyderabad Postcard Enthusiasts Revive Handwritten Connections as a Hobby
Some people in Hyderabad enjoy sending and receiving postcards.
They write messages by hand, choose a picture, add a stamp and send the card through the post.
It can take a long time to arrive, so getting one is a fun surprise.
A website called Postcrossing helps people exchange cards with strangers in other countries.
The cards can share stories about people, places and everyday life.
Enthusiasts say making a card helps them slow down and feel connected to someone.
Postal workers say postcards are now uncommon, but they still make people smile.
These postcard fans say cards can exist alongside texts and other digital messages.
A group of postcard enthusiasts in Hyderabad is embracing handwritten cards despite the dominance of instant digital communication.
Participants say choosing a card, writing by hand and waiting for delivery make the exchange personal and enjoyable.
The global Postcrossing platform helps people exchange postcards with strangers in different countries.
Enthusiasts describe postcard writing as nostalgic, relaxing and a way to learn about people, places and cultures.
Postal workers say postcard use has fallen sharply, though delivering and receiving one can still bring happiness.
- Who
- Postcard enthusiasts in Hyderabad, including participants in Postcrossing, and postal workers.
- What
- People are exchanging postcards as a hobby, valuing the handwritten messages, anticipation and personal connection.
- Where
- Hyderabad, with postcards exchanged between people in different countries.
- When
- In the digital communication era; no specific date is given.
- Why
- Enthusiasts enjoy the personal touch, the wait for delivery, nostalgia and the chance to share stories and discover other places.
Postcard enthusiasts
Digital communication and declining use
Personal connection
Postcard enthusiasts
Enthusiasts say handwriting, stamps and the physical card create a personal connection and a keepsake that digital messages often lack.
Digital communication and declining use
Postal workers say most people now prefer WhatsApp, email and social media, and that postcard use has reduced significantly.
Who uses postcards
Postcard enthusiasts
The hobby attracts people across age groups, including teenagers and young professionals.
Digital communication and declining use
Grameen Dak Sevak Penthala Upendar said most postcards he sees are from older people, while younger people rarely use them.
Key facts
- Hobby location
- Hyderabad
- Exchange platform
- Postcrossing, a portal that promotes postcard exchanges
- Reported collection
- David Selva Kumar said he has received more than 1,000 postcards from different parts of the world.
- Memorable card
- Kumar's favourite is a 'Bullet Train' postcard sent by a friend in Japan in 1975.
- Reported delivery wait
- Kumar said a postcard may take a month or more to arrive.
- Postal service view
- Postal workers said postcard use has declined and that business postcards are more common.
- Enthusiasts' view
- They see postcards as something that can coexist with digital communication, not replace it.
Quotes
David Selva Kumar
Postcard enthusiast who has received more than 1,000 cards.
“Postcards have become very rare and business postcards have become more common. Whenever I see one, I think, ‘Oh, people are still using this service.’ It makes me nostalgic in this digital age. I also notice the smile on the receiver’s face while reading it. They feel happy, and that is a special moment.”
deccanchronicle.com
“Sending a postcard is a different experience from social media. It may take a month or more to receive a card, and that waiting period itself is curious and interesting.”
deccanchronicle.com
Sources
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