Once Ubiquitous, Postcard Turns Into A Hobby

In an age of social media messages, direct messages and instant communication, a group of people in Hyderabad is choosing to slow down and reconnect through postcards. The hobby is attracting people across age groups, from teenagers and young professionals.

For enthusiasts, the appeal lies in the personal touch of handwriting a message, choosing a postcard, affixing a stamp and waiting for it to reach its destination.

“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,” said David Selva Kumar, a postcard enthusiast who has received more than 1,000 cards from different parts of the world. His favourite remains a ‘Bullet Train’ postcard sent by a friend in Japan in 1975.

For others, postcards offer a personal connection that digital communication often lacks. Seshachalam Kanniganti said handwritten messages feel as though the sender has personally visited one's home to share experiences.

He recalled suggesting Ghantasala’s music to a US-based participant of Postcrossing, a portal that promotes use of postcards, who had requested music recommendations. “After receiving the postcard, he wrote back saying he was listening to ‘Aaduthu Paduthu Panichestunte’, a classical hit from the 1960s,” he said.

Suraksha Kanuru described postcard writing as a form of “slow living” and a stress buster. “It feels like someone from my family has sent me a card. I don't feel that person is a stranger anymore,” she said.

The global Postcrossing platform has also helped expand the hobby by allowing people to exchange postcards with strangers across countries. Enthusiasts said the cards often carry stories about their senders, local culture, places and personal interests.

Anwesh Goda said postcards encourage people to pause and make an effort. “A postcard has a personal touch that digital messages often lack. You have to sit down, think about what you want to say, write it by hand, choose a card, put a stamp on it and send it,” he said.

He said receiving a postcard after a long journey brings a sense of surprise and curiosity, while the handwriting and postal markings make it a physical memory that can be preserved.

“It’s fascinating to see people from random places with unique stories writing with care, sharing their favourites, moments of joy, life lessons and achievements,” said Krishna Mohan Gorle, a postcard enthusiast.

He said receiving a card after a long journey was equally exciting. “It’s very exciting to receive a postcard that has travelled more than you. You made that happen by sharing something from your life that interested someone, and the card comes back with a reply, story, fact or wishes,” he said.

For Rachuri Sai Ram, postcard writing brings back the nostalgia of letters and waiting for replies. “The nostalgia of writing letters and waiting for replies has always been endearing. Digital evolution has taken away some of that innocence and beauty. I wish to bring it back,” he said.

Receiving a postcard is a special experience for him. “The thought that it was handwritten and sent from a faraway land, along with the stamps and post office seal, makes me very happy,” he said.

For some enthusiasts, the hobby is also about discovering people and places they may never visit. Cards featuring landmarks, art, festivals and everyday life travel thousands of kilometres, creating a connection between strangers.

Despite the growth of digital communication, enthusiasts do not see postcards as its replacement. Instead, they believe the two can coexist.

For the postcard writers and enthusiasts, the charm lies in what digital messages cannot offer: the anticipation of waiting, the surprise of finding a card in the mailbox and the feeling of holding something that another person took time to create and send.

A postman at Secunderabad Head Post Office, Srinivas Reddy, said, “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.”

Penthala Upendar, a Grameen Dak Sevak, said, “Postcard use has reduced significantly, with most people now preferring WhatsApp, email and social media. Still, delivering a postcard feels special because of its personal touch. Most of the postcards I see are from older people, while younger people rarely use them.”