Today India has the largest Postal Network in the world with over 1, 55,015 Post Offices (as on 31.03.2009) of which 1, 39,144 (89.76%) are in the rural areas. At the time of independence, there were 23,344 Post Offices, which were primarily in urban areas. Thus, the network has registered a seven-fold growth since Independence, with the focus of this expansion primarily in rural areas. On an average, a Post Office serves an area of 21.21 Sq. Km and a population of 7175 people.In 1968 India opens its 100000th Post Office in a small village of Bihar Brahmpur Chaurasta.2 Million stamps were printed to commemorate this occasion on 1st July 1968.This stamp was printed without watermark.
