Post office · Bengal Presidency
Arrah
- Handstamps
- 3
- Recorded
- 1821–1836
- Rare
- 1
Arrah is a city and the administrative headquarters of Bhojpur district, Bihar; under the British Raj it was the headquarters of the historical Shahabad district.
Arrah has 3 pre-1854 hand-struck postal markings dated 1821–1836 recorded in this census. Each figure links to its covers, rarity and provenance.
Arrah handstamp summary
All recorded markings at a glance — click any row for full details and covers.
Frequently asked — Arrah postal history
- What are the pre stamp covers of Arrah?
- Pre stamp (pre philatelic) covers of Arrah are folded letters and envelopes that passed through the Arrah post office before India's first adhesive stamp of 1854, so postage was shown entirely by hand-struck postal markings and manuscript rates. Arrah was a post office of the Bengal Presidency, British India, and this census records 3 distinct postal markings used there, dated between 1821 and 1836.
- How many handstamps are recorded for Arrah?
- 3 hand-struck postal markings are recorded for Arrah in this census, of which 1 is graded rare or better. Each mark carries its Hammond Giles catalogue figure number, colour, date range, evidence-based rarity grade, and links to every surviving cover recorded with it.
- What is Arrah called today?
- Arrah is the colonial-era name of present-day Ara, India. Covers and postmarks are catalogued here under the historical name used on the marks themselves.
- How do I identify an Arrah postmark or cover?
- Compare your cover against the reference impressions on this page — each figure shows the mark's design, ink colour and recorded date range. If your Arrah cover bears a mark that matches a figure, open that figure's page to see every recorded example with provenance. If it matches none, it may be unrecorded: submit photographs through the form on this page and the editors will review it for inclusion in the census.
Also searched as: Arrah, Ara, Arrah HG 1, Arrah handstruck stamps, Arrah pre stamp covers, Arrah postal history.
How to cite
“Arrah, Bengal Presidency — pre-1854 handstruck stamps & covers,” Hand Struck Stamps, https://handstruckstampsindia.com/bengal/arrah (accessed 10 August 2026).
Updated: 10 Aug 2026
An unrecorded mark from Arrah?
If you hold a cover or strike from Arrah that does not match any figure above, submit it below. Approved additions appear here as new entries in the census — every submission is reviewed first.
Same presidency
Other post offices in the Bengal Presidency
Explore the pre-1854 postal history of other Bengal Presidency post offices — each page lists its recorded handstruck markings, dates and surviving covers.