Post office · Madras Presidency
ALLAHCOTTAH
- Handstamps
- 1
- Recorded
- 1855
- Rare
- 1
Punnathurkotta is a fort and former palace located in Kottapadi, about 3 km from the Guruvayoor Sree Krishna Temple, in Thrissur District of Kerala State in South India.[1]Punnathurkotta was once the palace of a local ruler His Highness Anujan Raja, now survived by his son R Unnikrishnan, daughter-in-law Nirmala Menon, grandsons Madhusudana R Menon & Madhava R Menon, but the palace grounds are now used to house the elephants belonging to the Guruvayoor temple, and has been renamed Anakkotta (meaning "Elephant Fort"). There were 86 elephants housed there, but currently there are about 37 elephants. The elephants are ritual offerings made by the devotees of Lord Guruvayurappa.
ALLAHCOTTAH has 1 pre-1854 hand-struck postal marking from 1855 recorded in this census. Each figure links to its covers, rarity and provenance.
Brown border = community submission, verified by editors
ALLAHCOTTAH handstamp summary
All recorded markings at a glance — click any row for full details and covers.
| Mark | Type | Colour | Dates | Rarity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| HG 1 | Handstamp | Red | 1855 | Rare |
Frequently asked — ALLAHCOTTAH postal history
- What are the pre stamp covers of ALLAHCOTTAH?
- Pre stamp (pre philatelic) covers of ALLAHCOTTAH are folded letters and envelopes that passed through the ALLAHCOTTAH post office before India's first adhesive stamp of 1854, so postage was shown entirely by hand-struck postal markings and manuscript rates. ALLAHCOTTAH was a post office of the Madras Presidency, British India, and this census records 1 distinct postal marking used there, dated around 1855.
- How many handstamps are recorded for ALLAHCOTTAH?
- 1 hand-struck postal marking is recorded for ALLAHCOTTAH 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 ALLAHCOTTAH called today?
- ALLAHCOTTAH is the colonial-era name of present-day Punnathurkotta, India. Covers and postmarks are catalogued here under the historical name used on the marks themselves.
- How do I identify an ALLAHCOTTAH 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 ALLAHCOTTAH 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: ALLAHCOTTAH, Punnathurkotta, ALLAHCOTTAH HG 1, ALLAHCOTTAH handstruck stamps, ALLAHCOTTAH pre stamp covers, ALLAHCOTTAH postal history.
How to cite
“ALLAHCOTTAH, Madras Presidency — pre-1854 handstruck stamps & covers,” Hand Struck Stamps, https://handstruckstampsindia.com/madras/allahcottah (accessed 11 August 2026).
Updated: 11 Aug 2026
An unrecorded mark from ALLAHCOTTAH?
If you hold a cover or strike from ALLAHCOTTAH 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 Madras Presidency
Explore the pre-1854 postal history of other Madras Presidency post offices — each page lists its recorded handstruck markings, dates and surviving covers.