Home / Lifestyle / Kolkata Post Office Clings to "Fort William" Name Despite Official Renaming
Kolkata Post Office Clings to "Fort William" Name Despite Official Renaming
3 Nov
Summary
- Kolkata's post office inside Eastern Command HQ still uses "Fort William" address
- Postal workers sort and deliver mail addressed to "Fort William" despite name change
- Formal notification to update name in postal documents and stamps still pending
As of November 3rd, 2025, the post office located within the Eastern Command headquarters in Kolkata has officially been renamed the Vijay Durg Post Office. However, the transition has been slow, with postal workers still sorting and delivering mail addressed to the old name "Fort William."
The order to rename Fort William was issued last December, and the Eastern Command has since switched to using the new name Vijay Durg in its official communications. But postal employees at the facility have confirmed that no formal instructions have been given to update the name in postal documents, letterheads, or stamps.
Consequently, the majority of correspondence continues to be addressed to Fort William, with very few letters bearing the new name Vijay Durg. A postal official stated that a departmental notification is still pending, indicating the formal renaming process is yet to be completed within the postal system.
The renaming of Fort William to Vijay Durg was part of the Indian government's efforts last year to "free" the nation of colonial imprints. The nearly 250-year-old Fort William, which has long been the headquarters of the Eastern Command, was named after King William III. The new name Vijay Durg honors an ancient Maratha fort along the Sindhudurg coast.
