Antique & Vintage Postcards

The still waters of the ornamental pool at Panchaki — a revered Sufi garden complex in Hyderabad, India — mirror the white Mughal-inspired domes of its mosque in golden afternoon light, surrounded by towering cypresses and lush tropical plantings that have shaded pilgrims and visitors for centuries. This chrome-era card, published by Elar/L.R. Trading Company of Bombay, was sent by airmail to Michael in Vienna, Austria, with a message written in German covering travel impressions of India. Two Indian stamps frank the card: a 60-paisa definitive and a 15-paisa definitive from the 1960s series. Panchaki (also spelled Panchakki) is famous for its water wheel driven by an underground aqueduct — a marvel of medieval engineering — and remains an important dargah (shrine) of the Chishti Sufi order.