Stop ... India sends its last telegram

India's last telegram went out July 14, marking the end of a service that millions of Indians had relied on for fast communication for more than 160 years.

Hundreds of people thronged the 75 telegraph offices remaining in the country to send their last telegrams to friends or family as a keepsake. The company canceled holidays for staff at the offices to handle the rush, said Shameem Akhtar, general manager at the Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd., which runs India's telegram service. The company says declining revenues forced it to end the service, which had become obsolete in an age of email, reliable landlines and ubiquitous cellphones.