Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus

Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus (formerly Victoria Terminus) is a historic railway station of the Mumbai suburban railway, as well as for some long-distance trains. It serves as the headquarters of the Central Railways in India and is one of the busiest railway stations in India. The building was made a World Heritage Site because its Victorian Gothic Revival and traditional Indian features, as well as its advanced structural and technical solutions.

The station was designed by Frederick William Stevens, a consulting architect in 1887-1888 for a princely sum of 16.14 lakhs in those days. Stevens earned the commission to construct the station after a masterpiece watercolour sketch by draughtsman Axel Herman. After earning the commission, Stevens went on a ten-month trip to Europe to make a detailed study of the stations there. St Pancras station in London bears some resemblance to Victoria Terminus.

It took 10 years to complete and was originally named "Victoria Terminus" in honour of the reigning Queen Victoria. In 1996, in response to demands by the Shiv Sena and in keeping with the policy of renaming locations with Indian names, the station was renamed by the state government after Chhatrapati Shivaji, a famed 17th century Maratha king. Since the moniker Victoria Terminus, or VT, has been long-standing, its use among the city inhabitants is still widespread.


Year Decision Comments
2004 Inscribed Reasons for inscription
1999DeferredBureau - to consider a conservation program and a comparative analysis of historic Railway Termini worldwide

Reviews

Avinash talegaonkar (India, Dombivli.):
An active cummuting hub; a passage for millions of passengers everyday; How many of them know they are just inside a world heritage monument? tarry a moment and appreciate the friezes and gargoyles!
Definately deserves more attention.
Date posted: August 2009
Santosh Mahadeshwar (India):
V.T. station, it's great example of British construction as a strong & beautiful building. Daily I'm watching this building and it look more attractive. Every day I'm trying to find something un-seen facts in it. I feel proud to be apart of Mumbai where is building is located.
Date posted: January 2009
Christer Sundberg (Sweden):
Mumbai of today is a bustling 20-million people megacity. It is as charming as charismatic. It’s India’s past, present and future mixed into one overpopulated, irrepressibly vibrant whole.
The British heritage is strong in Mumbai. The first economic boom came during the American Civil War and Mumbai then took the chance to take over as the worlds main supplier of cotton. An economic boom followed and a building frenzy started in Mumbai resulting in many Victorian styled houses and palaces. Walking around the Colaba district on the southern tip of the city, sometimes feels like being in a tropical London.

The true jewel in the architectural Crown is the Gothic styled Chhatrapati Shivaij Terminus, formerly Victoria Terminus – the central train station. It looks more like a decorated palace or a cathedral than something as mundane as a transport depot. The station is considered to be the most beautiful train station in the world as was designed and completed in 1887 by Frederick Stevens, who carefully studied European train station before starting up his project. You can also clearly see that the station draws quite a lot of inspiration from St Pancras in London.

Today the station houses the HQ of the Central Railways and is one of the busiest stations in India. Approx 2 million people pass through the station each day and it is a hub for both local suburban trains and a long distance trains. If your destination is Mumbai, make sure to allow some extra time to check out one of the most grandeur train stations in the world.
 
Sri Ganesh (USA):
My first job was at Mumbai after completing college in South India. I took the train to Bombay and reached "VT" (Victoria Terminus) as it was called then. The sheer hectic activity of the city in the train station built in the Victorian architectural style is still fresh in my memory!
Date posted: September 2006
Sunny Upadhyay (Mumbai, India):
WONDERFUL!! Unibelievable. It's enormous, probably the busiest railway station in the world. A lot of Bombay, is still undiscovered. I hope the government starts maintaining the heritage buildings soon. Bombay should be restored to it's original, as the britishers made it.
Date posted: June 2005
Palacios, Luis E. (Spain):
I know about the troubles for indian government to keep clean railway stations. Perhaps UNESCO could help in the case of W. H. places like this one. I am for it. It's difficult to me to talk about the historic and artistic qualities of a place if the place is not clean enough.
 
Archana Potdar (Mumbai, India):
It is great news to that the majestic station has been honoured with this great distinction. Especially as a resident of Mumbai I have had the pleasure to see this magnificient work of art several times, however the stations beauty and grandeur never seem to diminish
 
Abhijeet Tamhane (India):
The Victoria Terminus (now Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus), for an Indian who loves and studies Mumbai, is an edifice of the colonial blend of Victorian Gothic with Indian overtones. The Peacock "JALI", the Pillar-decorations that show Indian animals eating Indian fruit, the faces/busts of Indian social/economic leaders and also British officials... all tell a story!

Re the changed name, one may point to the omni-presence of "Victoria" in the British-ruled "Bombay" : there was Victoria Gardens, Victoria Jubilie Technical institute, even the horse-cart was (and is) called "Victoria".
 
Rob Wilson (UK):
It's great to see this wonderful old building added to the list. To me, it is the symbol of Bombay.
I just wish they'd get rid of the overly politically correct modern name. All of the lccals I have ever spoken to call it VT or Victoria Terminus.
 


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