Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus: A Heritage Architectural Gem
Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus was officially known as Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus since 2017. Formerly it was known as Victoria Terminus (VT), Bombay station code: CSMT (mainline)/ST (suburban). It is a historic railway terminus and includes in UNESCO World Heritage Site in Mumbai, Maharashtra, India.
The terminus was designed by a British architectural engineer Frederick William Stevens from an initial design by Axel Haig, in an exuberant Italian Gothic style. Its construction began in 1878, in a location south of the old Bori Bunder railway station and was completed in 1887, the year marking 50 years of Queen Victoriaโs rule.
In March 1996, the stationโs name was officially changed from โVictoria Terminusโ to โChhatrapati Shivaji Terminusโ (with station code CST). It was named after Shivaji, the 17th-century warrior king and the first Chhatrapati of the Maratha Empire who founded the state in the western Marathi-speaking regions of the Deccan Plateau.
In 2017, the station was again renamed โChhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminusโ (with code CSMT), where the title Maharaj has literal meaning, โGreat king; emperor.โ Both former initials โVTโ and the current, โCSTโ, are also commonly used.
The terminus is the headquarters of Indiaโs Central Railway. It is one of the busiest railway stations in India. It is serving as a terminal for both long-distance and suburban trains with a total number of 18 platforms.
The Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus (formerly Victoria Terminus) is located in Mumbai on the Western Part of India touching the shores of the Arabian Sea. This building, designed by F. W. Stevens, is spread across a 2.85-hectare area. The terminal was built over a period of 10 years starting in 1878.
The Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is the finest illustration of the distinctive Bombay Gothic style of structure, which merged High Victorian Gothic design with features from traditional Indian design in the late nineteenth century A.D. It is known for its ancient past and its breath-taking examples of Victorian Gothic architecture.
Owing to its South Mumbai location, CST is one of the primary hubs for trade in the city. The demand for office space here has increased due to its prime location and connectivity.
The Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus (formerly Victoria Terminus) building is the expression of the British, Italian and Indian architectural planning and its use for Indian Railways. The entire building retains entire structural integrity. Its faรงade, outer view and usage are original.
History of Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus
This famous landmark which has become a symbol of the city, was built as the headquarters of the Great Indian Peninsular Railway.
The railway station was built to replace the Bori Bunder railway station, in the Bori Bunder area of Mumbai. It is a prominent port and warehouse area known for its imports and exports.
Since Mumbai became a major port city at the time, a bigger station was built to meet its demands, and was named Victoria Terminus, after the then reigning Empress of India, Queen Victoria.
The station was designed by Frederick William Stevens, a British engineer architect, attached to the Bombay office of the Indian colonial Public Works Department. Work began in 1878. He received โน1,614,000 (US$19,000) as the payment for his services.
Stevens earned the commission to construct the station after a masterpiece watercolour sketch by draughtsman Axel Haig. The design has been compared to George Gilbert Scottโs 1873 St Pancras railway station in London, also in an exuberant Italian Gothic style, but it is far closer to Scottโs second prize winning entry for Berlinโs parliament building, exhibited in London in 1875, which featured numerous towers and turrets, and a large central ribbed dome.
The style of the station is also similar to other public buildings of the 1870s in Mumbai, like Elphinstone College but especially the buildings of Mumbai University, also designed by G Scott. The station took ten years to complete. It was the longest for any building of that era in Mumbai.
Missing statue
During its construction, a marble statue of Queen Victoria was installed in the main faรงade of the building, in a canopy under the clock. In the 1950s, authorities had begun to remove statues of the British figures from government buildings and public spaces based on a directive from the Government of India.
Most of the statues, including that of Queen Victoria, were sent to Victoria Gardens (later renamed Rani Baug). There they were left lying on the grass in the open until at least the 1980s.
A Right to Information report was filed, but had no records of the missing statue being exported out of India. Historians now believe that the statue was smuggled out, sold by politicians, or destroyed. The symbol of Progress, another statue, featured on the top of the dome, is often mistaken for that of Queen Victoria.
Renaming
The station has been renamed several times. It was built to replace Bori Bunder, the terminus of the Great Indian Peninsula Railway from 1853 to 1888 and was named Victoria Terminus to commemorate the Golden Jubilee of Queen Victoria. In 1996, the station was renamed to Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus in honour of Shivaji, the founder and first Chhatrapati of the Maratha Empire.
In December 2016, the Fadnavis Ministry passed a resolution to change the name to Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus in the Maharashtra Assembly and in May 2017, the home ministry officially sent a letter to the state government denoting the name change, following which the station was yet again renamed as the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus. However, both the former names โVTโ as well as โCSTโ along with the current name โCSMTโ are popularly used.
2008 Mumbai attacks
On 26 November 2008, two Pakistani terrorists entered the passenger hall of the CST, opened fire and threw grenades at people. The terrorists were armed with AK-47 rifles. One of the terrorists, Ajmal Kasab, was later caught alive by the police and identified by eyewitnesses.
The others did not survive. The attacks began around 21:30 when the two men entered the passenger hall and opened fire. The attackers killed 58 people and injured 104 others.Their assault ending at about 22:45 after they exited the station via the North FOB towards the west to Cama hospital back entrance.
The CCTV evidence was used to identify and indict Kasab. In 2010, Kasab was sentenced to death for his role in the attack, and in 2012 he was hanged.
Structure
The station building is designed in the High Victorian Gothic style of architecture. The building exhibits a fusion of influences from Victorian Italianate Gothic Revival architecture and classical Indian architecture. The skyline, turrets, pointed arches, and eccentric ground plan are close to classical Indian palace architecture.
Externally, the wood carving, tiles, ornamental iron and brass railings, grills for the ticket offices, the balustrades for the grand staircases and other ornaments were the work of students at the Sir Jamsetjee Jeejebhoy School of Art.
The station stands as an example of 19th-century railway architectural marvels for its advanced structural and technical solutions. The CSMT was constructed by using a high level of engineering both in terms of railway and civil engineering.
One of the first and finest products of the use of industrial technology, merged with the Gothic Revival style in India. The centrally domed office structure of CSMT has a 330-foot-long platform connected to a 1,200-foot-long train shed. Its outline provides the skeleton plan for the building. CSMTโs dome of dovetailed ribs, built without centering, was considered as a novel achievement of the era.
The interior of the building was conceived as a series of large rooms with high ceilings. It has a C-shaped plan which is symmetrical on an eastโwest axis. All the sides of the building are given equal value in the design. It is crowned by a high central dome, which acts as the focal point.
The dome is an octagonal ribbed structure with a colossal female figure symbolizing Progress. It is holding a torch pointing upwards in her right hand and a spoked wheel in her left hand. The side wings enclose the courtyard, which opens on to the street. The faรงades present the appearance of well-proportioned rows of windows and arches.
The ornamentation in the form of statuary, bas-reliefs, and friezes is exuberant yet well controlled. The columns of the entrance gates are crowned by figures of a lion (representing Great Britain) and a tiger (representing India). The main structure is built from a blend of India sandstone and limestone Even high-quality Italian marble was used for the key decorative elements.
The main interiors are also decorated: the ground floor of the North Wing, known as the Star Chamber, which is still used as the booking office, is embellished with Italian marble and polished Indian blue stone. The stone arches are covered with carved foliage and grotesques. Internally, the ceiling of the booking hall was originally painted blue, gold and strong red on a ground of rich blue with gold stars.
Outside, there are statues representing Commerce, Agriculture, Engineering and Science, with a statue representing Progress on the central dome of the station.
The best time to visit CST is in the evening, because at this time the CST building is decorated with colorful lights, which looks very beautiful. Especially on 15th August and 26th January, there is light all around here.
Platforms
CSMT has a total of 18 platforms. Among them seven platforms are for suburban EMU trains and eleven platforms are for long-distance trains like Rajdhani, Duronto, Garib Rath and Tejas Express. Air-conditioned dormitories were inaugurated at CST on 16 April 2013. The facility has 58 beds for men and 20 for women.
In popular culture
CSMT was a filming location for the โJai Hoโ song in Slumdog Millionaire and the 2011 Indian film Ra.One.
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