The Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus in Mumbai, originally known as the Victoria Terminus Station, is an excellent demonstration of Victorian Gothic Revival in Indian architecture, mixed with elements derived from Indian traditional construction.

Facts About Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus

Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus was previously known as Victoria Terminus

The Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus in Mumbai, originally known as the Victoria Terminus Station, is an exemplary illustration of Victorian Gothic Indian architecture. The structure, constructed by F. W. Stevens, who was a British architect, had become a representation of Bombay as the “Gothic City” and India’s largest international trading port. Every day, over three million people use this Railway Station. The facility was finished in ten years, beginning in 1878. It was the subcontinent’s first terminal station.

With stained-glass windows, towering spires, domed arches and buttresses, and pillars with animal figures carved into them, India’s most magnificent train station is a Gothic masterpiece. The land on which this property is built is linked to Mumbai’s beginnings as a city. Bombay Island served as a Hindu coastal outpost in western India, but it was not used for trade. It was given to the Portuguese initially, and then to the British in 1661.

The East India Company took over the island in 1667 and was mostly responsible for its commercial development. Merchants from all over the world came to settle here, and the shipbuilding and cotton trade flourished. The town thrived, notably following the construction of inland railway connections and the inauguration of the Suez Canal in 1869. With the growth of trade, the Governor of Bombay planned a series of projects aimed at making the city more representational.

Facts at a glance:

  1. The Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus in Mumbai, earlier called the Victoria Terminus Station, is a fine illustration of Victorian Indian architecture.
  2. F. W. Stevens, a British architect, designed this structure.
  3. It established Bombay as a representation of ‘Gothic City’ and India’s primary international mercantile port.
  4. The terminal was finished in ten years, beginning in 1878.
  5. Its spectacular granite dome, towers, sharp arches, and unconventional ground plan harken back to the design of old Indian palaces.
  6. It is a fantastic illustration of two cultures colliding.
  7. This place was designated as a “Heritage Grade I” construction by the Maharashtra State And local government Act on April 21, 1997.
  8. The Ministry of Railways, Govt of India, owns all legal rights to the property.
  9. Mumbai established heritage legislation, which was enacted through State Regulation in 1995, which was the first among the Indian states.
  10. There are 624 scheduled constructions in the city, with 63 of them designated as Grade-I structures. 
  11. The Government of India raises financing for the administration of the Terminus station.

 12 White limestone is used to finish the architectural building. Burma teak wood is used for the doors and also the windows, with some windows flanked.

  1. The building’s premise is a very strictly secured area managed by Indian Railways.
  2. A buffer zone of 90.21 hectares surrounds the property.
  3. The Terminal is one of Mumbai’s major railway stations.
  4. Every day, moreover 3 million rail travelers use this terminal.
  5. This was the subcontinent’s first terminal station.

Conclusion

Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus is a magnificent monument that has become a landmark of the city and was established as the Great Indian Peninsula Railway’s headquarters. The railway station was established to relieve the Bori Bunder railway station in the Bori Bunder neighborhood of Bombay, which is notable for its exports and imports.