Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus (Victoria Terminus): Where it all began!

Whether you are a Mumbaikar, born and brought up in this city or one of the many outsiders who has come to the city looking for better livelihood. 

Whether living here as a student or a tourist just passing through this city. One thing is sure, you have definitely seen or been here or gone past this iconic structure, albeit in a tearing hurry!

If you are none of the above then you have surely seen this monolith as a silent backdrop in zillion Hindi movies.

The name is Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus (CST), formerly Victoria Terminus (VT).

As someone who has experienced traveling on the Central Railway for going to work and as someone who has taken trains many a times to go out of town, I just cannot miss the excitement, buzz, flurry, hustle-bustle that surrounds this grand station. In fact, the mugginess and intensity due to the overwhelming presence of million travelers, engulfs you as you ascend the stony steps of the CST station. 

As a railway terminus it represents the life of the city in microcosm. A station where many tumble out of the train even before it has come to a stop, CST station reflects the pulse of a city that does not allow you to take a breather or even a brief respite. Hence, it won't be surprising if not many consider soaking in the vintage environs while being there or even think twice to look back at this iconic structure that they have just passed by. Worse still, not many even bother to look within the confines of this grand structure or for that matter know that there is now public access available inside this historical building.

I came to understand about the heritage tour at Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus (CST)  and the Heritage Museum almost 2 years ago. However, the fact that it was open for public only on weekdays (between 3 pm and 5 pm) was a complete deterrent factor for someone like me who works week days like the majority of Mumbaikars. Unless a student, retired or tourist, it was indeed a difficult time slot for many of us. This elusive, inaccessible and short time band was purposefully scheduled, a fact which came to light a little later in the tour.

As mentioned, this place was on my must-visit list for a long time. And finally, on 28 June 2016, it happened! A day when I had decided to take the day off from work (after working over multiple weekends) to give myself a well-deserved break. I also wanted to spend some time with my parents and I was glad that they were equally keen to visit this place. So, last week, on a wet June day, the three of us headed for South Mumbai to get a glimpse of the history of more than 150 years which had eluded me for almost two years.

We arrived at the museum building at sharp 3 pm although it took us few extra minutes to locate the entrance of the museum building. The heavy drizzle of the morning rains had flooded the regular entry. So we were directed to the main building of CST station, another route for gaining a backdoor entry to the museum.

After filling brief details, we paid Rs. 200/- each for the three of us and were told to enter the air-conditioned museum room on the ground floor where the tour guide would lead us for the heritage tour.

Our ticket to a historical journey

We introduced ourselves to Joseph, our guide for the day who had just started the tour with two girls who had already arrived. They were students from a nearby college. On seeing us, Joseph said we can join them and he promised to cover the small portion we had missed, towards the end of the tour.

Thus, began our two hour tour of the Grand Indian Peninsula Railway Museum.

The historic railway station building was built in 1887 and also serves as the headquarters of the Central Railways. Originally known as the  Great  Indian  Peninsula  Railway  (GIPR)  when it was established, the railway network starting from CST became the Central Railways after Independence.

The Indian railway, which is still one of the largest network of railways in the world, originated at this historic CST site. We have all learnt in history books that the first historic train left for Thana (now Thane) from here covering a distance of 21 miles on 16th April 1853. At the time, there was only a small shed as the station and it was known as Bori Bundar station.Today, the magnificent station holds within its fold, three million passengers every day and is one of the busiest railway stations in India.

The terminal was built over ten years starting in 1878, the longest for any building of that era in Bombay. This famous architectural landmark in a Gothic-revival style was built as the headquarters of the Great Indian Peninsular Railway (GIPR). Since then, the station came to be known as Bombay VT. The building exhibits a fusion of influences from Victorian Italianate Gothic Revival architecture and traditional Indian architecture.The offices cost Rs.16,35,562 and the station Rs.10,40,248 in those times. It was opened to traffic on 1 January 1882.

In many ways the station served as a link between East and West, as travelers moving from the Suez canal eastwards to India,landed at Bombay and boarded a train here for points inland. It was a true gateway into the subcontinent.

Luring travelers to use the railways, advertisements positioning GIPR on speed, scenery, comfort and restaurant service

Model of VT Station

GIPR Ticket Window

It was declared as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2004. One of the few World Heritage monuments which still continues to fulfill its original intention (utilized as railway station).

 

After getting some interesting insights inside the museum room, Mr. Joseph then led us out for an orientation of the grand building. Not a tour guide by profession but a technician at the railway yard, Mr. Joseph said he loved this part of his job too. And believe me, his earnestness clearly showed in the way he explained to us every facet of the historical building. As the five of us (us three and the 2 students) walked into the foyer along with Joseph, the first thing we noticed was this magnificent teak door with intricate designs in wrought iron, standing in our way.

Then as we entered inside, we came face to face with the trademark lion (signifying Britain) holding the coat of arms close to its chest. The coat of arms has an elephant on left side, a locomotive on the right and the symbols denoting British reign engraved on it at the bottom. According to the guide, it signified the transition in the way the elite traveled from the earlier mode of transport which was the elephants to the new age locomotive under the British rule.

Fire Bell which was another item from the 19th century on display in the foyer

Intricate carvings in limestone with marble columns

The fantastic carvings and the overall structure is an outstanding example of the fusion of two cultures, as British architects worked with Indian craftsmen to include Indian architectural tradition and idioms thus forging a new style unique to Mumbai. With animals motifs and foliage that include local flora and fauna, viz. snakes, monkeys, elephants, interspersed with the advanced structural and technical solutions from Britain, makes it a rare building. 

Dr Christopher London, architectural Historian and an expert on Victorian Architecture in Mumbai in fact noted “... CST is to the British Empire what Taj was to the Mughal Empire”. 

Victoria Terminus or VT station as it was and is still popularly known, was renamed in 1990’s after the legendary local 17th century warrior Shivaji who fought against the Mughals. It is the centerpiece of Indo-British architecture and the premier symbol of the most important development in India since Sher Shah Suri built the Grand Trunk Road – the construction of the Indian Railways. 

The building, designed by the British architect F.W. Stevens, became the symbol of Bombay as the ‘Gothic City’ and the major international mercantile port of India. Frederick William Stevens (11 November 1847 – 3 March 1900) was an English architectural engineer who worked for the British colonial government in India. Stevens' most notable design was the railway station Victoria Terminus in Bombay. Stevens also designed the Municipal Corporation Building, the Royal Alfred Sailor's Home, the Post-Office Mews at Apollo Bunder, and the Oriental Life Assurance Offices at the Flora Fountain.

The CST Station was the first railway terminus building in the sub-continent and the first in Asia too.The CST  is a commercial palace that epitomizes the glory and romance of the railways. It was a commercial venture that was extremely profitable both for the West and for India. The statue of Progress on top of the dome holding a torch pointing upwards in her right hand and a spoked wheel in her left hand is a tribute to the vision of those who built it. It expresses the confidence of the local community that commissioned and contributed to this building.

Statue of Progress

Its remarkable stone dome, turrets, pointed arches, and eccentric ground plan are close to traditional Indian palace architecture.

Arch tympanums decorated with Indian flora and fauna like the peacock here which is sculpted in Porbunder Limestone.

The almost two meter wide staircase which is built out of the wall which is also as thick as the width of the staircase. At no level does it have any support structure to hold its weight.

The thick wall which holds the staircase can be seen in the photo below.

The grand central staircase continues for two floors and then as you look up, you see the ribbed dome resting on the octagonal drum. 

Rising from four walls on the ground floor converging into six sides at level two and then into an octagonal dome at the top. First of its kind in Mumbai and perhaps first on any railway station in the world. Moreover, it is the only stone dome of its kind on any station in the world.

The decorative squinches in the staircase area make the square area at the base into octagonal dome at the top

Octagonal Ribbed Dome

On the facade, are also in prominent position, bas-reliefs of the ten directors of the old Great Indian Peninsula Railway (GIPR)  company. Out of which, there were 2 directors who were Indians viz. Jamsetjee Jeejeebhoy and Jagannath 'Nana' Sunkersett (an Indian philanthropist and educationalist) who contributed large funds to this project. Their busts are placed on the right hand side in the image photo below. Also, if you notice, right under the big clock there is an empty space where Queen Victoria's statue earlier stood. It was removed sometime around India's independence.

Facade of the Central Dome

There are a large number of other embellishments in statuary, which the architect has introduced in decorating the large frontage. These include gargoyles, allegorical grotesques carrying standards and battle-axes etc, figures of Indian flora and fauna and relief busts representing the different castes and communities of India.

Here we see 16 relief busts of men representing 16 different castes of India each wearing a unique turban

Dining Hall of the Directors now used by the Central Railways for special occasions

 

Italian Gothic Arches on ground floor and the Arches inspired by Islamic architecture stand on level one. An outstanding example of the meeting of two cultures and architecture traditions

 

Entrance gateways with the Lion on left and the Tiger on right

The entrance gates to CST carry two columns, which are crowned, one with a lion (representing the United Kingdom) and the other with a tiger (representing India). All of these are sculpted in Porbunder limestone.

Pretty designs on stained glass windows

 

GIPR logo and Locomotive emblem on the stained glass

The Star Chambers is a place which has a roof with ribbed vaulting and gilt work still intact and is still used as the booking office. It is embellished with Italian marble and polished Indian blue stone. If you enter the booking office at VT station and look up (which I am sure most of us don't) you will see this splendor above your head.

Star Chambers with the railway booking office below

The stone arches are covered with carved foliage and grotesques

My sporty folks who joined me on this two hour tour of the museum

And that's me posing with the model of Steam Engine

Contact/timing details of the Heritage Museum for those interested

Finally, the tour came to an end closer to 5 pm and with the serving of Tea/Coffee and Biscuits (continuing with typical English hospitality) in a special enclosure for visitors.

We thanked Joseph profusely for the wonderful tour even as he rushed out to catch his usual train going to Pune. Yes, he does Pune-Mumbai-Pune daily, a fact we came to know over the cup of coffee.

Also, another piece of information which he mentioned was that the museum authorities want to encourage only visitors who are sincerely interested in history and architecture not casual visitors. Hence, the slightly high entry ticket and the unusual timings for the museum tour.

No wonder, only 5 to 10 people visit this Museum daily ( a small number by any standards) unless there is a study tour organized by school when they have 20+ visitors.

Bombay city was described as the finest Victorian city East of the Suez. The Gothic Revival style was deliberately chosen as most suitable to express the aspirations of the wealthiest and most dynamic of Indian cities.Compared to the classical revival style of Calcutta and Madras it demonstrated energy, a vitality and freshness of form and image. Taking together scale and architectural richness, CST stands out as the most prominent landmark of Mumbai – an icon of Mumbai’s heritage, even after so many years.

Source: unesco.org