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Introduction
Mumbai, previously known as Bombay, is renowned as the
financial capital of India. One of the busiest metros
in the country, the society of Mumbai is multi-lingual
and multi-cultural. Besides, there are various popular
tourist destinations in Mumbai, the capital of Maharashtra
that makes this port city more colorful, like the Haji
Ali Mosque, Marine Drive, Hanging Gardens, Elephanta
Caves, Juhu Beach, etc. One such famous tourist attraction
in Mumbai is the Victoria Terminus, the main railway
station of the city.
Background
Presently known as Chhatrapati Sivaji Terminus , the
Victoria Terminus is a wonderful building which was
named after the then Queen Empress on Jubilee Day, 1887.
The westernmost end point of the Central Railways of
India, the terminus is also the southern end point of
the central and harbor lines of Mumbai's metropolitan
rail transport system.
Construction of the terminus, costing Rs. 1.614 million,
began in 1878 based on a design by F. W. Stevens, and
was completed in 1888. The railway station was opened
to the public on New Year's Day, 1882.
On 4th March 1996, the Victoria Terminus was renamed
Chhatrapati Sivaji Terminus. Pedestrian access to the
suburban railway terminus was moved underground in September
1999. Being long on the urban heritage list and a protected
monument, the terminus was put on the UNESCO World Heritage
List on 2nd July 2004. It is the first functional administrative
building to be put on this list.
Description
Built in the Victorian Gothic Revival style, based on
Italian Gothic models, awesome embellishments, carvings
and arches counter-point the intricate ground plan of
the Victoria Terminus . A dome holding up a Statue of
Progress crowns the south-western part of the building.
It is one of the early instances of a distinctive Bombay
style of architecture which emerged when British architects
worked with Indian craftsmen to include Indian architectural
tradition and idioms.
When first used, the building not only held railway
functionaries such as the Accounts Manager, Chief Engineer
and Traffic Manager but other municipal offices such
as the Superintendent of the Police as well. Railway
tickets were also printed in the same building. At present,
over 700 employees of the Central Railway work at the
Victoria Terminus.
How to reach
To visit the Victoria Terminus , you can come down to
Mumbai by air, by rail, or by road. Mumbai is an international
airport, and is also the busiest domestic air network
in the country. The international terminal is at Sahar,
which is 30 km north of the city center. The domestic
terminal at Santa Cruz is just 4 km away. Other railway
stations apart from the Victoria Terminus are Dadar,
Churchgate, and Kurla. Prepaid taxis are available from
the airports to the downtown.
IndianHoliday.com offers information on Tourist attractions
in Mumbai and other tourist places in Mumbai India.
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