Mumbai is considered to be the economic capital of the nation. The city being related to Bollywood for Hindi film industry is often referred to as a ‘city of dreams’. Even to a general tourist who is visiting the city just to experience its culture and heritage, Mumbai has a number of touristy sightseeing destinations to offer. The Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus is one of them.
As a reader and someone who have not visited this railway station, please do not be mistaken to consider Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus as a railway station alone. The place is ringing and rich with heritage. As a result of which it was declared a UNESCO World Heritage site in Mumbai. Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus is an integral part of the Mumbai infrastructure. It not only serves a large mass of the city’s population but is also intricately related with the past history of the city.
Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus Built by
The British architectural engineer Frederick William Stevens has designed the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus architecture. It has been made on the lines of Gothic Italian architecture. The construction of the terminus began in the year 1878 near a location which was south to the old Bori Bunder railway station. In the year 1887 the station was completed. This was the year which marked the completion of 50th ruling year of Queen Victoria. This was an apt enough reason for which the building was named after the queen – Victoria Terminus. In 1996 March the station was once again renamed and it came to be known as Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus with the station code CST.
The renaming of the terminus was done after the celebrated 17th century Maratha Warrior chieftain Chhatrapati Shivaji. In 2017 the station was once again renamed as Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus and the station code was once again changed to CSTM.
Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus Timing
The Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus is one of the busiest railway stations of modern Mumbai. It facilitates a large part of the city’s population and connects different in of the city with each other. The station receives a huge volume of trains everyday which are availed by millions of people on a daily basis. Undoubtedly it is one of the busiest areas of Mumbai. Quintessentially it explains why you can visit Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus at any time of the week. Whether it is a weekday or weekend you can always visit the place. It is open round the clock. However the rush happens to be a little slimmer during the weekend. It is during the night hours let’s say after 10 o’clock in the evening that the rush in the terminus witnesses a fall.
Importance of Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus
The building of the terminus has been designed after the Victorian Gothic architectural style. The building clearly reflects a blend of the Italian Gothic style and the Victorian architectural style which has fleeting references of the classical Indian architecture as well. The construction has a magnificent Skyline consisting of pointed arches, turrets and stunning ground plan.
A quick look at the entire structure will give it an Indian palace like impression. No wonder the Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus is one of the most popular touristy as well as regular location in Mumbai visited by millions of people coming down to the city every year. On the external side you can see stunning wood carving work which includes pieces of ornamental iron, tiles, brass railing, majestic balustrades adorning the Grand staircases and a number of other ornamentation works.
Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus is known for its grand scale architecture. Is not only offer palatial space but also offers enough opportunity to introduce all the technical support required in the current railway station operations and function. The Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus architectural style is truly a specimen of very high level of architectural engineering. This is true in both the domains of railway as well as civil engineering. It is one of the flawless examples where Gothic and flowery architecture has met Industrial and commercial requirement. The office structure in the interiors has a 330 foot long platform is connected to a 1200 foot long train shed. The inside of the building is truly palatial with high rise ceiling and large sprawling floor space. Due to the new requirements of the emerging time a number of changes have been done within the structure so that modern usage of the space can be made.
How to Reach Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus Location
Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus is one of the busiest railway stations of Mumbai. You can take any train from the suburbs to reach the terminal. This is the easiest way to reach Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus. The Chhatrapati Shivaji Airport receives both International and Domestic flight in Mumbai. It is just 21 km away from the Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus. Once in the airport you can avail any local transport that will take you to the iconic Railway Terminus. Different parts of Mumbai are very well connected to each other through a lavish network of roads. There is no dearth of commutation means. Hence you can hire any kind of public transport which will take you to the historic structure in no time.
Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus Entrance Fee
As mentioned in the opening of the discussion the Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus is open to the masses of the city and surrounding region as one of the main and busiest railway stations of Mumbai. Naturally there is no entry fee charged to visitors and travelers who wish to enter this iconic Railway Terminus. However if you wish to avail one of the trains from this station you need to buy the tickets for the ride.
Important Structures & Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus architecture
Being one of the busiest and main railway terminus of Mumbai a huge volume of people visit this iconic structure just to board their trains. This clearly explains the fact that this is one of the busiest spots in the entire City. Often people who are in a hurry to catch their train do not have the time or even the mind set to sit back and marvel at the wonderful architecture of the Terminus. However, even then, this does not miniature the splendor of the architecture that has been employed to construct this building.
The entrance of the Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus is flanked by majestic figures of a tiger and the lion. The two ferocious beasts represent the countries of India and Great Britain. The main building has been constructed out of limestone and sandstone. The station interiors are lined with expensive Italian marble. The architectural styles which were in fashion during the 19th Century have been used to design and implement this building. The augmentation and the planning of this edifice is a stunning mixture of the European and Indian cultures and architectural styles. The ground plan is very interesting and is C-shaped. It has been crowned with the high dome on top which happens to be the central focal point of the structure.
The Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus contains total 18 platforms. Seven of these platforms have been dedicated to receive Suburban EMU trains and the remaining eleven platforms have been designated to receive long distance trains. Eminent trains like Duronto, Rajdhani, Tejas Express, Garib Rath and many more leaves from this reputed station. In 2013 air conditioned dormitories were introduced and inaugurated. It contains nearly 60 beds for men and 20 for women. As mentioned earlier the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus intricately related with the cultural heritage and history of Mumbai. Undoubtedly it happens to be one of the most iconic spots of the city. Naturally the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus is one of the most regular features to be seen in Indian films.
Best time to visit Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus
Simply speaking there is no best time to visit the Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus. You can visit it any time of the year to witness the Grand scale architecture of the building. However during the months of January and February the general temperature and weather in Mumbai is quite pleasant. Mumbai does not experience much of winters but the month of January and February are comparatively cooler. Hence these are the best month when you can visit Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus if you are just looking forward to witness the architecture the grand scale orientation and the overall planning of the building.
History of chhatrapati shivaji terminus
The Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus is a gift of the Colonial rule to the city of Mumbai. Due to the construction of this magnificent building the city got the sobriquet of ‘Gothic City’. From the very initial colonial-era the terminus happens to be a major hub of business and commerce. The construction of the station took almost a decade to be completed and on its completion it stood out to be one of the most expensive structures to have been built in colonial Mumbai. During that time constructing the Terminus cost about £260,000. Being one of the most famous landmarks of the city it almost became synonymous with the culture and the symbolic identity of Mumbai. Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus turned out to be the headquarters of the great Indian peninsula Railway.
Attractions nearby chhatrapati shivaji terminus
Once you have explored the CST to its fullest details check out places like Siddhivinayak mandir, Haji Ali Dargah, Gateway of India, the Queen’s necklace, the Taj Oberoi etc in Mumbai.
