Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus
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Template:World Heritage Sites in India
Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus (formerly Victoria Terminus) (better referred to by its acronym CST) - is a historic railway station on Mumbai suburban railway. It is a magnificient and ethreal building built in 1888 in the Gothic style of architecture and serving as the headquarters of the Central Railways in India, this is one of the busiest stations in India. On July 2, 2004 the station was nominated a World Heritage Site by the World Heritage Committee of UNESCO.
Victoriya_Terminus_Railway_Station_Bombay,India.jpg
The building exhibits a fusion of influences from Victorian Italianate Gothic Revival architecture and traditional Indian architecture. The station stands as an example of 19th century railway architectural marvels for its advanced structural and technical solutions.
Till 1996 the station was named "Victoria Terminus" to honour Queen Victoria. It was renamed for Chatrapati Shivaji, a famed Maratha king, by the state government in keeping with policy of renaming locations with Indian names. Since the moniker Victoria Terminus has been long-standing, its use among the city inhabitants is still widespread.
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Suburban Network
The network of suburban trains (locally known as locals, short for local trains) radiating out from this station are instrumental in keeping Bombay running.The station operates long distance trains as well as two of the suburban lines-the main line and the harbour line.
It is the westernmost endpoint of Central Railway.
History
The station was designed by Fredrick Williams Stevens, a consulting architect in 1887-1888 for a princely sum of 16.14 lakhs in those days. Stevens earned the commission to construct the station after a masterpiece watercolour sketch by draughtsman Axel Herman. After earning the commission, Stevens went on a ten-month trip to Europe to make a detailed study of the stations there. St Pancras station in London bears some resemblance to Victoria Terminus.
It took 10 years to complete and was named in honour of the reigning Queen Victoria. In 1996 it was given its current name.
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See Also
See also: Bori Bunder Template:Mumbai, Attractions and Landmarks Template:Mumbai - Suburban Railway,Central
External links
- Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus (http://whc.unesco.org/pg.cfm?cid=31&id_site=945) on UNESCO websitefr:Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus