CHHATRAPATI SHIVAJI TERMINUS (C.S.T.)

A World Heritage Site since 2004, Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus (formerly known as Victoria Terminus Station in honor of Queen Victoria) is one of India's busiest railway stations, welcoming over 3 million users a day and covering an area of almost 3 hectares. Built in the former Bori Bunder district, it was a key location for imports and exports in Mumbai. It was also the first terminal station built on the Indian subcontinent. It was built between 1878 and 1888 to plans by architect Frederick Williams Stevens. It is one of the most representative examples of the fusion of Victorian neo-Gothic and Indian "styles", as seen in the stone dome, turrets, pointed arches and basic plan, inspired by the architecture of the maharajas' palaces. The majority of the building retains its original structure and recalls the great influence of the Italian Gothic style, notably through the sculptures of local flora and fauna, some of which are made of local yellow stone and embellished with Italian marble and polished granite. The magnificent doors and windows are generally made of Burmese teak wood. The plurality of Indian society at the time is also etched in stone, with busts representing the country's many castes and communities. Prominently displayed on the façade are bas-reliefs representing the ten directors of the former All India Railway Company. The imposing columns of the main entrance are a reminder of India's colonial past, surmounted by a lion (symbol of the United Kingdom) and a tiger (symbol of India). Initially, the station had four tracks. Today, it has eighteen! New buildings have been added to the edifice. The Indian authorities are constantly trying to relieve congestion by diverting traffic to other stations, in order to improve service quality and protect this monument from pollution. Unfortunately, this magnificent edifice was also the target of one of the attacks during the 2008 bombings, when two gunmen killed over 50 people in the Salle des Pas Perdus. It is the most photographed monument in India, after the famous Taj Mahal. In the evening, the station lights up to create a strikingly colorful tableau.