Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus

Introduction:

The station was designed by Frederick William Stevens, a consulting architect in 1887-1888. He received Indian Rupee symbol.svg1,614,000 (US$35,992.2) as payment for his services.

It took ten years to complete and was named "Victoria Terminus" in honour of the Queen and Empress Victoria; it was opened on the date of her Golden Jubilee in 1887. It cost £260,000 when it was finished in 1888, the highest for any building of that era in Bombay.This famous architectural landmark in Gothic style was built as the headquarters of the Great Indian Peninsular Railway. Since then, the station came to be known as Bombay VT.

Internally, the ceiling of the booking hall was originally painted blue, gold and strong red on a ground of rich blue with gold stars. Its walls were lined with glazed tiles made by Maw & Co of Britain.[7] Outside, there are statues representing Commerce, Agriculture, Engineering and Science, with a statue representing Progress on the central dome of the station.[8] A statue of Queen Victoria beneath the central dome has been removed.

In 1996 the Minister of Railways, Suresh Kalmadi, changed the name of the station to Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus.

The station building was designed in the Victorian Gothic style of architecture. The building exhibits a fusion of influences from Victorian Italianate Gothic Revival architecture and traditional Indian architecture. externally, the wood carving, tiles, ornamental iron and brass railings, grills for the ticket offices, the balustrades for the grand staircases and other ornaments were the work of students at the Sir Jamsetjee Jeejebhoy School of Art. The station stands as an example of 19th century railway architectural marvels for its advanced structural and technical solutions.

Rumours persist that the design for Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus in Mumbai, India was originally designated for Flinders Street Station. However, no convincing evidence, other than architectural similarities to other buildings in their respective cities, has been produced to support the rumour.

How to reach:

By Air:
The Goa international airport is located at Dabolim, which is at a distance of 29 km away from Panaji. The airport connects the domestic cities as well as international cities in U.K. and Germany. Goa to Mumbai and Goa to Delhi flights are making daily services from Goa.
By Train:
The major railway stations in Goa are Margao and Vasco-da-gama. These stations are in the Konkan railway line and are well connected to Mumbai.