Revision as of 22:34, 19 May 2021

A brief history

1887-2019

BCCL, By Kamal Mishra and Urmi Chanda-Vaz, Sep 24, 2019 Mumbai Mirror

The modern history of Mumbai cannot be written without the dazzling chapter that is the Chhatrapati Shiva ji Maharaj Terminus.

To me, it is such a perfect piece of architecture that my mind inevitably turns to the Taj Mahal to invoke metaphors of beauty.”

Sunil Udasi is clearly a man in love, and the object of his affection is the Chhatrapati Shiva ji Maharaj Terminus. He has worked out of it for 16 long years in different capacities for the Central Railway, having been their Chief Public Relations Officer until last month when Mirror spoke to him during CSMT’s most elaborate, ongoing conservation and restoration drive yet. He knows this UNESCO heritage structure like the back of his hand, and his pride and joy in it are palpable. A recently-released coffee table book titled ‘Treasures at the Terminus’ that he has co-edited with Senior PRO, V Chandrasekar, is a testimony to his love for and bond with the structure.

It will be no exaggeration to say that every Mumbaikar has a stake in CSMT – at least functionally. Most are aware of its World Heritage Site status, but for the millions of pairs of eyes that pass through this terminus everyday racing to catch a seat in the next local, its beauty is at best a blur. However, British architect Frederick William Stevens’ marvellous creation offers plenty to stare at.

Chugging into urbaneness

The story of the busiest and arguably the most beautiful rail terminus in the world has been told many times, but every retelling warrants a quick recap of how it all started.

The growing trade activities of the East India Company in and around the island of Bombay compelled the British to consider building a railway system in the mid-1800s. After years of deliberation and planning, the Great Indian Peninsula (GIP) Railway became a reality and in the 1850s, as the first trains became operational, they ushered in the urbanisation of the area. A snippet from a newsletter published in October 1852 gives us an idea of how thick the atmosphere must have been with excitement at the arrival of all things railway. Published in the context of the construction of the original Bori Bunder station, it reads: “The terminus will occupy the parade ground of the Native Infantry regiment lying near the dhobies’ line. The road from Mazgaon to Fort George will be closed for vehicles and also for passengers until a footbridge is put across; all the traffic must in future go round by the road in course of construction between the regiment lines and the dhobi lines.” (So, Metro isn’t the only thing and we aren’t the only ones suffering!)

But in about 30 years, the wooden structure at Bori Bunder that had been serving as the station had turned ramshackle and wouldn’t do anymore. In 1882 it was pulled down to be replaced with a new station called Bombay Passenger Station. But newer and grander plans were afoot.

Facts, figures, figurines

A massive train terminus was envisioned and building it was to be no easy task. The sea had to be pushed back and the roads realigned to accommodate what was to be the grandest structure Bombay had ever seen. In 1861, an agreement was signed between the Bombay Government and the Elphinstone Land and Press Company to reclaim two-thirds of the land of Moody Bay. A few years into reclamation, the GIP directors appointed the talented Frederick William Stevens from the Public Works Department to draw up the perfect plan. His design impressed everyone and was even selected to be exhibited at the Royal Academy, London in 1881.

Construction started in 1878, and ten years later with Stevens’ vision, able assistance from Indian engineers like Sitaram Khanderao Vaidya and M. M. Janardhan, artistic embellishments by Mr. Gomez and the students of JJ School of Art, the craft of Indian karigars, local labour and a princely expenditure of Rs 16,35,562, the magnificent structure was ready. It was completed in 1888, and was christened the Victoria Terminus (VT) to honour 50 years of the monarch’s rule. Steven’s piece of architecture, built in the high Victorian Gothic style, was acclaimed not only for its perfect design and functionality but also its on-point aesthetics.

The building has beautifully carved wooden furniture, the famed Star Chamber ensconced within the dome, filigreed wrought iron grills, spiral and sweeping staircases, and multitude of clocks that seem to point to the CSMT’s past, present and future simultaneously. It also features exquisite carvings of animals, foliage, gargoyles, statues, medallions and numerous geometrical motifs. The lion and the tiger at the main entrance, Lady Progress at the apex, statues symbolising Agriculture, Commerce and Engineering on the south façade, are familiar figures. With so many marvels, most of us may not notice the empty canopy under the clock at the main entrance, which once held a 9 ft. 6 in. high statue of Queen Victoria. The statue was removed in the 1960s but where it is today, no one knows.

Changing identity

This discarding of the symbol of monarchy didn’t stop with the statue of the Queen. In 1996, her name too was removed, when the building was renamed as the Chhatrapati Shiva ji Terminus (CST) and in 2017, the honorific ‘Maharaj’ was added to it, making it the Chhatrapati Shiva ji Maharaj Terminus (CSMT).

Naming conventions may be important to politics, but it is only the people and events of a place that confer upon it a certain kind of identity. The CSMT has borne witness to the passage of time, generations and momentous happenings in ways that it has morphed into a miniature of the metropolitan itself. Millions of migration stories, the frightening terror attack of 2008, and the memorable flash dance mob of 2011 among other things have all shaped CSMT’s persona in our collective minds. These have turned this structure into something that is as local as it is national. And today, when the Central Railway authorities lend the stunning canvas of this building for lighting up different causes, be it women’s issues, cancer awareness, LGBTQ rights and others, it also acquires a wonderfully contemporary and global flavour.

Along with the meticulous efforts towards restoring the building to its former glory, space is being made for the issues of today, and so are provisions for the future. There could perhaps be no better metaphor for the ideal way in which cities and citizens must move forward.