Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus (Victoria Terminus), Mumbai (must see)

Victoria Terminus is a masterpiece of 19th-century railway architecture. The station was built between 1878 and 1887 and inaugurated during the Golden Jubilee of Queen Victoria. Originally intended to serve as the headquarters of the Great Indian Peninsula Railway, the building reflected Bombay’s growing importance as a major port and transportation hub linking the city with the rest of the Indian subcontinent. In 1996, the station was renamed in honor of the Maratha ruler Chhatrapati Shivaji.

Designed by British architect Frederick William Stevens, the station is widely regarded as one of the finest examples of Victorian Gothic Revival architecture in India. The structure blends European Gothic forms with Indian decorative elements, creating a richly detailed façade. Pointed arches, stained-glass windows, carved stonework, and ornate turrets define the exterior, while the central ribbed dome crowns the building.

Several symbolic sculptures add to the building’s character. At the entrance, stone figures of a lion at the left and a tiger at the right represent Britain and India, reflecting the colonial era in which the station was constructed. Atop the central dome stands a four-meter-high statue of a female figure holding a torch and a spoked wheel, symbolizing progress. Closer to the windows and arches, you’ll notice highly detailed stone relief panels filled with plants, animals, and ornamental patterns.

Looking closely at the façade above the ground-floor arches. It features a series of ten circular portrait medallions, representing key figures in the history of the Indian railways and the British administration. Among these prominent figures is the medallion of Jagannath Shankarsheth, a celebrated Indian philanthropist and one of the railway’s first Indian directors. Facing the building, you can find it on the far right wing of the structure, being the third medallion from the left.

Today, Victoria Terminus remains one of the busiest railway stations in India, serving more than three million passengers each day through its suburban and long-distance rail networks.