Insider’s View of Mumbai’s Crown Jewel
This year’s first event of our Heritage, Art, and Culture Committee was an exclusive insider’s heritage tour of the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus (CSMT), formerly Victoria Terminus. Located in the heritage precinct of Fort, the walking tour was conducted by Raconteur Tours, led by Viraat Kasliwal.
Built in 1887, this majestic building serves as the headquarters of the Central Railways and is a UNESCO World Heritage site. Many of us Mumbaikars pass by this iconic structure often but are unaware of its rich history, grand Gothic Revival architecture, and the many reasons it is often called the ‘Crown Jewel of Mumbai’.
A lively group of 33 Rotarians and friends gathered together on Sunday, August 11th, 2024, morning at Café Coffee Day. Divided into two groups, we headed through the underground subway into the CSMT ticketing area, accessing various restricted areas of the building. We explored the Railway Heritage Museum, which showcases the history and significance of the railways, the architectural origins and documentation of the building, and numerous objects, from lamps and building models to old railway schedules and tickets. Larger objects line the corridors, from railway metal sleepers to replicas of the various train models.
We were then guided to the inner courtyard to view the intricate facade of the building, which is filled with details from Gothic architectural features, such as pointed ar
ches, gargoyles, and mythical creatures, to sculptures of Indian patrons and the local communities. The building represents the diversity of the city and its people.
The tour continued to the 60-metre-high octagonal dome with the grand cantilever staircase leading to the star chamber, the upper balcony areas overlooking the ticket counters below. This is the heart of the building. For us Rotarians, this was truly the jewel of this grand building, and we spent much time in this space, admiring the beauty of the architecture.
We concluded the tour on the porch of the building, overlooking the Fort area and facing the iconic BMC building, designed by the same architect as CSMT, F.W. Stevens, where we took our final group photo.
In the words of architect Frank Gehry, “Architecture should speak of its time and place, but yearn for timelessness.” That encapsulates the CSMT visit — a walk through the annals of history, beautifully curated and organised by our new member, Rtn. Nandini Sampat.