Did you know these facts about Mumbai’s Chhatrapati Shivaji terminus?
Why was Mumbai CST called Bori Bunder? Bet you didn't know that! Read on!
Deepika Joshi
You know it as one of Mumbai‘s most iconic structures. Mumbai Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus or Mumbai CST is perhaps one of the few UNESCO World Heritage Sites that is of actual use to the masses.
You probably know that CST was once called Victoria Terminus, named after the reigning queen of England. But did you know that the site where Mumbai CST now stands was once just a storehouse?
1. It took 10 years to complete!
The stunning structure that you see today took a good ten years to complete. Even by the standards of the time it was the longest for any building in the city.
2. The architect was all of 31 when construction on the building started
The British architectural engineer Frederick William Stevens who designed this iconic structure was all of 31 years old when construction on the building began in 1878. He was paid $24,000 for the job.
The station building is a fine example of High Victorian Gothic architecture but it incorporates elements of traditional Indian palace architecture, which is seen in the turrets, the arches and indeed the ground plan.
3. The building has a Kipling connection.
4. There’s a reason why the station was called Bori Bunder.
The site where the building now stands was once a storehouse for goods that arrived in or were shipped out from Mumbai.
Bori, which is sack in Hindi and Bunder, which means port (or more poetically, haven) in Persian come together to give CST its original name, Bori Bunder — the place where sacks are stored.
It was from here that the India’s first passenger train was flagged on April 16, 1853 and ran all the way to Thane covering a distance of 34 km in 57 minutes, setting in motion the wheels of what would come to be called Indian Railways.