Modeled on the lines of the
St Pancras Station in London, Victoria Terminus is undoubtedly the Raj's
piece de resistance, Complete with carved stone friezes, stained glass
windows and flying buttresses. It is Gothic architecture at its best,
an awesome edifice that most citizens view with deep pride. At the top
of the central dome stands the triumphant figure of Progress. The station
was christened to commemorate Victoria Jubilee Day in 1887 when India's
first steam engine puffed out to neighboring Thane, about 45 kms away.
Today it has been rechristened Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus after the
Maratha warrior. And the old steam engines have been replaced by electric
ones. But to the 2.5 million commuters who push past its massive portals
everyday, this is still VT, the pulse of a throbbing city.
|