Victoria Terminus, Mumbai, India, Insider Tips

Things to Do In Mumbai: Victoria Terminus

The Victoria Terminus, now referred to as the Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus, was built to resemble late medieval architecture and helped Bombay (the former name of Mumbai) to be become known as the “Gothic” city as well as becoming the major mercantile port in India during the 1880’s. Here are some of the things you can do and see at the terminus.

Walk around the Exterior of Terminus

This gorgeous building is a beautifully ornamented extravaganza of domes, spires, and arches. The building was designed by Frederick William Stevens, a British architect. The architecture of the building is Victorian Gothic with influences of medieval Italianate and Indian style. The building was completed in 1888 and named to commemorate Queen Victoria’s Golden Jubilee celebrations. Now it is the headquarters of the Central Railway Region of Indian Railways.

Go Inside the Terminus

The terminus has lofty Gothic vaulted ceilings and stained glass windows like a great cathedral. However, it lacks the calm and serenity of the interior of a cathedral, for the place buzzes with human traffic. In fact, the terminus is the busiest train station in Asia with more than 1,000 trains and two million passengers passing through the terminus on a daily basis. The terminus serves long-distance passenger trains as well as two of the suburban lines – the Central Line and the Harbour line. It is the westernmost terminus of Central Railway.

The platforms inside the terminus are topped with some intriguing steel architecture and decades-old trains are still in use. The wood carvings, tiles, ornamental iron and brass railings, grills for the ticket offices, the balustrades for the grand staircases, and other ornaments inside the terminus were the work of students at the Bombay School of Art.

Editor’s note: The information contained on this page was compiled using real traveler reviews about things to do in Mumbai, India, and the Victoria Terminus.