| 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the old steam engines have been replaced by electric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. |
