Wild Mumbai: October 2005

Monday, October 03, 2005

City of Mumbai, Maharashtra, India

Geographical Coordinates
N18 55 23 E72 50 04

The Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus, formerly known as Victoria Terminus in Mumbai, is an outstanding example of Victorian Gothic Revival architecture in India, blended with themes deriving from Indian traditional architecture. The building, designed by the British architect F.W. Stevens, became the symbol of Bombay as the ‘Gothic City’ and the major international mercantile port of India. The terminal was built over ten years starting in 1878 according to a High Victorian Gothic design based on late medieval Italian models. Its remarkable stone dome, turrets, pointed arches, and eccentric ground plan are close to traditional Indian palace architecture. It is an outstanding example of the meeting of two cultures as British architects worked with Indian craftsmen to include Indian architectural tradition and idioms forging a new style unique to Bombay.

Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus of Mumbai (formerly Bombay) exhibits an important interchange of influences from Victorian Italianate Gothic Revival architecture, and from Indian traditional buildings. It became a symbol for Mumbai as a major mercantile port city on the Indian Subcontinent within the British Commonwealth.

Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus is an outstanding example of late 19th century railway architecture in the British Commonwealth, characterized by Victorian Gothic Revival and traditional Indian features, as well as its advanced structural and technical solutions.

Chattrapati Shivaji Terminus

Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus (formerly Victoria Terminus) (better referred to by its acronym CST) - is a historic railway station on Mumbai suburban railway.

The station was designed by Fredrick Williams Stevens, a consulting architect in 1887-1888 for a princely sum of 16.14 lakhs in those days. Stevens earned the commission to construct the station after a masterpiece watercolour sketch by draughtsman Axel Herman. After earning the commission, Stevens went on a ten-month trip to Europe to make a detailed study of the stations there. St Pancras station in London bears some resemblance to Victoria Terminus.

It took 10 years to complete and was named in honour of the reigning Queen Victoria. In 1996 it was given its current name.

The network of suburban trains (locally known as locals, short for local trains) radiating out from this station are instrumental in keeping Bombay running.The station operates long distance trains as well as two of the suburban lines-the main line and the harbour line.

It is the westernmost endpoint of Central Railway.

Chattrapati Shivaji Terminus, Mumbai

Chattrapati Shivaji Terminus, Mumbai more commonly called by it's shorter abbreviation CST. This is how CST looks during the night. Earlier known as Victoria Terminus, Bombay or simply as VT.

The Victoria Terminus (known as CST), was opened in 1888 and is one of the world’s grandest railway stations, on a par with New York’s Grand Central Station or London’s St Pancras. Built in the Italian Gothic style, it looks more like a lavishly decorated cathedral than a railway station; massive arches soar splendidly above the scurrying crowd and carved into the pillars and buttresses are images of monkeys, peacocks, elephants and lions. The station is topped by a tall dome crowned with a statue representing ’Progress’.

Serving as the headquarters of the Central Railways in India, this is one of the busiest stations in India. On July 2, 2004 the station was nominated a World Heritage Site by the World Heritage Committee of UNESCO.

The building exhibits a fusion of influences from Victorian Italianate Gothic Revival architecture and traditional Indian architecture. The station stands as an example of 19th century railway architectural marvels for its advanced structural and technical solutions.

Till 1996 the station was named "Victoria Terminus" to honour Queen Victoria. It was renamed for Chatrapati Shivaji, a famed Maratha king, by the state government in keeping with policy of renaming locations with Indian names. Since the moniker Victoria Terminus has been long-standing, its use among the city inhabitants is still widespread.

Rains wreak havoc in Mumbai

Rains wreak havoc in Mumbai; 150 killed in Konkan

Incessant heavy rains in Maharashtra has completely disrupted normal life across the state with Mumbai being severely hit.

The country's commercial capital has come to a complete standstill due to water-logging even as heavy rains continued to lash the metropolis for the second consecutive day today.

Among the worst affected areas are Bandra, Mahim, Santacruz, Mira Road, Byculla, Kurla, Ghatkopar, Mulund, Thane and Badlapur.

Flights into and out of Mumbai remained suspended due to heavy water logging of the runway and non-availability of landing aids. Many international flights have been diverted to other destinations.

Many suburban areas of the city also remained without power as water entered ground floor flats, forcing power supply to be shut off. Even mobile and landline phone services have been affected.

Train commuters have been stranded for nearly 16 hours in various parts of the city. Most of them have been unable to reach their homes as the communication lines have been down. According to latest reports, several outbound long-distance trains have been cancelled and many incoming trains have been diverted. Four long distance trains from Kolkata to Mumbai have been cancelled.

The Meteorological Department has forecast heavy rainfall with gusty winds for Mumbai and suburbs.

The Pune-Western Express Highway has been closed and all trains to Pune have been cancelled as railway tracks were submerged.

Ratnagiri, Raigarh and Sindugarh districts of the state have been cut-off from Mumbai even as Mahad, Mangaon and Chiplun remain cut-off from the rest of the country.

Nearly 200 people are reported to be missing after landslides in the Konkan area.

Army jawans have also been rushed to Badlapur, Ambarnath, Ulhasnagar, Kalyan and Dombivli areas in neighbouring Thane district to help in relief work, the sources said.

Another map of Mumbai

Mumbai (Bombay) , India

The city of Bombay, in west central India on the coast of the Arabian Sea, is the capital of the state of Maharashtra. In the 17th century, the area was ceded to Charles II of England by the Portuguese Princess as part of her marriage dowry.

Subsequently, the British East India Company received it from the crown and developed it as the gate of the Indian commerce.

Bombay Island was created in the 19th century by reclamation projects that combined seven islets.

Bombay ('the Good Bay') was officially renamed Mumbai (the same meaning in the local language) in 1995. The center of the city can be found in the lower left of the image.

Mumbai Rail Map Technical

Here is another rail map of Mumbai

This one is more technical in that it color codes the different rail networks that run through this metropolitan city.

The Western Railways, Central Railways and the Harbour Railways are the mail railroad operators. They also run the Local Trains. Local Trains are the lifeline of Mumbai. One cannot imagine this city that never sleeps without its Local Trains. Made immemorable and unforgettable in many a movies, the Local Trains serve more than 20 million people on an average per day.

Mumbai (formerly Bombay, approx. 10 million inh.) currently has four rail corridors exclusive to the mass transit system (with separate tracks) totalling 149 Km. Trains run from 4:00am to 1:00am with a headway of 3 mins during peak hours and ranging from 5 to 10 mins during the rest of the hours of operation. Further, there are currently regular operations with a headway between 10 and 30 mins on other lines not exclusively for mass transit use totalling to 154 Km, in addition to the 149 km system. Alongside much of the mass transit tracks, the long distance tracks also carry 'fast' trains which do not stop at all stations.

Mumbai Railmap

Railmap of Mumbai

It isn't supposed to be at scale, just to give you and idea of how the rail network works in Mumbai

If you look into the top right corner you will find "Kanjur Marg". Well, thats where I live.

Sunday, October 02, 2005

Gateway Of India and Taj Mahal Intercontinental hotel

Mumbai, India aka "Bombay, The Gateway To India"

Seen is the Gateway Of India and Taj Mahal Intercontinental hotel

The brown building is the "Gateway of India" and the tall building in the back is the "Taj Mahal Intercontinental" hotel