A glimpse of India in black and white. Here we see a number of trains stained at Bangalore City Railway station.
Here we see a different shapes of engines attached to each train.
When in Ooty, we wanted experience the ride on Nilgiri Mountain Railway. This unique rail line between Mettupalaiyam and Coonoor was planned in 1854, but built and got operated for the first time only in 1899.
It was operated first by the Madras Railway under an agreement with the Government. After a long period South Indian Railway took over it. This line in 1908 was extended to Ooty from Coonoor.
The train on this track covers a distance of 26 km and in one direction travels through 208 curves, 16 tunnels.
It is one of the 6 Mountain railways of India and operates on single track.
In July 2005, UNESCO declared Nilgiri Mountain Railway as World Heritage Site.
Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus (CST) at Mumbai is one of the prominent landmarks in the city. This historic railway station serves as the headquarters of the Central Railways. I had visited the place when I was in Mumbai for work and it was a public holiday in the middle of the week. I reached the place by local train and went around the station.
This UNESCO World Heritage Site is based on architecture that is a mix of traditional Indian and Victorian Italianate Gothic Revival. This building designed by Frederick William Stevens and its construction in the Bori Bunder area of Mumbai was completed in 1887. The main structure is built from a blend of India sandstone and limestone, while high-quality Italian marble was used for the key decorative elements.
The skyline, turrets, pointed arches, and eccentric ground plan are close to traditional Indian palace architecture while externally the wood carving, tiles, the balustrades for the grand staircases and other ornaments are in Victorian style.
One of the important architectural marvel is its high central dome. The octagonal dome is a ribbed structure built without centering, was considered as a novel achievement of the era. At the top of the dome is a female figure symbolizing Progress, holding a torch pointing upwards in her right hand and a spoked wheel in her left hand.
The side wings enclose the courtyard, which opens on to the street. The wings are anchored by monumental turrets at each of their four corners, which balance and frame the central dome. The columns of the entrance gates are crowned by figures of a lion and a tiger.
The entire building has eye catching carvings of local species of animals, flora and fauna, portrait roundels of human faces, and stone mesh works on the decorated rose windows. The elaborate detailing of the heritage building is original. It has carvings made in local yellow malad stones blended with Italian marble and polished granite in a few places.
A glimpse of India in black and white. Here we see a goods train stationed at Aluva railway station in Kerala. The railway platform can be seen at a distance.
