Fiona Fernandez: Wellness for the terminus

All those years ago, Queen Victoria's statue had gone missing from its pedestal at the main façade of the Chhatrapati Shivaji (formerly Victoria) Terminus. The mystery continues to baffle heritage lovers and historians. With time, other unfortunate elements of neglect began to emerge. From uncontrolled hawking zones and damage to the structure to poor civic sense within and outside the space, the casual attitude towards the upkeep of a national icon carried on unchecked. Oh, and never mind the prestigious UNESCO World Heritage Site tag. It would be flaunted whenever required, and for the rest of the time, it would remain an honorary badge that sat smugly on the nameplate. It was in the red (courtesy the generous display of paan stains).

Proposals to ‘beautify' it would be announced amid much fanfare, and forgotten too, with alarming rapidity. Grandiose, often un-executable plans and even promising ones would occupy reams of newsprint, be implemented for a bit, and lose steam. Of course, with time, we've also seen a glimmer of hope amidst all the grey with a gradual increase in awareness levels, but for such a monumental structure and its upkeep, this appears like drops in an ocean. Last week, mid-day reported about the most recent makeover announced by the central government as it was picked as one of the country's 10 most iconic sites. The plan comes as a much needed shot in the arm for the Gothic masterpiece.

Of course, it means that the BMC and Central Railway - neighbours who are also linked by the fact that both offices were designed by the same architect, FW Stevens - will now need to work in sync to ensure this revamp can revive the lost glory of arguably the most famous railway station in India.

A 360-degree clean-up drive for the structure and its surroundings to be undertaken equates to a Herculean task for our babus in both buildings. Other decisions like a mini museum, relocating hawkers and opening up the neighbouring bus depot sound ambitious. We hope this doesn't remain confined to a blueprint, and deadlines are sacrosanct. "Let's hope it is executed from start to end, and we live to see it completed in our lifetime," remarked a city historian, as we discussed the news over a cuppa. He would know. After all, tracking Mumbai's timelines has ever so often been intertwined with the Indian Railways, and this we hope makes it to the history books some day, for all the right reasons.

The next time you walk past the Star Chamber (now the space for booking tickets), forget the din around. Take a moment to gaze at the vaulted ceiling, at the stunning celebration of cyan, yellow and pure gold. The sense of ‘wow' is inexplicable. It's one of the many reasons why this railway terminus is Mumbai's pride. Let's never forget that.

mid-day's Features Editor Fiona Fernandez relishes the city's sights, sounds, smells and stones...wherever the ink and the inclination takes her. She tweets @bombayana. Send your feedback to mailbag@mid-day.com