World Heritage Sites in Maharashtra

Information about World Heritage Sites in Maharashtra

1. WORLD HERITAGE SITES IN MAHARASHTRA GUIDED BY : R.V. SONAWANE PRESENTED BY :- Ashish Dusane RKM SEC. & HIGH SEC. SCHOOL, KALWAN

2. Introduction World Heritage In India Ajanta Caves History & Art Site & Monasteries Ellora Caves Hindu Monuments Elephanta Caves The Victorian & Art Deco Ensemble Of Mumbai Taj Mahal Architecture & Design Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus WORLD HERITAGE SITES IN MAHARASHTRA 2 OUTLINES

3. A  World Heritage Site  is a landmark or area which is chosen by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) as having cultural, historical, scientific or other form of significance, and is legally protected by international treaties. The sites are judged important to the collective interests of humanity. To be selected, a World Heritage Site must be an already-classified landmark, unique in some respect as a geographically and historically identifiable place having special cultural or physical significance (such as an ancient ruin or historical structure, building, city, complex, desert, forest, island, lake, monument, mountain, or wilderness area). It may signify a remarkable accomplishment of humanity, and serve as evidence of our intellectual history on the planet . The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) World Heritage Sites are important places of cultural or natural heritage as described in the UNESCO World Heritage Convention, established in 1972 . There are 38  World Heritage Sites located in India. These include 30 cultural sites, seven natural sites and one mixed site. India has the sixth largest number of sites in the world . INTRODUCTION WORLD HERITAGE SITES IN MAHARASHTRA 3

4. 4 Agra Fort (1983) Ajanta Caves (1983) Archaeological Site of Nalanda Mahavihara at Nalanda , Bihar (2016) Buddhist Monuments at Sanchi (1989) Champaner-Pavagadh Archaeological Park (2004) Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus (formerly Victoria Terminus) (2004) Churches and Convents of Goa (1986) Elephanta Caves (1987) Ellora Caves (1983) Fatehpur Sikri (1986) Great Living Chola Temples (1987,2004) Group of Monuments at Hampi (1986) Group of Monuments at Mahabalipuram (1984) Group of Monuments at Pattadakal (1987) Hill Forts of Rajasthan (2013) Historic City of Ahmadabad (2017) Humayun's Tomb, Delhi (1993) Jaipur City, Rajasthan (2019) Khajuraho Group of Monuments (1986) Mahabodhi Temple Complex at Bodh Gaya (2002) Mountain Railways of India (1999,2005,2008) Qutb Minar and its Monuments, Delhi (1993) Rani- ki - Vav (the Queen’s Stepwell) at Patan , Gujarat (2014) Red Fort Complex (2007) Rock Shelters of Bhimbetka (2003) Sun Temple, Konârak (1984) Taj Mahal (1983) The Architectural Work of Le Corbusier, an Outstanding Contribution to the Modern Movement (2016) The Jantar Mantar , Jaipur (2010) Victorian Gothic and Art Deco Ensembles of Mumbai (2018) Great Himalayan National Park Conservation Area (2014) Kaziranga National Park (1985) Keoladeo National Park (1985) Manas Wildlife Sanctuary (1985) Nanda Devi and Valley of Flowers National Parks (1988,2005) Sundarbans National Park (1987) Western Ghats (2012) Khangchendzonga National Park (2016) WORLD HERITAGES IN INDIA

5. According to UNESCO, these are masterpieces of Buddhist religious art that influenced the Indian art that followed .  The caves were built in two phases, the first phase starting around the 2nd century BCE, while the second phase was built around 400–650 CE, according to older accounts, or in a brief period of 460–480 CE according to later scholarship .  The site is a protected monument in the care of the Archaeological Survey of India ,  and since 1983, the Ajanta Caves have been a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The Ajanta Caves constitute ancient monasteries and worship-halls of different Buddhist traditions carved into a 75-metre (246  ft ) wall of rock .  The caves also present paintings depicting the past lives and rebirths of the Buddha, pictorial tales from Aryasura's   Jatakamala , and rock-cut sculptures of Buddhist deities  Textual records suggest that these caves served as a monsoon retreat for monks, as well as a resting site for merchants and pilgrims in ancient India.` While vivid colours and mural wall-painting were abundant in Indian history as evidenced by historical records, Caves 16, 17, 1 and 2 of Ajanta form the largest corpus of surviving ancient Indian wall-painting . The Ajanta Caves are mentioned in the memoirs of several medieval-era Chinese Buddhist travellers to India and by a Mughal-era official of Akbar era in the early 17th century .  They were covered by jungle until accidentally "discovered" and brought to Western attention in 1819 by a colonial British officer Captain John Smith on a tiger-hunting party .  The caves are in the rocky northern wall of the U-shaped gorge of the river Waghur ,  in the Deccan plateau .  Within the gorge are a number of waterfalls, audible from outside the caves when the river is high . AJANTA CAVES 5 The  Ajanta Caves  are 30 rock-cut Buddhist cave monuments which date from the 2nd century BCE to about 480 CE in Aurangabad district of Maharashtra state of India. The caves include paintings and rock-cut sculptures described as among the finest surviving examples of ancient Indian art, particularly expressive paintings that present emotion through gesture, pose and form. THE AJANTA CAVES WORLD HERITAGE SITES IN MAHARASHTRA

6. The Ajanta Caves are generally agreed to have been made in two distinct periods, the first during the 2nd century BCE to 1st century CE, and a second several centuries later. The caves consist of 36 identifiable foundations ,  some of them discovered after the original numbering of the caves from 1 through 29. The later-identified caves have been suffixed with the letters of the alphabet, such as 15A, identified between originally numbered caves 15 and 16 . The cave numbering is a convention of convenience, and does not reflect the chronological order of their construction HISTORY & ART 6 CAVE 19, AJANTA, 5th -CENTURY CHAITYA HALL. The Ajanta Caves are generally agreed to have been made in two distinct periods, the first during the 2nd century BCE to 1st century CE, and a second several centuries later. The caves consist of 36 identifiable foundations, some of them discovered after the original numbering of the caves from 1 through 29. The later-identified caves have been suffixed with the letters of the alphabet, such as 15A, identified between originally numbered caves 15 and 16. The cave numbering is a convention of convenience, and does not reflect the chronological order of their construction. Four of the later caves have large and relatively well-preserved mural paintings which, states James Harle , "have come to represent Indian mural painting to the non-specialist ",  and represent "the great glories not only of Gupta but of all Indian art“.  They fall into two stylistic groups, with the most famous in Caves 16 and 17, and apparently later paintings in Caves 1 and 2. WORLD HERITAGE SITES IN MAHARASHTRA

7. SITE :~ T he caves are carved out of flood basalt rock of a cliff, part of the Deccan Traps formed by successive volcanic eruptions at the end of the Cretaceous geological period. The rock is layered horizontally, and somewhat variable in quality .  This variation within the rock layers required the artists to amend their carving methods and plans in places. The inhomogeneity in the rock have also led to cracks and collapses in the centuries that followed, as with the lost portico to cave 1. Excavation began by cutting a narrow tunnel at roof level, which was expanded downwards and outwards; as evidenced by some of the incomplete caves such as the partially-built  vihara  caves 21 through 24 and the abandoned incomplete cave 28 . SITE & MONASTERIES 6 CAVE 24, AJANTA CAVES HAVE BEEN CARVED INTO A MASSIVE ROCK OF THE DECCAN PLATEAU MONASTERIES :~ The majority of the caves are  vihara  halls with symmetrical square plans. To each vihara hall are attached smaller square dormitory cells cut into the walls .  A vast majority of the caves were carved in the second period, wherein a shrine or sanctuary is appended at the rear of the cave, centred on a large statue of the Buddha, along with exuberantly detailed reliefs and deities near him as well as on the pillars and walls, all carved out of the natural rock .  This change reflects the shift from Hinayana to Buddhism . These caves are often called monasteries. WORLD HERITAGE SITES IN MAHARASHTRA A MONASTERY, OR VIHARA, WITH ITS SQUARE HALL SURROUNDED BY MONKS' CELLS. CAVE 4. The central square space of the interior of the viharas is defined by square columns forming a more-or-less square open area. Outside this are long rectangular aisles on each side, forming a kind of cloister. Along the side and rear walls are a number of small cells entered by a narrow doorway; these are roughly square, and have small niches on their back walls. Originally they had wooden doors .  The centre of the rear wall has a larger shrine-room behind, containing a large Buddha statue.

8. Ellora is a UNESCO World Heritage Site located in the Aurangabad district of Maharashtra, India. It is one of the largest rock-cut monastery-temple cave complexes in the world, featuring Buddhist, Hindu and Jain monuments, and artwork, dating from the 600–1000 CE period .  Cave 16, in particular, features the largest single monolithic rock excavation in the world, the  Kailasha temple, a chariot shaped monument dedicated to Shiva. The Kailasha temple excavation also features sculptures depicting the gods, goddesses and mythologies in  Vaishnavism, Shaktism as well as relief panels summarizing the two major Hindu Epics . ELLORA CAVES 7 There are over 100 caves at the site, all excavated from the basalt cliffs in the Charanandri Hills, 34 of which are open to public. These consist of 12 Buddhist (caves 1–12), 17 Hindu (caves 13–29) and 5 Jain (caves 30–34) caves,  each group representing deities and mythologies prevalent in the 1st millennium CE, as well as monasteries of each respective religion. [6]  They were built close to one another and illustrate the religious harmony that existed in ancient India.  All of the Ellora monuments were built during Hindu dynasties such as the  Rashtrakuta dynasty, which constructed part of the Hindu and Buddhist caves, and the  Yadava dynasty, which constructed a number of the Jain caves. Funding for the construction of the monuments was provided by royals, traders and the wealthy of the region. Although the caves served as monasteries, temples and a rest stop for pilgrims, the site's location on an ancient South Asian trade route also made it an important commercial centre in the Deccan region. It is 29 kilometres (18 miles) north-west of Aurangabad, and about 300 kilometres (190 miles) east-northeast of Mumbai. Today, the Ellora Caves, along with the nearby Ajanta Caves, are a major tourist attraction in the  Marathwada  region of Maharashtra and a protected monument under the Archaeological Survey of India. THE ELLORA CAVES WORLD HERITAGE SITES IN MAHARASHTRA

9. The Hindu caves were constructed during the Kalachuris period, from the mid-6th century to the end of the 8th century in two phases. Nine cave temples were excavated early in the 6th century , [  followed by a further four caves (caves 17–29). Work first commenced, in order, on Caves 28, 27 and 19 then Caves 29 and 21, which were excavated concurrently with Caves 20 and 26. Caves 17 and 28 were the last ones to be started . The later caves, 14, 15 and 16, were constructed during the  Rashtrakuta  period, some being dated to between the 8th to 10th centuries .  Work first began in Caves 14 and 15 with Cave 16, the world's largest monolith, being the last of the three to be constructed .  These caves were completed in the 8th century with the support of king  Krishna. HINDU MONUMENTS 8 PARVATI & DANCING SHIVA IN AN ELLORA CAVE RAMESHWAR TEMPLE :~ Cave 21, also called  Rameshwar Lena , is another early excavation  whose construction has been credited to the Kalachuri dynasty. The cave was completed prior to the ascension of Rashtrakuta dynasty which went on to expand the caves at Ellora . Although the cave features similar works to those in other Ellora caves, it also has a number of unique pieces, such as those depicting the story of goddess Parvati's pursuit of Shiva. Carvings depicting Parvati and Shiva at leisure, Parvati's wedding to Shiva, Shiva dancing and Kartikeya ( Skanda ) have been found in other caves. The cave also features a large display of the Sapta Matrika , the seven mother goddesses of the Shakti tradition of Hinduism, flanked on either side by  Ganesha  and Shiva. Inside the temple are other goddesses important to Shakti tradition, for example, the  Durga . The entrance to Cave 21 is flanked by large sculptures of the goddesses Ganga and Yamuna representing the two major Himalayan rivers and their significance to the Indian culture . GODDESS GANGA AT THE ENTRANCE OF RAMESHWAR TEMPLE WORLD HERITAGE SITES IN MAHARASHTRA

10. KAILASA TEMPLE :~ Cave 16, known as the  Kailasa temple, is a particularly notable cave temple in India as a result of its size, architecture and having been entirely carved out of a single rock . The Kailasha temple, inspired by Mount Kailasha , is dedicated to Shiva .  It is modeled along similar lines to other Hindu temples with a gateway, an assembly hall, a multi- storey main temple surrounded by numerous shrines laid out according to the square principle ,  an integrated space for circumambulation, a garbha-grihya wherein resides the linga -yoni, and a spire-shaped like Mount Kailash – all carved from one rock .  Other shrines carved from the same rock are dedicated to Ganga, Yamuna,  Saraswati , the ten  avatars of  Vishnu, Vedic gods and goddesses including Indra , Agni, Vayu, Surya and Usha, as well as non-Vedic deities like Ganesha ,  Ardhanarishvara  (half Shiva, half Parvati ),  Harihara  (half Shiva, half Vishnu), Annapurna, Durga and others .  The basement level of the temple features numerous Shaiva, Vaishnava and Shakti works; a notable set of carvings include the twelve episodes from the childhood of  Krishna. 9 HINDU MONUMENTS DASHAVATARA TEMPLE :~ The   Dashavatara temple , or Cave 15, is another significant excavation that was completed sometime after Cave 14 ( Ravan ki Khai , Hindu). Cave 15 has cells and a layout plan that are similar to Buddhist Caves 11 and 12, which suggests this cave was intended to be a Buddhist cave; however, the presence of non-Buddhist features, such as a  Nrtya Mandapa  (an Indian classical dance pavilion) at its entrance, indicated otherwise. According to James Harle , Hindu images have been found in Buddhist Cave 11, while many Hindu deities have been incorporated in Buddhist caves of the region. This overlap in disparate designs between Buddhist and Hindu caves may be due to the sites being worked on by the same architects and workers, or perhaps a planned Buddhist cave was adapted into a Hindu monument . KAILASANATHA TEMPLE, REMARKABLY CARVED OUT OF ONE SINGLE ROCK WAS BUILT BY RASHTRAKUTA KING KRISHNA WORLD HERITAGE SITES IN MAHARASHTRA

11. Elephanta Caves  are a UNESCO World Heritage Site and a collection of cave temples predominantly dedicated to the Hindu god Shiva  They are on  Elephanta Island, or  Gharapuri  (literally "the city of caves"), in Mumbai Harbour , 10 kilometres (6.2 mi) east of Mumbai in the Indian state of  Mahārāshtra . The island, about 2 kilometres (1.2 mi) west of the Jawaharlal Nehru Port, consists of five Hindu caves and a few Buddhist stupa mounds that date back to the 2nd century BCE,  as well as a small group of two Buddhist caves with water tanks. ELEPHANTA CAVES 10 The Elephanta Caves contain rock cut stone sculptures that show syncretism of Hindu and Buddhist ideas and iconography. The caves are hewn from solid basalt rock. Except for a few exceptions, much of the artwork is defaced and damaged. The main temple's orientation as well as the relative location of other temples are placed in a mandala pattern.  The carvings narrate Hindu mythologies, with the large monolithic 20 feet (6.1 m) Trimurti Sadashiva (three-faced Shiva), Nataraja (Lord of dance) and Yogishvara (Lord of Yoga) being the most celebrated. The origins and date when the caves were constructed have attracted considerable speculations and scholarly attention since the 19th century. These date them between 5th and 9th century, and attribute them to various Hindu dynasties.  They are more commonly placed between 5th and 7th centuries. Most scholars consider it to have been completed by about 550 CE. They were named  Elefante  – which morphed to Elephanta – by the colonial Portuguese when they found elephant statues on it. They established a base on the island, and its soldiers damaged the sculpture and caves. The main cave (Cave 1, or the Great Cave) was a Hindu place of worship until the Portuguese arrived, whereupon the island ceased to be an active place of worship.  The earliest attempts to prevent further damage to the Caves were started by British India officials in 1909.  The monuments were restored in the 1970s.  In 1987, the restored Elephanta Caves were designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It is currently maintained by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI). 20 FT HIGH TRIMURTI SCULPTURE WORLD HERITAGE SITES IN MAHARASHTRA

12. SADASIVA : TRIMURTI :~ The Trimurti is considered a masterpiece and the most important sculpture in the caves .  It is carved in relief on the south wall of the cave facing the north entrance, along the north-south axis. It is also known as  Sadashiva  and  Maheshmurti . The image, 6 m (20  ft ) in height, depicts a three-headed Shiva, representing  Panchamukha Shiva . The three heads represent three essential aspects of Shiva: creation, protection, and destruction .  As per another version, the three heads symbolize compassion and wisdom .  The right half-face (west face) shows him holding a lotus bud, depicting the promise of life and creativity. This face is symbolism for  Brahma, the creator or Uma or  Vamadeva , the feminine side of Shiva and creator .  The left half-face (east face) is that of a moustached young man . The central face, benign and meditative Tatpurusha, resembles the preserver Vishnu. The three-headed Shiva are his creator, preserver and destroyer aspects in Shaivism. They are equivalently symbolism for Shiva, Vishnu, and Brahma, they being equivalent of the three aspects found in Shaivism 11 ARDHANARISHVARA :~ On the wall to the east of the  Trimurti  is a damaged four-armed  Ardhanarishvara  carving. This image, which is 5.11 m (16.8  ft ) in height. It represents the ancient Hindu concept of essential interdependence of the feminine and the masculine aspects in the universe, for its creation, its sustenance and its destruction .  It is represented as half woman shown as half of Parvati in this Elephanta panel on the right side, with breast, waist, feminine hair and items such as a mirror in the upper hand. The second half-man side is Shiva with male characteristics and items iconographically his symbol. In Shaivism, the concept pictorially symbolizes the transcendence of all duality including gender, with the spiritual lacking any distinctions, where energy and power (Shakti, Parvati ) is unified and is inseparable with the soul and awareness (Brahman, Shiva ). TRIMURTI SHIVA FLANKED BY THE DVARAPALAS ARDHANARISHVARA   ( CENTRE ) : HALF FEMALE (PARVATI) AND HALF MALE (SHIVA), FEMININE-MASCULINE EQUIVALENCE WORLD HERITAGE SITES IN MAHARASHTRA

13. The Victorian Gothic and Art Deco Ensembles of Mumbai  is a collection of 19th century Victorian Neo Gothic  public buildings and 20th century Art Deco buildings in the  Fort  area of Mumbai in Maharashtra,  India.  This collection of the Victorian Gothic buildings and Art Deco buildings are set around the Oval Maidan , a large recreational ground that was once known as the Esplanade .  The east of the Oval is flanked by the Victorian Gothic public buildings and the western side is flanked by the Art Deco buildings of  Backbay  Reclamation and Marine Drive.  This nomination aims to safeguard a total of 94 buildings . The 19th century Victorian Gothic buildings that lie to the east of the Oval are mainly the Bombay High Court, The University of Mumbai (Fort Campus) and The City Civil and Sessions Court (Housed in the Old Secretariat Building ). This stretch also houses one of the landmarks of Mumbai, the  Rajabai Clock Tower. The 20th century Art Deco buildings flank the western stretch of the Oval and consist mainly of privately owned residential buildings and the Eros Cinema  among others . THE VICTORIAN & ART DECO ENSEMBLE OF MUMBAI 12 This ensemble of Victorian Gothic and Art Deco buildings was added to the list of World Heritage Sites on 30 June 2018 during 42nd session of World Heritage Committee at Manama, Bahrain. BOMBAY HIGH COURT (VICTORIAN GOTHIC) WORLD HERITAGE SITES IN MAHARASHTRA

14. 13 THE VICTORIAN & ART DECO ENSEMBLE OF MUMBAI THE EROS CINEMA (ART DECO) The Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai building THE MUMBAI POLICE HEADQUARTERS THE CRAWFORD MARKET CHHATRAPATI SHIVAJI MAHARAJ TERMINUS WORLD HERITAGE SITES IN MAHARASHTRA

15. The  Taj Mahal :  'Crown of the Palaces' is an ivory-white marble mausoleum on the south bank of the Yamuna river in the Indian city of Agra. It was commissioned in 1632 by the Mughal emperor Shah Jahan (reigned from 1628 to 1658) to house the tomb of his favourite wife,  Mumtaz Mahal; it also houses the tomb of Shah Jahan himself. The tomb is the centrepiece of a 17-hectare (42-acre) complex, which includes a mosque and a guest house, and is set in formal gardens bounded on three sides by a crenellated wall . Construction of the mausoleum was essentially completed in 1643, but work continued on other phases of the project for another 10 years. The Taj Mahal complex is believed to have been completed in its entirety in 1653 at a cost estimated at the time to be around 32 million rupees, which in 2015 would be approximately 52.8 billion rupees (U.S. $827 million). The construction project employed some 20,000 artisans under the guidance of a board of architects led by the court architect to the emperor,  Ustad Ahmad Lahauri . TAJ MAHAL 14 The Taj Mahal was designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1983 for being "the jewel of Muslim art in India and one of the universally admired masterpieces of the world's heritage". It is regarded by many as the best example of Mughal architecture and a symbol of India's rich history. The Taj Mahal attracts 7–8 million visitors a year and in 2007, it was declared a winner of the  New 7 Wonders of the World (2000–2007) initiative. The Taj Mahal WORLD HERITAGE SITES IN MAHARASHTRA

16. The Taj Mahal incorporates and expands on design traditions of Persian and earlier Mughal architecture. Specific inspiration came from successful  Timurid  and Mughal buildings including the Gur-e Amir (the tomb of Timur , progenitor of the Mughal dynasty, in Samarkand ),   Humayun's Tomb,  Itmad-Ud-Daulah's Tomb (sometimes called the  Baby Taj ), and Shah Jahan's own Jama Masjid in Delhi. While earlier Mughal buildings were primarily constructed of red sandstone, Shah Jahan promoted the use of white marble inlaid with semi-precious stones. Buildings under his patronage reached new levels of refinement . TOMB :~ The tomb is the central focus of the entire complex of the Taj Mahal. It is a large, white marble structure standing on a square plinth and consists of a symmetrical building with an  iwan  (an arch-shaped doorway) topped by a large dome & finial. The base structure is a large multi-chambered cube with  chamfered  corners forming an unequal eight-sided structure that is approximately 55 metres (180  ft ) on each of the four long sides. Each side of the iwan is framed with a huge  pishtaq  or vaulted archway with two similarly shaped arched balconies stacked on either side. This motif of stacked  pishtaqs  is replicated on the chamfered corner areas, making the design completely symmetrical on all sides of the building. Four minarets frame the tomb, one at each corner of the plinth facing the chamfered corners . ARCHITECTURE & DESIGN 15 TAJ MAHAL GALLERY WORLD HERITAGE SITES IN MAHARASHTRA

17. OUTLYING BUILDINGS :~ The Taj Mahal complex is bordered on three sides by crenellated red sandstone walls; the side facing the river is open. Outside the walls are several additional mausoleums, including those of Shah Jahan's other wives, and a larger tomb for Mumtaz's favourite servant . 16 The main gateway ( darwaza ) is a monumental structure built primarily of marble, and reminiscent of the Mughal architecture of earlier emperors. Its archways mirror the shape of the tomb's archways, and its  pishtaq  arches incorporate the calligraphy that decorates the tomb. The vaulted ceilings and walls have elaborate geometric designs like those found in the other sandstone buildings in the complex THE WESTERN BUILDING, A MOSQUE, FACES THE TOMB TAJ MAHAL AND OUTLYING BUILDINGS AS SEEN FROM ACROSS THE YAMUNA RIVER At the far end of the complex are two grand red sandstone buildings that mirror each other, and face the sides of the tomb. The backs of the buildings parallel the western and eastern walls. The western building is a mosque and the other is the  jawab  (answer), thought to have been constructed for architectural balance although it may have been used as a guesthouse. WORLD HERITAGE SITES IN MAHARASHTRA

18. Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus  (officially  Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus ) (station code:  CSTM  ( mainline/ ST  (suburban)), also known by its former name  Victoria Terminus  (station code:  BBVT / VT ), is a historic terminal train station and UNESCO World Heritage Site in Mumbai, Maharashtra, India. CHHATRAPATI SHIVAJI TERMINUS 17 The terminus was designed by British architectural engineer Frederick William Stevens in the style of Victorian Italianate Gothic Revival architecture. Its construction began in 1878, in a location south of the old  Bori Bunder railway station,  and was completed in 1887, the year marking 50 years of Queen Victoria's rule, the building being named, Victoria Terminus. The station's name was changed to Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus (station code CST) in March 1996 to honour   Shivaji , the 17th-century founder of the “Maratha Empire”, whose name is often preceded by  Chhatrapati , a royal title. In 2017, the station was again renamed Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus (code CSTM), where  Maharaj  is also a royal title. However, both the former initials "VT" and the current, "CST" and "CSMT", are commonly used . The terminus is the headquarters of India's Central Railway. It is one of the busiest railway stations in India ,  serving as a terminal for both long-distance- and suburban trains. CHHATRAPATI SHIVAJI MAHARAJ TERMINUS WORLD HERITAGE SITES IN MAHARASHTRA

19. VICTORIA TERMINUS :~ The railway station was built to replace the  Bori Bunder railway station, in the  Bori Bunder  area of Bombay, a prominent port and warehouse area known for its imports and exports. Since Bombay became a major port city at the time, a bigger station was built to meet its demands, and was named Victoria Terminus, after the then reigning Empress of India, Queen Victoria. The station was designed by the consulting British architect Frederick William Stevens. Work began in 1878. He received ₹1,614,000 (US$23,000) as the payment for his services. Stevens earned the commission to construct the station after a masterpiece water colour sketch by draughtsman Axel Haig.  The final design bears some resemblance to St Pancras railway station in  London.  GG Scott's plans for Berlin's parliament building had been published four years before, and also has marked similarities to the station's design . The station took ten years to complete ,  the longest for any building of that era in Bombay. This famous architectural landmark in a Gothic-revival style was built as the headquarters of the Great Indian Peninsular Railway . RENAMING :~ The station has been renamed several times. It was built to replace  Bori Bunder , the terminus of the Great Indian Peninsula Railway from 1853 to 1888, and was named  Victoria Terminus  to commemorate the Golden Jubilee of Queen Victoria. In 1996, the station was renamed to  Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus  in honour of Emperor  Chhatrapati Shivaji , founder of the Maratha Empire. In December 2016, the Modi Ministry passed a resolution to change the name to  Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus  in the Maharashtra Assembly and in May 2017, the home ministry officially sent a letter to the state government denoting the name change, following which the station was yet again renamed as the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus. However, both the former name "VT" and the current name "CST" are popularly used . 2008 MUMBAI ATTACKS :~ On 26 November 2008, two terrorists entered the passenger hall of the CST, opened fire and threw grenades at people. The terrorists were armed with AK-47 rifles. One of the terrorists,  Ajmal Kasab , was later caught alive by the police and identified by eyewitnesses. The others did not survive. The attacks began around 21:30 when the two men entered the passenger hall and opened fire ,  The attackers killed 58 people and injured 104 others ,  their assault ending at about 22:45 after they exited the station via the North FOB towards the west to Cama hospital back entrance. The CCTV evidence was used to identify and indict Kasab .  In 2010, Kasab was sentenced to death for his role in the attack, and in 2012 he was hanged 18 WORLD HERITAGE SITES IN MAHARASHTRA