Mumbai of today is a bustling 20-million people megacity. It is as charming as charismatic. It’s India’s past, present and future mixed into one overpopulated, irrepressibly vibrant whole.

The British heritage is strong in Mumbai. The first economic boom came during the American Civil War and Mumbai then took the chance to take over as the worlds main supplier of cotton. An economic boom followed and a building frenzy started in Mumbai resulting in many Victorian styled houses and palaces. Walking around the Colaba district on the southern tip of the city, sometimes feels like being in a tropical London.

The true jewel in the architectural Crown is the Gothic styled Chhatrapati Shivaij Terminus, formerly Victoria Terminus – the central train station. It looks more like a decorated palace or a cathedral than something as mundane as a transport depot. The station is considered to be the most beautiful train station in the world as was designed and completed in 1887 by Frederick Stevens, who carefully studied European train station before starting up his project. You can also clearly see that the station draws quite a lot of inspiration from St Pancras in London.

Today the station houses the HQ of the Central Railways and is one of the busiest stations in India. Approx 2 million people pass through the station each day and it is a hub for both local suburban trains and a long distance trains. If your destination is Mumbai, make sure to allow some extra time to check out one of the most grandeur train stations in the world.