Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus

Page 1

UNESCO WORLD HERITAGE SITES OF INDIA SERIES Children’s Books

Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus Travelling through Time

Author Subuhi Jiwani Artist Kishan Dev


About UNESCO World Heritage Sites of India Children, look around you. Our world is beautiful, with snowy mountain peaks and sparkling rivers, home to many peoples, animals, birds and trees. There are also mighty monuments

This book belongs to:

built by our forefathers which have stood fast for centuries, enriching our lives and history.

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These precious monuments and natural landscapes must be

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protected. That is why governments and institutions like the

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United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) work together to help keep them safe. UNESCO’s World Heritage Sites are places around the world that are remarkable examples of natural or man-made landscapes and architecture. As of 2018, there are 37 such celebrated sites in India. We need to take care of these sites and protect them.

The Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus was designed by the British architect F. W. Stevens and built by Indian craftsmen in 1878-88 at Bori Bunder. It was earlier called Victoria Terminus because

For the first time, Mapin Publishing is producing a series of

India at that time was governed by the British. The port city of

children’s books about UNESCO’s World Heritage Sites in

Bombay (as Mumbai was then called) had become a major centre of

India. We hope that the books will make these places seem like

world trade and was thought to deserve a grand railway station. The style

old friends, waiting to meet you again. So, young reader, let us

combined Indian and British features, and the Terminus is a work of art as well as a busy station. Today, part of it is a museum.

begin our exciting journey across India! Eric Falt Director and UNESCO Representative UNESCO New Delhi


UNESCO WORLD HERITAGE SITES OF INDIA SERIES Children’s Books

Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus Travelling through Time

Author Subuhi Jiwani Artist Kishan Dev

MAPIN PUBLISHING


The clocks are my babies,” Bandu often says.

He has cared for time machines at the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus for almost 40 years. Every morning, he begins his rounds on the ground floor of the grand station building. He moves in a clockwise direction, from one pendulum clock to another, until he reaches the granddaddy of them all. It’s ten feet wide, in a large attic above the second floor. Today is a muggy summer’s day, and Bandu is exhausted from the winding and the climbing. He sets out for the sugarcane juice stall a few yards from the station. Once there, he asks for a large glass. As soon as the juice touches his lips, he only hears one sound: gulp, gulp, Relief at last.

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g u l p...


Before he has finished, he sees Laali and Mithu standing in a corner, staring at his glass of juice with desiring eyes. They are too shy to ask for some. Bandu gestures with his hands: do you want some ? They give him wide smiles, and soon, he’s ordering two more glasses.

3


As Laali, the older of the two, and Mithu are slurping their juice, Bandu asks them, “What are you doing here? And where are your parents?” “They work over there,” Laali speaks up, pointing to a construction site nearby. “There’s no one to take care of us at home so we come with them.” “But we get bored!” Mithu complains. “So we roam, roam, roam but get tired and thirsty.” Wiping her lips, Laali says, “We saw this beautiful palace from far away and wondered whose it was…” Bandu’s eyes almost pop out of their sockets. “Palace? Oh no! This is no palace. It is one of the grandest train stations in India and the world! The Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus!”

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Bandu’s face lights up when he talks about the station. His first job was as CST’s clock keeper, and it will be his last. He treasures the building like a second home. “Can we go inside?” Mithu wants to know. “Umm…” Bandu wavers. Only people who work with the railways or tourists who pay an entry fee are allowed inside this fancy building. Bandu would like to show Laali and Mithu its many arches and animals. But would he get caught? Lost in thought, Bandu feels someone tugging at his shirt. It’s Mithu, looking up at him. “Please, please, please!” Mithu begs. “All right.” Bandu has thought of a way. “There’s a secret passage that no one takes. Come, but you must be quiet.”

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They walk towards the bus depot on the south side of the building. Between two bus stops is a small, unlocked gate. Before opening it, Bandu glances at Laali and Mithu, his finger on his lips. Quietly, they step inside. They walk through a maze of arches, past circular staircases, around pillars with creatures looking down at them. “Who are they?” Laali asks loudly, pointing to a string of birds. “Sssshhh!” Bandu whispers.


On hearing footsteps behind them, Bandu sneaks Laali and Mithu into the railway museum on the ground floor. Far from being afraid, the children feel they’ve entered a playground. On the wall is a photograph of a man with a moustache that covers his upper lip. “How does he eat?” Mithu chuckles. Bandu frowns. “He’s the man because of whom you’re standing in this building. He designed it! He was the chief architect—Mr Stevens.” “Archi… who?” Laali looks puzzled.

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Mithu, by now, has jumped across to the models of the first steam trains that pulled out of the station. Laali is quick to follow. They’re both dazzled by the blinking lights inside a passenger coach. “Never mind,” Bandu says. He’d like to tell them about the history of the building. But how can he get them to pay attention and to listen? He has an idea. “If you think the blinking lights are magical, wait till you see what I’m going to show you!” He pops his head out of the museum door and then back in. “All clear! Let’s go!” They run up two floors, a narrow spiral staircase and a wooden ladder. To the place he knows best— the clock room!


First published in India in 2018 by

Text and Illustrations ©

Author: Subuhi Jiwani walked into Bombay’s historic

Mapin Publishing

buildings by chance and fell in love with them. Recently, she

706 Kaivanna, Panchvati, Ellisbridge

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narrated the story of one such building—and its people—on

Ahmedabad 380006 INDIA

copyright conventions. No part of this

video. She has found that the stories of these buildings are

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book may be reproduced or transmitted

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in any form or by any means, electronic

endless. She returns to them again and again to learn more

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or mechanical, including photocopy,

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recording or any other information

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International Distribution Worldwide (except North America and South Asia) Prestel Publishing Ltd.

storage and retrieval system, without prior permission in writing from the publisher. The moral rights of the author and

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illustrator of this work are asserted.

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ISBN: 978-93-85360-51-0

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Series ISBN: 978-93-85360-47-3 Series Editor: Narayani Gupta Copyediting: Mithila Rangarajan / Mapin Editorial Design and Production:

about her city’s history and her own childlike awe.

Artist: Kishan Dev has worked for a lot of blockbuster Bollywood movies and TV series but his real love is drawing and storytelling. He once went to Florence, Italy to study oil painting, and is now exploring the French techniques of plein–air painting with his friends. He loves to paint outdoors and also to encourage others to sketch!

Artist: Gopal Limbad heads the design team at Mapin and he has helped make the Roshni books look beautiful. He loves art and has a degree in Fine Art from M.S. University

Gopal Limbad, Darshit Mori /

in Vadodara. Gopal collaborated with Kishan to create the

Mapin Design Studio

illustrations on the cover and inside cover page, as well as

Printed in India The creation of this book was supported by Parag, an initiative of TATA Trusts. Editorial Board: Krishna Kumar Girish Joshi Swaha Sahoo Sopan Joshi Narayani Gupta

on pages 9, 13, 14–15, 19 (left), 22–23, 27 and 28.


UNESCO WORLD HERITAGE SITES OF INDIA

1 Agra Fort 2 Ajanta Caves 3 The Architectural Work of Le Corbusier, Chandigarh 4 Bhimbetka Rock Shelters

jammu & kashmir

5 Buddhist Monuments at Sanchi 6 Champaner–Pavagadh Archaeological Park 7 Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus

himachal pradesh

13

H

(formerly Victoria Terminus)

26

8 Chola Temples

28

I

3

punjab

9 Churches and Convents of Goa

uttarakhand

10 Elephanta Caves

M

haryana

11 Ellora Caves

17 30 32

12 Fatehpur Sikri 13 Great Himalayan National Park

18

Conservation Area

20

15

15

14 Hampi Group of Monuments

rajasthan

15 Hill Forts of Rajasthan

15

16 Historic City of Ahmadabad 17 Humayun’s Tomb and Group of Monuments, Delhi

i

19 Kaziranga National Park 20 Keoladeo National Park

gujarat

16

26

5

24

d

meghalaya

west bengal

a

tripura mizoram

34

chhattisgarh

21 Khajuraho Group of Monuments

orissa

2

22 Kanchenjunga National Park

33

11

23 Mahabalipuram Group of Monuments 24 Mahabodhi Temple Complex at Bodh Gaya

maharashtra

36 7 10

25 Manas Wildlife Sanctuary 26 Mountain Railways of India

telangana

27 Nalanda Mahavihara (Nalanda University), Bihar

and

37

28 Nanda Devi and Valley of Flowers National Parks

9

14

goa

30 Qutb Minar and its Monuments, Delhi

33 Sun Temple, Konark

23 tamil nadu

p

37 37 37 37

8

ds

ee

8 Natural Sites 29 Cultural Sites

26

an

dw

37 Western Ghats

kerala

ha

36 Victorian Gothic and Art Deco Ensembles of Mumbai

37

ks

35 Taj Mahal

isl

la

37

ar

34 Sundarbans National Park

The names of places and cities often change over time. Mumbai used to be known as “Bombay” and Kolkata as “Calcutta.” Chennai was earlier known as “Madras.” Other sites are better known by names which may not be their official name— Keoladeo Bird Sanctuary is popularly called “Bharatpur” and Mahabalipuram is called “Mamallapuram.”

nicob

37

32 Red Fort Complex

and

karnataka

31 Rani ki Vav, Patan

General note about change of names of cities and sites

andhra pradesh

aman

29

29 Pattadakal Group of Monuments

nagaland

manipur

i

madhya pradesh

19

27

jharkhand

4

25 assam

uttar pradesh

21

S

Y 22s i k k i A m

A

35

15

n

6

12

L

bihar

31

18 Jantar Mantar, Jaipur

1

15

15

arunachal pradesh

A


UNESCO WORLD HERITAGE SITES OF INDIA SERIES Children’s Books

Series Editor: Narayani Gupta

The Roshni World Heritage Sites of India series aims to introduce India’s young readers to the richness of our natural and cultural heritage through UNESCO-designated World Heritage Sites. Produced in association with Tata Trusts and with the blessings of UNESCO, these books offer children five exciting stories, authored by renowned historians and conservationists and beautifully illustrated by accomplished artists.

Qutb Minar Head in the Clouds

Mahabalipuram

Story by Narayani Gupta • Illustrations by Shashi Shetye

The Ganga Comes to Tamil Nadu

On Christmas Day, a group of six children visit the Qutb Minar in Delhi. What follows is a process of discovery as the children stumble upon an unfinished Minar and a carved cupola and marvel at the skill of the craftsmen who built the Qutb.

Story by Nanditha Krishna • Illustrations by Y. Venkatesh

The children in the story explore the Descent of the Ganges, with its carvings of animals, humans and celestial beings. Temples, tigers and tsunamis all feature in this tale of the Mahabalipuram complex by the sea, lost and then miraculously found again. Nanditha Krishna is a historian and conservationist from Chennai who has authored several books about art, religion and the environment. Y. Venkatesh is an artist who has illustrated several activity books for children about nature, art and culture.

Narayani Gupta is a historian and writer who has taught history at Indraprastha College for Women; she joined Jamia Millia Islamia University in 1986. Shashi Shetye has illustrated books for children for over two decades.

Keoladeo Bird Sanctuary The Kingdom of Birds

Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus Travelling through Time Story by Subuhi Jiwani • Illustrations by Kishan Dev

Bandu is the devoted clock-keeper at CSM Terminus in Mumbai, or VT as some people still call it. One busy day, Bandu and two friends tumble through time to the past and future, accompanied by a talking griffin, freedom fighters and flying cars. Subuhi Jiwani is an independent researcher, writer and filmmaker based in Mumbai. Kishan Dev is an artist who has worked in print publishing and Bollywood.

Story by Dr. Erach Bharucha • Illustrations by Maya Ramaswamy

A large group of school children join Dr. Erach “Doc” Bharucha at the Keoladeo Bird Sanctuary in Bharatpur. Amid lush vegetation and a lively orchestra of birds, the natural landscape of the sanctuary comes alive for these young, intrepid explorers. Dr. Erach Bharucha is a surgeon based in Pune and has been active in ecological conservation for several decades. Maya Ramaswamy is an illustrator who has

worked on several children’s books about wildlife and conservation.

Sanchi Where Tigers Fly and Lions Have Horns

supported by

E: THIS SERIES AR ALL TITLES IN s, stration 32 pages with illu scape, pb x 210 mm) Land 97 (2 6" 8.2 x 11.69 sh and Tamil in Available in Engli ditional regional Ad . 18 20 er ob Oct in 2019. w llo fo to es languag 195 | $9.50 | £5.99 Fall 2018 |

Story by Sohail Hashmi • Illustrations by Pervez Rajan

One morning as the city of Bhopal sleeps, a group of children join Sohail Hashmi to visit the stupas of Sanchi. Spellbound by the carvings on the gateways and pillars, they learn about the ancient history of Buddhism in India. Sohail Hashmi is a writer, historian and filmmaker, who loves travelling to little-known places across India. Pervez Rajan is an artist who hopes to use his art to communicate with a wide range of people.


“The gentle, smooth colour palette,

and the use of detailing make [the pictures] interesting to look at. The framework...is very natural and believable... little touches tap into the feeling of excitement and wonder that being at a historical site can evoke.”

“The production values are high. The author has a connect with children and he brings out his observations gently. That he is good with words and enjoys what he is doing is apparent.”

—Teacher Plus Magazine, on Sanchi: Where Tigers Fly and Lions have Horns

—Goodbooks.in

“.. groundbreaking...” —Eric Falt, Director General, UNESCO New Delhi

“.. beautifully written... Launching this series is a good attempt at making information about historical sites accessible to children.”

—Jaya Bhattacharji Rose


Children’s Books

UNESCO WORLD HERITAGE SITES OF INDIA SERIES

SUPPORTED BY

ISBN 978-93-85360-51-0

www.mapinpub.com


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