Vintage essentials: The Must visit Railway Stations in India

India is home to architectural beauty. People might not be aware of it's grand and exotic railway stations which India treasures. The Indian Railway Network is one of the World’s largest railway networks. There are very few railway stations in India which are architectural marvels.

1. Charbagh Railway Station, Lucknow (UP):

The Char Bagh railway station in Lucknow is considered to be one of the most beautiful railway stations in India. The name Char Bagh refers to the four gardens. It is a really beautiful building with brilliant exteriors. This building is a perfect blend of the Awadhi, Rajput and the Mughal styles. The aerial view of the station shows chess board game and the pillars and domes appear to be the pieces of the chess board and this is the special feature.

2. Kanpur Central, Uttar Pradesh:

The largest and busiest railway station in Uttar Pradesh, Kanpur is one of the four Central Railway stations in India. It was founded in 1928 and it completed in 1930. The architecture of the building was inspired from the Char Bagh railway station of Lucknow.

3. Varanasi Junction,Varanasi:

The first railway line to Banaras was opened from Howrah station in December 1862, building the 541-mile line via Bandel, Burdwan, Rajmahal and Patna. This route up the Ganges plain, with few hills, was chosen because of the primitive railway engines then available. The station was built on the right bank of the Ganges. When you look at the station from outside, it looks like a temple with a huge Chakra on the top and it will be lit up with colorful lights all the time.

4. Ghum, North Bengal:

Ghum railway station is the highest railway station in India and the 14th highest in the world. This is the part of the Darjeeling toy train railways. It is considered to be one of the most beautiful railway station in India.

4. Howrah Station, West Bengal:

Built in 1854, the Howrah Station is the oldest railway station in India. The station is situated on the banks of the River Hooghly and it is linked to Kolkata with the help of the Howrah Bridge. It has the highest train handling capacity of any railway station in India and it has 23 platforms to serve the people.

5. Cuttack, Odisha:

The railway station in Cuttack is one of a kind. It is renovated in the shape of the Barabati Fort. The history of this fort dates back to the 14th century during the rule of the Eastern Ganga dynasty in Kalinga. It is one of the busiest railway stations in Orissa.

6. Trivandrum Central, Kerala:

This station is the biggest and busiest station in God’s Own Country, Kerala. It was built in 1931 and it is also one of the oldest railway stations in India. It is a busy, yet maintained proper. The building of the railway station is one of the major landmarks of the city.

7. Coonoor, Tamilnadu:

Coonoor railway station serves Coonoor, a municipality town and popular hill station in the Nilgiris district of Tamil Nadu. The train station is a part of the Nilgiri Mountain Railway, a World Heritage Site. The train station is an important rail hub for trains passing to Ooty.

8. Chennai Central, Chennai:

The Chennai Central railway station is regarded as the gateway to the South and it is one of the most important railway stations in South India. It is a 143 year old station and it was designed by architect Henry Irwin. It is one of the oldest railway stations in the country, yet one of the most well maintained ones.

9. Dudhsagar, Goa:

When it comes to natural beauty, the Dudhsagar Station seeks all the attention. With the majestic Dudhsagar Falls to the left of the railway station, the station gives a very beautiful view of the place. It is a treat to the eyes of the traveller and it resembles a grey track running through the lush greens all around. The best view of the falls can be seen in monsoons.

10. Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus, Mumbai:

A UNESCO World Heritage site, this railway station in India was erstwhile known as the Victoria Terminus. It was built in 1887, and eventually the name changed to Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus in 1996. The architects who designed this structure were Frederick Stevens and Axel Haig. It is architecturally one of the best railway stations in the world and the structure is built on Indo- Sarcenic Style Architecture.