Byculla railway station gets UNESCO’s Asia Pacific Cultural Heritage award

Mumbai’s Byculla Railway Station received UNESCO’s Asia Pacific Cultural Heritage Award on Monday i.e. 24^th July, which was declared in November 2022.

UNESCO Award Recognition

The prestigious UNESCO Asia Pacific Cultural Heritage award was received by Byculla Railway Station located in Mumbai, this award was declared in November 2022, highlighting the station’s significant contribution to cultural heritage conservation. The recognition came after the station underwent extensive restoration work, bringing it back to its original glory.

Initiators of Restoration Work

An NGO of BJP politician, namely ‘I Love Mumbai’ and spoke person Shaina NC took up the restoration work of the Byculla railway station, with the help of heritage conservation architect Abha Lamba and Minal Bajaj Trust, which partnered in the conservation work.

About Byculla Railway Station

Byculla Railway Station is railway station on the Central line of the Mumbai Suburban Railway.

It is considered to be one of the oldest railway station that is still in operation. With a history dating back 169 years, the station stands as a testament to the rich heritage of India’s railway system.

Grade-I Heritage Structure:

Byculla Railway Station holds an immense architectural and historical value as it is designated as a Grade-I heritage structure which emphasizes its importance of preserving the station’s original design and features for future generations to appreciate and learn from.

Historical Significance:

• Byculla Railway Station was one of the original station inaugurated when the Bombay-Thane railway commenced operations in 1953.
• Originally constructed as a wooden structure, it was later rebuilt as stone structure in 1857.
• The station continued to evolve over the years, ultimately adopting its present form in June 1891.
• The historical significance of the station is intertwined with the arrival of the first locomotive in Mumbai in 1852.

UNESCO Asia-Pacific Awards for Cultural Heritage Conservation

Since 2000, UNESCO Asia-Pacific Awards for Cultural Heritage Conservation have been recognising the achievement of the private and public sector initiatives in successfully conserving or restoring structures, places and properties of heritage value in the region.

 Objectives:

• Identification and promotion of exemplary practices in the heritage conversation with increased participation from under-represented areas.
• Improved exchange of research and professional practice related to heritage.
• Capacity building in heritage conservation using the exemplars and standards of the UNESCO Awards for Cultural Heritage Conservation.
• Improved engagement of youth in protecting and promoting cultural heritage.
• Improved knowledge management of Asian Heritage, including regional best practices from the UNESCO Awards for Cultural Heritage Conservation, through video, online and print formats.

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