Definition
Indo-Saracenic architecture flourished under the British Raj and produced landmarks like Mumbai's Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus and Chennai's Madras High Court. The style is widely studied in Indian architecture programs.
Why it matters
It is the visual DNA of much of colonial-era civic India — railway stations, courts, museums — and a recurring reference in heritage and hospitality design today.
Key points
- •Onion domes, chhatris, jaalis, and pointed arches.
- •Often in red sandstone or buff stone with detailed carving.
- •Combines Mughal silhouettes with Gothic structural systems.
Examples
- ›Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus, Mumbai (F. W. Stevens, 1888).
- ›Madras High Court, Chennai (1892).
- ›Mysore Palace, Mysuru (Henry Irwin, 1912).