| Description: | Victoria Memorial is one of the most fascinating landmarks of Kolkata. A visit to Victoria Memorial rekindles the opulent Raj era nostalgia. It is made of White Barble and there is a harmonious blend of European and Mughal architecture. Scholars and historians refer to Victoria Memorial as an unhappy attempt by the Britishers to build a better Taj Mahal.
Lord Curzon first conceived the idea of building a memorial of stupendous dimension as a fitting tribute to Queen Victoria. Kolkata being the capital of British India, was the natural choice for a building of such magnitude. Once the outlay of the building which was designed by Sir William Emerson, the need for funds proved to be a stumbling block. But Lord Curzon being an astute administrator raised money from the benevolent princes and the people of India.
The Prince of Wales laid the foundation stone of the Memorial at Kolkata on 4th January, 1906 and on 21st December, 1921, the Memorial was opened to Public by the Duke of Windsor. Apart from the Royal Gallery, a visit to the Kolkata Gallery is highly recommended which displays the historical legacy of Kolkata right from Job Charnock's discovery of Kolkata till the year 1911, after which the capital of British India was relocated to Delhi.
As far as historical relics are concerned, you will come across intriguing pieces like the Nawab's throne, Ivory chair of Warren Hastings, medals awarded to Prince Dwarkanath Tagore by Queen Victoria and of course the pistols used by Warren Hastings in actual warfare.
The Victoria Memorial garden is much preferred by young and old brigade. The beautifully landscaped garden is all of 64 acres and is an ideal place for relaxation. The elites and the crème-di-la-crème of Kolkata come to the Victoria Memorial Garden for rejuvenating morning walks and jogging along its winding pathways. Being a Raj era monument, the Victoria Memorial Garden too has its share of Raj era statues like that of the Queen with the star of India or for that matter the statues of British luminaries like Lord Bentinck and Lord Ripon.
Try to coincide your visit to Victoria Memorial so that you can witness the spectacular Son-et-Lumiere which is held every day of the week, except Monday. The Son-et-Lumiere vividly portrays the British East India Company setting up base in Kolkata, India's freedom movement and the 300 year old evolution of the city of Kolkata from a fishing village to one of India's largest metropolitan cities. |
