As a child, I’d always imagine the Victoria Memorial to be the very residence of Queen Victoria and refused to allow this fantasy to be disrupted by the real and less interesting facts of its existence. After all, the thought that my hometown, the timeless ‘City of Joy’, was home to a great British Monarch, gave me a sense of pride and awe. That changed with time as my years and education advanced. The Victoria Memorial never was a queen’s palace and the once boring facts of its existence appealed to me like never before. It stands today, as a symbol of free India as much as it stood for colonialism during British rule and is one of the favorite places to visit in Kolkata.
A Brief History of Kolkata’s Victoria Memorial
The Victoria Memorial was built between 1906 and 1921 as a monument to mark Queen Victoria’s 25-year reign in India. It was the brainchild of Lord Curzon, the Viceroy of India at the time, who managed to garner a strong support-base for the project by reaching out to the princes and people of India. The foundation stone for the memorial was laid in 1906 by King George V.
The Magnificent Architecture of the Victoria Memorial
Sir William Emerson, President of the British Institute of Architects, was entrusted with the planning and designing of the Victoria Memorial while the construction work fell on the able shoulders of Messers. Martin and Co. The memorial is situated on 64-acres of land and is 338 feet by 228 feet. It was built out of white-marble from Rajasthan and is one of the most profound and outstanding architectural remnants of the British Empire in India. The structure is surrounded by beautifully landscaped gardens that form an integral part of the monument’s geography, adding to its charm and brilliance.
The crowning glory of this incredible structure is the awesome Angel of Victory statue on the tip of the dome. It is 16 feet high and weighs over three tons.
What to See at the Victoria Memorial
The Victoria Memorial halls have been converted into a museum that houses a store of treasures including, but not limited to, paintings, sculptures, historical relics and memorabilia from the days of the Raj. Historical relics include the throne of the Nawab of Bengal, pistols used by Lord Warren Hastings in a duel and an ink pot used by Pandit Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar. Its collection of arms and armory includes a dagger and sword used by Tipu Sultan and French cannon used at Plassey. If that is not enough, the museum boasts of a large number of sculptures including those of Queen Victoria and Lord Clive, while its reputed collections of paintings includes the largest collection by the Daniells in the world. For those with a penchant for books and literature, the Victoria Memorial includes a Library with material dating back to the 1870s.
A Visit to the Victoria Memorial
Visiting the Victoria Memorial made for a great weekend outing. As a child, I’d look forward to the prospect of running wild on the stretches of manicured lawns, playing hide and seek, cricket and badminton and just having an overall good time by the dwarfing edifice of the monument.
The Victoria Memorial Gardens are open throughout the year from 5:30 am to 7 pm. Entrance is by ticket and the cost of each ticket is Rs. 4/- per head. There is a separate fee to be paid for entry to the museum in the Memorial and costs Rs. 10/- per head for Indians while foreigners are charged Rs. 150/- per head. School children above the age of 12 and military personnel are allowed free entry but must be in uniform. The museum is open on all working days, except Mondays, from 10 am to 5 pm.
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