Victoria Memorial Hall description and photos - India: Kolkata (Topic)

Victoria Memorial Hall description and photos - India: Kolkata. Detailed information about the attraction. Description, photographs and a map showing the nearest significant objects. The title in English is Victoria Memorial Hall.

Photo and description

In the former capital of British India, and now the capital of West Bengal, Kolkata, there is a royal memorial dedicated to Queen Victoria of Britain and Empress of India Victoria. It is a huge building of dazzling white color, built surrounded by lush gardens.

The quadrangular building, 56 meters high, was built at the initiative of Viceroy Lord Curzon in 1906-1921. Several architectural styles were mixed in the memorial, as, indeed, in any building of the European type in India. Typical oriental details were added to the main Italian Renaissance style.

For the construction, the project's chief architect Sir William Emerson used white marble. The corners of the building are traditionally decorated with small turrets, and the central dome is crowned with the figure of Victory (or as it is also called the "Angel of Victoria"), in addition, it is also surrounded by smaller statues that personify Art, Justice, Architecture, Charity.

Today, the Victoria Memorial is a historical museum , which is divided into several sections. The Royal Gallery features paintings depicting the Queen herself, her husband Albert, her coronation, wedding and other significant events in the life of the royal couple. Another gallery contains works by the famous travelers, naturalists and artists Thomas and William Daniels, who visited India in 1785-1788. Also, a special room is set aside for exhibits that are dedicated to the history and culture of Calcutta, from the moment it was founded by Job Charnock, until it was stripped of its status as the Indian capital in 1911. In addition, the memorial has a repository of rare books, including books by Shakespeare and Omar Khayyam.

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Topic: Victoria Memorial Hall description and photos - India: Kolkata.