Summer Vacation: The trademark edifice of Kolkata – Part – VI

For a long time, the city of Kolkata served as the capital of the British Raj in its early days till Delhi was crowned as its capital in 1911. During the British colonial era, the city witnessed a spate of frenzied construction activity of buildings. Unlike many north Indian cities, you will find the architectural variety in Kolkata owes its origins to European styles and tastes imported by the British and, to a much lesser extent, the Portuguese and French.

However, no other building can claim to represent the city as much vividly as Victoria Memorial does. Often consider as the Taj Mahal of the East. It is one of the most beautiful and celebrated structure of the city and the best examples of traditional British architecture. The memorial now serves as a museum and a major tourist attraction in the city.

Victoria Memorial holds special childhood memories for me. It’s been long since we visited the memorial, hence during our recent trip to the city, we decided to visit the wonderful and spacious memorial complex.

After the death of Queen Victoria, Lord Curzon, one of India’s most flamboyant Viceroys of British India, planned to build a memorial in loving memory of Queen Victoria of England, who was also called by the title of “Empress of India” during British rule of India, as well as the success of her empire in India. The cost of the memorial came to a staggering sum of over one crores rupees and came from princely states and rich Indians who were loyal to the empire.

This memorial was designed by Sir William Emerson in an architectural style similar to another Famous tourist destination Belfast City Hall. He was also fascinated with the beauty of Taj Mahal. White Makrana marbles were used in the construction of Victoria Memorial Hall. The huge gardens surrounding the memorial were also inspired by the char bagh of Taj. It took nearly sixteen years to complete and was inaugurated in 1921.

The memorial is located at the southern end of the sprawling Kolkata Maidan and is surrounded by sprawling garden and lakes.

You can enter the complex either from Maidan or from Rabindra Sadan or Race Course side, after buying the tickets (Rs.10/- including museum). On both sides of the main pathway, you can see lakes. Pathways and pavements are clean and well-maintained. We went straight to the museum.

Museum

The Victoria Memorial has 25 galleries, spread over 2 different floors. The collection covers a fascinating selection of Raj memorabilia, and includes the Calcutta Gallery with oil paintings and watercolors of the city’s history. The central hall of the museum houses the massive life-sized statue of the Queen. We come across a wide range of different weapons used at that time, organized neatly with labels. There are galleries housing paintings,  weapons, photographs and statues. The impressive collection of artifacts, paintings, manuscripts, pictures and memorabilia housed in the Victoria Hall takes you to a journey through the history of the colonial era. The Royal Gallery, with its beautiful paintings depicts the important events in the life of Queen Victoria.

You can also see various marble statues of British Lords and Generals such as Lord Dalhousie, Lord Wellesly, Lord Cornwallis and few others. Photography is strictly prohibited inside the museum. You will need to spend nearly 2 hours to see the entire museum. A visit to the museum will definitely take you to the time when Kolkata served as the capital of the British Raj.

There is an angel, a big statue of copper on iron, atop the dome of Victoria Memorial. The Angel of Victory was made in Rome and weighs about 4.5 metric tonnes. The angel carries a flute, and the entire statue is a wind-vane which shows the wind direction. Originally, it was placed on a mercury ball that helped it to revolve and the weight got distributed to the entire structure.

Once you come out from the museum, you may wish to consider walking around the building through the flowered gardens. You will love the surrounding environment while walking in the garden. You can see multiple statues throughout your walk in the garden. The statue of Lord Bentinck is especially life-like. If you enter through Race Course side, you can see a massive gate welcoming you to the memorial and atop the gate stands a neatly designed statue of King Edward VII.

Victoria Memorial Garden is a lover’s paradise, so you may not enjoy your walk if you are traveling with your children.  This could be one of the major drawbacks. But, if you are traveling alone, in a group or if you can ignore and just want to see the beauty of the places, there are plenty of options for you to sit in the benches and can even drink the beauty of the building from there for several hours.

It is a wonderful sight when Victorial Memorial is lit up at night. There is a light & sound show every day evening and you can even enjoy a ride in ‘Ekka Gari’ to see the surrounding areas at night.

The Victoria Memorial stands tall at the heart of the city, as a perfect example of beauty and grace. A trip to Kolkata is incomplete without visiting Victoria Memorial. I would also suggest you to visit few more places around Victoria Memorial.

Birla Planetarium

Birla Planetarium, one of the oldest in India. The only planetarium in the country whose dome houses a collection of projectors and optical equipment expensively imported from East Germany. It is also the largest planetarium in South-East Asia and the second largest in the world.

Everyday, there are three shows in Bengali, Hindi and English. The entry fee is Rs.40/- per person, including children. It will definitely create interest about space amongst school children. A walking distance (~ 5 mins) from Victoria Memorial. A  must visit place for school children, along with Science City in Kolkata.

Saint Paul’s Cathedral

You can also visit and pray in St. Paul’s Cathedral, which is just adjacent to the Planetarium. This Indo-Gothic designed Saint Paul’s Cathedral, is an Anglican cathedral of the Church of North India and one of the major attraction point in Kolkata. The building was initiated by Bishop Daniel Wilson in 1839 and was completed in 1847.

You always expect there is something special whenever you will go to any new place, as well as your eagerness to explore the new place a lot more. However, there is a possibility that you may still feel a little unfulfilled, may think that few things will be skipped or missed entirely. Apart from the above, you can visit Rabindra Sadan, which is a cultural centre and theatre, located near the Nandan cinema (a cultural complex), Nehru Children Museum or the Academy of Fine Arts. All these are just a stone-throw away distance from Victoria Memorial.

The city offers almost everything for everyone. Depending on your choice and interest, you can plan your trip accordingly…see you soon

…To be continued