Centennial Victoria Memorial | Kolkata 23rd January 2022

☑ Kolkata's Victoria Memorial is also known as the ‘Taj Mahal of Calcutta’ by many.

Queen Victoria of India died in 1901.  In 1906, the construction of a monument in his memory began in Calcutta, the then capital of India.  Construction of the Victoria Memorial was completed in 1921.  This year marks the centenary of one of the iconic monuments of Kolkata.

‘Taj Mahal of Calcutta’ this monument is also called by many.  In fact, the Taj Mahal bears a striking resemblance to it.

Like the Taj Mahal, it is also built of Makrana marble which was brought from Rajasthan.  Many experts call this style of 'Indo-Saracenic Revival' architecture a mixture of British and Mughal architecture.

William Emerson, the chief architect, incorporated Venetian, Egyptian and South Indian architecture into the monument.  From that point of view, such a diverse architectural pattern is unique in India.

๏ There is a dome in the centre of the monument.  A black pair stands at its apex.  Her costume name is ‘Angel of Victory’ meaning ‘Angel of Victory’.  That bronze is made of bronze with trumpet in hand.  He doesn't just enhance the decoration of this monument.  At the same time, he also saves the monument from lightning.

The Victoria Memorial is not only in Kolkata but also in front of Buckingham Palace in London.  But it is not a monument, it is a pillar.  There is also a pari(Angel) at the top.  Its colour is bright golden there.

The black cloth rotates according to the direction of the wind.  Because it has ball bearings and mercury on the floor.  However, he stopped running twice, in 1982 and 1992.  After the repairs, Vijay's fairy toured his city again.

There are 6 symbolic statues around the central dome.  These are associated with art, architecture, generosity, justice, motherhood, science and wisdom, respectively.

๏ The monument is actually a museum.  The number of galleries here is 25.  There is a wide variety of collections here, including old Calcutta paintings by renowned painter Thomas Daniel.  There are rare illustrated versions of William Shakespeare's works.

The monument's Victoria Gallery features several rare portraits of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert.  In addition, there have been oil paintings of various personalities of the British royal family.

Victoria's Garden is a free zone for Kolkata lovers.  This garden is made up of 64 acres of land.  In front of the main entrance to the garden is a statue of Queen Victoria.  There are also statues of several British princes throughout the garden.

As you enter the garden through another door, you will notice a magnificent archway.  At its top is a statue of a horse made of metal.  This arch is built in memory of 7th Edward VII.

In the garden of the Victoria Memorial, a Bengali personality has also found a place with the men of British sovereignty.  He is Sir Rajendranath Mukherjee.  Renowned entrepreneur.

๏ In 1986, the then Governor of the state and historian Syed Nurul Hasani planned to build a 'Calcutta Gallery' here.  The gallery opened to the public in 1992.  19th century Calcutta seems to be alive here.

The word 'VRI' is inscribed in Roman letters near the main entrance.  According to many, it is an acronym for Victoria Regina Imperatrix.  The Bengali translation of which is, 'Victoria, who is the Queen of England'.  However, many people think that there is another inspiration for this.  All in all, this mystery has not been solved even today.

Where the Victoria Memorial is today, once there was the Presidency Jail.  Later it was shifted to Alipore.

Whose money was used to build this outstanding architecture?  It is learned that the money for the construction of the monument was originally taken from the Indians.  The British government bore only a fraction of the construction cost.

✍️This article is written by "Titas Chakrabarty" and also collected from him.