Built between 1906 and 1921 in honor of Queen Victoria after her death, when India was still part of the British Empire. The Victoria Memorial is an immense marble building that has been converted into a museum and is one of the most visited places in Kolkata (formerly Calcutta).
Admiring its architecture, viewing the sculptures and paintings inside, or strolling through its vast gardens are all activities that can easily take up at least a couple of hours during your visit.
You can visit on your own. It’s easy to get there by taking a rickshaw; then, you simply pay the entrance fee to enter the building, and that’s about it.
Alternatively, you can join a full-day tour of Kolkata to visit this and other interesting places in the city with a guide. This is a great way to gain a deeper understanding of what you visit, so it’s up to you!
The building stands about 60 meters tall (56 meters to the figure of Victory, plus an additional 5 meters for the statue itself) and was designed by Sir William Emerson, president of the British Institute of Architects. It was built in the Indo-Saracenic style, incorporating elements of Mughal architecture.
The gardens were designed by Lord Redesdale and Sir David Prain. The foundation stone of the memorial was laid by King George V in 1906, and it was opened to the public in 1921.
The gardens, also designed by Redesdale and Prain, cover an area of 260,000 square meters around the building. They are a great place to relax, take photos, or chat with the curious locals, who will often ask where you’re from and may request to take a picture with you.
Photography is not permitted inside the Victoria Memorial, which houses 25 galleries, including the Royal Gallery, the National Leaders Gallery, the Portrait Gallery, the Central Hall, the Sculpture Gallery, the Armoury Gallery, and the newest addition, the Calcutta Gallery.
It boasts the largest collection of works by Thomas Daniell and his nephew William Daniell. It also holds a collection of old books, including The Illustrated Works of William Shakespeare and One Thousand and One Nights.
Once you’ve explored the interior, if you visit in the afternoon, take a stroll around the lake in the gardens to enjoy a beautiful sunset, just as we did.
