The central dome
Topped by a figure of Victory.
Priyodorshi 10 — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Priyodorshi 10 — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Priyodorshi 10 — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Priyodorshi 10 — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Kolkatarchobiwala — CC BY-SA 3.0
The Victoria Memorial is a huge white marble building on the Maidan in Kolkata, raised in memory of Queen Victoria, Empress of India from 1876 to 1901. It is now a museum under India's Ministry of Culture and one of the city's most famous sights, set in 26 hectares of gardens. Viceroy Lord Curzon proposed it after the queen's death in 1901, and it was built between 1906 and 1921. During construction, in 1911, King George V announced the move of the capital from Calcutta to New Delhi, leaving the memorial in a provincial capital. The Prince of Wales opened it in December 1921. William Emerson was the architect. The design blends British and Mughal styles with other touches, 103 m long, 69 m wide and 56 m high, in Makrana marble. A winged bronze figure of Victory tops the central dome, and a statue of the queen stands at the entrance. Inside are galleries, paintings and scenes from her life, while the gardens and pools reflect the building, especially at sunset. An hour or two is enough. The galleries open from 10 am to 6 pm and close on Mondays and national holidays. The gardens are good for walking early in the morning or before sunset. It gets crowded on holidays, so a normal weekday is better. Photography is not allowed in some halls, so ask first.
Topped by a figure of Victory.
Reflecting the marble at sunset.
Paintings of the queen's life.
Queen's Way, Maidan, central Kolkata
The galleries close on Mondays and national holidays, according to the official site.
Before sunset, when the facade reflects in the pools.