Victoria Memorial

Victoria Memorial

Victoria Memorial is a triumph of white marble. A large beautiful building with correct proportions, a combination of the Capitol in the US and the Taj Mahal. If this structure had been built for a beautiful Indian princess rather than a dead colonial queen, it would surely be considered one of the grandest in India. The memorial was created to commemorate Queen Victoria’s diamond jubilee (1901), but construction went on for another 20 years after her death.

General information

Indians/foreigners Rs. 10/150;10:00-17:00 Tuesday-Sunday, last tickets at 16:30

Note the statues at the entrance to the first corridor: King George V is facing his wife Mary, but he himself looks more like a queen in his breeches. To the left and right hang engravings and paintings on wooden bases that do not do justice to the splendor of the gallery itself. The tall central room remains one of the most impressive, and from it opens the entrance to the Kolkata Gallery, an excellent exhibition on the city’s history in the colonial era.

Even if you don’t want to go inside, the building is worth admiring from the outside as well: the views of the mirrored lakes and the scenery behind them from the northeast are surprisingly photogenic. You can get closer by paying to enter the well-maintained park (Rs 4: 5:45-17:45). During the day, entrance is open from the north and south gates (there are ticket booths at both gates), and you can exit through the east gate.

In the evenings, the Memorial shows a 45-minute light and sound show in English (Indians/foreigners Rs. 10/20; 7:15 p.m. Tuesday-Sunday in November-February, 7:45 p.m. Tuesday-Sunday in March-June) – it’s better than what you may have imagined as an ancient slide show with shifting pictures. The ticket booth and entrance is at the east gate. The benches are outside, there is no roof on top, nothing is shown here in the summer.