While talking about places that you can visit in Kolkata, Victoria Memorial doesn’t need any introduction. Amidst the city of joy this is one such monument that is standing tall with its colonial grandeur even today. Dedicated to British Queen Victoria, this memorial is still one of the locations that can give you a great insight about the colonial days. Along with that the beautiful architecture and the details here are major attractions of the tourists. The museum inside the location is also something that you should not miss out on. Moreover you can check out the Victoria Memorial inside photo as well to see how charming this whole structure is.
Furthermore there is a beautiful garden here as well which is ideal for a day out or picnic. The lush green lawn and the white structure in the backdrop offer a pleasant experience to the visitors. If you are looking for a place to hang out in Kolkata then you must consider visiting this Memorial and you would not regret it. Keep on reading this article as here I will mention everything that you probably need to know about Victoria. This will be a helpful read for you if you are planning a trip to this beautiful monument in the city.
Victoria Memorial Kolkata
Location: Maidan, 1 Queens Way, Kolkata, West Bengal
Timings:
Victoria Memorial timing for the Gallery is from 10 am to 5 pm on all days from Tuesday to Saturday. On Monday the Gallery is closed. The Garden is open from 5:30 am to 6:15 pm on all days from Monday to Sunday.
Light and Sound Show timings
From October to February
Bengali Show from 6:15 pm to 7 pm
English Show from 7:15 pm to 8 pm
From March to June
Bengali Show from 6:45 pm to 7:30 pm
English Show from 7:45 pm to 8:30 pm
From July to September there are no shows here.
Entry fee: The Victoria Memorial tickets are for Rs. 20 per person for Indians and Rs. 200 for Foreigners. However for school children in uniform up to class XII entry is free. And for Army Personnel in uniform also the entry to Victoria Memorial is free.
For the Garden area the entry fee is Rs. 10 per person. However there are monthly and yearly tickets here as well. The monthly ticket for a regular person for garden entry is Rs. 100 and the yearly ticket is Rs. 1000 per person. Moreover there are special tickets for morning walkers as well. For morning walkers the ticket price is Rs. 2000 and for Senior Citizen morning walkers the ticket price is Rs. 1000.
How to reach
By air
If you are travelling by air then the nearest airport to reach here is the Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose International Airport in Kolkata. From the airport the location is 22.5 km away and you can reach there in about 40 minutes. There are buses available from the airport that you can opt for to reach here. Or for a more convenient mode of travelling you can take a cab or a yellow taxi as well to reach Victoria from the airport.
By train
The nearest railway station to reach Victoria Memorial is the Sealdah railway station. From the Sealdah station the location is 5.9 km away and you can reach there in about 24 minutes. You can easily take buses to reach here from the Sealdah station. Or else you can reach there by travelling in a car, a cab or a taxi as well. Another major railway station to reach here is the Howrah Railway Station. From the station the Memorial is located at a distance of 6.9 km away and you can reach there in about 28 minutes. From here also you will get buses to reach there. Or else you can book a cab or hire a yellow taxi to reach there conveniently.
By road
The city buses are one of the most convenient options for traveling to reach Victoria Memorial. So you can take buses from various locations of the city to reach here. Or else you can also opt for app cabs or take a yellow taxi to reach there as well. However if you wish to take your own vehicle then you can travel by that as well. Around the location you will find paid parking so that would not be a hassle at all.
By metro
It is also extremely convenient to reach there by a metro. The nearest metro station to reach here is the Rabindra Sadan Metro Station. From there the location is about 2.1 km away. You can easily take a bus from the metro station to reach Victoria in about 12 minutes. Or else you can also walk up to the location to reach there in about 15 minutes. The Maidan Metro Station is also another nearby metro station at a distance of 3.8 km.
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Overview of Victoria Memorial
The Victoria Memorial Kolkata is one of the most beautiful monuments and one of the popular places to visit in the city. Lord George Curzon the first Viceroy of India conceptualized the creation of this Memorial for the deceased first Empress of India, Queen Victoria. Even though this was mainly a Memorial later it also became a museum that houses various original artefacts belonging to the Queen. Other than that the gallery here also houses original paintings, manuscripts, important memorabilia, valuable paintings etc. Spreading across an area of 64 acres the premises also has a beautiful lawn here. This is one of the most popular destinations that you can visit in Kolkata and holds a lot of importance.
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History of Victoria Memorial
After the death of Queen Victoria, the Viceroy of British India proposed the building of this Memorial. This structure was a state memorial to honour the reign of the Queen. On 4th January 1906 the foundation stone was laid and Prince of Wales George V did that . The construction cost of the memorial was a whooping sum of 1,05,00,000. The Indian Princes of Native States did the founding of the whole construction. Also the British Government from London sent a portion of funds for the construction. In total it took 15 years for the construction to complete and in 1921 finally the monument was opened for the general public. The Duke of Windsor Edward VIII inaugurated the memorial.
Architecture of Victoria Memorial
The chief architect of this beautiful structure was William Emerson. He was the then President of the Royal Institute of British Architects and he put in huge efforts to complete this construction. The structure was built using Makrana marble which was brought from Jodhpur. Vincent Esch was the assistant of the chief architect. The structure followed a mix of Indo Saracenic style of architecture along with some influence from Venetian, Deccan, Egyptian and Islamic styles of architecture.
One of the main attractions of this structure is the Angel of Victory standing at a height of 200 feet. The Angel of Victory itself is 16 feet tall. Mounted on a huge ball bearing previously the Angel used to rotate as well along with the wind. Also along with that there are 4 allegorical sculptures here which surround the central dome. These are Architecture, Art, Charity and Justice. Furthermore there are three more structures placed on the north porch and these are Motherhood, Prudence and Learning. Another major attraction here are the two massive marble lions here which are located at the main entrance.
Along with that you will also find a bronze statue of the Queen here located a little away from the main entrance. Sir George Frampton sculpted this statue and later shipped this all the way from England. The garden further is again a beautiful feature of this location. Along with that there are two large pools here as well that elevates the beauty of Victoria Memorial.
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Inside the gallery of Victoria Memorial
The museum inside the memorial is huge with 25 galleries housing more than 30,000 artefacts. From rare books to manuscripts, old artefacts, arms there is a lot to explore here. There are the Royal Gallery, Calcutta Gallery, National Leader’s Gallery, Queen’s Hall Gallery, Portrait Gallery, Arms and Armoury Gallery etc. The collection of books in this gallery is huge. From a collection of books by William Shakespeare to Arabian Nights the gallery houses a great collection. Also you will find manuscripts here like a copy of Abul Fazl’s Ain-i-Akbari. The Royal Gallery also houses a lot of oil paintings and other paintings by notable artists. Moreover you will also find many of the belongings of the Queen here as well.
Furthermore there is the Calcutta Gallery here as well which is one of the new galleries here. On the occasion of 300 years of the city this gallery was added here. This gallery depicts the journey of the city from the days of its inception. Moreover it beautifully explains the significant events through different photographs, maps, paintings and sketches which are interesting to look at. Also there is a National Leader’s Gallery here which is again one of the important galleries here. You will find various portraits and paintings here from the life and activities of imminent freedom fighters and national leaders. Whenever you are visiting here make sure you are visiting all these galleries as well.
Light and Sound Show
The Light and Sound Show here is one of the major attractions for the tourists. The show is titled as Pride and Glory- The Story of Calcutta. And as the name suggests the show depicts the story of Calcutta and the glorious days from the past. If you are visiting here do not miss out on this show at all. You can get the tickets for the show from the ticket counter itself from 12:30 pm onwards.
Wrapping Up!
So that was all that you needed to know about the Victoria Memorial in Kolkata to plan a visit there. It is undoubtedly one of the must visit places in the city. So no matter if you are staying there or if you are visiting there a visit to this location is a must. You can check out the Victoria Memorial photos and the beauty of this structure will totally win over your heart. Let me know when you are planning a visit to this location. And also do not forget to let me know if this article on Victoria is helpful for you in planning a trip to this location.
