Built in 1921 as a tribute to Queen Victoria, this spectacular white marble monument is Kolkata's most recognizable landmark. The building houses a fascinating museum of paintings, sculptures, and memorabilia from the British Raj, including rare portraits of Calcutta's colonial era and weapons from the Indian Rebellion of 1857. The surrounding gardens are beautifully maintained and worth a stroll in the early evening when the building is lit up. Allow a couple of hours for the museum and grounds.
Victoria Memorial
White marble monument and museum of the British Raj
| Address | 1 Queens Way, Kolkata 700071 |
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A story
The architect Lord Curzon insisted the building be made entirely of white Makrana marble — the same stone used for the Taj Mahal. Getting enough of it proved so difficult that construction took 21 years, from 1900 to 1921. Curzon had left India long before the doors opened; by then the Raj he was commemorating had only 26 years left to run.