Victoria Memorial, Kolkata

The Victoria Memorial is a large marble building on the Maidan in Central Kolkata, having its entrance on the Queen’s Way. It was built between 1906 and 1921 by the British government. It is dedicated to the memory of Queen Victoria, Empress of India from 1876 to 1901. It is the largest monument to a monarch anywhere in the world, it stands in 64 acres of gardens and is now a museum under the control of the Ministry of Culture. Possessing prominent features of the British architecture of the colonial era, it has evolved into one of the most popular places in the city.

History
Following the death of Queen Victoria in January 1901, Lord Curzon, the Viceroy of India, suggested that a fitting memorial to the late Queen-Empress should be created in Calcutta, now called Kolkata, then the capital of British India. He proposed the construction of a grand building with a museum and gardens. Curzon said,

“Let us, therefore, have a building, stately, spacious, monumental and grand, to which every newcomer in Calcutta will turn, to which all the resident population, European and Native, will flock, where all classes will learn the lessons of history and see revived before their eyes the marvels of the past.”

The government officials, princes, politicians, and people of India responded generously to Lord Curzon’s appeal for funds, and the total cost of construction of the monument, amounting to one crore, five lakhs of Rupees (₹), was entirely derived from their voluntary subscriptions.

The site chosen was near the present-day Raj Bhavan, known at the time as Government House. The construction of the Victoria Memorial was delayed by Curzon’s departure from India in 1905, with a subsequent loss of local enthusiasm for the project. There was also some uncertainty about the strength of the foundations, and tests on them were carried out. On 4 January 1906, the new Prince of Wales laid the foundation stone.

The work of construction was entrusted to Messrs. Martin & Co. of Calcutta, and work on the superstructure began in 1910.

In 1912, before construction was finished, King George V announced the transfer of the capital of India from Calcutta to New Delhi. Thus, the Victoria Memorial came to stand in what would be a major provincial city, rather than a capital.

The Victoria Memorial was completed and formally opened to the public in 1921.

After 1947, some additions were made to the Memorial.

A smaller Victoria memorial was also constructed in the Hardoi District, which has since been converted into a city club for recreation. Mahatma Gandhi addressed meetings at Hardoi in the 1930s.