In the former capital of British India and now the capital of the state of West Bengal, Calcutta, there is a regal memorial dedicated to Queen Victoria, Queen of Britain and Empress Victoria of India. It is an enormous structure of dazzling white colour, built amidst lush gardens.
The quadrangular building, 56 metres high, was built at the instigation of the of the Viceroy Lord Curzon between 1906 and 1921. The memorial blended several architectural styles, as indeed in any European-type building in India. To the basic Italian Renaissance style were added typical oriental details.
For the construction, the chief architect of the project, Sir William Emerson, used white marble. The corners of the building are traditionally decorated with small turrets, and the central dome is topped by a figure of Victory (or what is known as the "Victoria Angel"), and is also surrounded by smaller ones. it's also surrounded by smaller statues representing Art, Justice, Architecture, Charity.
Today, the Victoria Memorial is a historical museum that is divided into several sections. The Royal Gallery contains paintings depicting the Queen herself Queen, her husband Albert, her coronation, her wedding and other significant events in the royal couple's in the life of the royal couple. Another gallery contains works by famous travellers, naturalists and artists. travellers, naturalists and artists Thomas and William Daniels, who who visited India between 1785 and 1788. There is also a special room set aside for exhibits, on the history and culture of Calcutta from its founding. Job Charnock, to the time it was stripped of its status as the Indian capital in 1911. In addition to this, the memorial has a repository of rare books, including books by Shakespeare and Omar Khayyam.
