Monument Moments - India

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Victoria Memorial

Sadafreen, an MA student at Lancaster shares:

I actually have a personal memory connected to this monument. Back in 2018, my mom had to leave for Malaysia, and it was the first time my brother and I were away from her for so long. So, to lift our spirits, my dad took us out for the day — and we ended up at Victoria Memorial. I remember us walking around the museum, in awe at all the statues, paintings and the giant halls, but it was the gardens that stayed with me. We played on the grass, had a nice picnic and stayed there until the sun started to set behind the monument. I think that was the first time I realised that places can hold emotions. It’s not just a beautiful building — it became a memory for us, a happy one.

India is full of monuments like that — historical places that somehow become part of your personal story. Whether you're a tourist, a history lover, or just someone who needs a quiet day outside, it’s one of those places that can leave an impression on you.

The Victoria Memorial is one of the most iconic monuments in India, located in the city of Kolkata, West Bengal. It was built during the British colonial period, in memory of Queen Victoria, and completed in 1924 as proposed by Lord Curzon (the then Viceroy of India).

Architecturally, the monument was designed in the Indo-Saracenic revivalist style, which was popular in British India during that time. This aesthetic utilised white Makrana marble structure that blends British and Mughal elements along with the Egyptian, Venetian and Deccani influences — so it looks kind of like something out of a storybook. It's surrounded by huge gardens and ponds, and when the sun hits it just right, the whole thing looks like it’s glowing. It’s peaceful, but also dramatic in a way that makes you feel like you’re standing somewhere really important. According to Wikipedia, “It is the largest monument to a monarch anywhere in the world.

The Angel of Victory statue on top of the central dome of the memorial makes the monument really stand out and look even prettier at night when the lights turn on. Unsurprisingly, that is not the only statue representing the monument. There are several statues of important people but the most significant statue without which the monument wouldn’t be Victoria Memorial is the great statue of Queen Victoria herself. The all-knowing Wikipedia says that the statue is “cast in bronze and depicts an enthroned and aged Victoria, looking down on her world while wearing the robes of the Star of India and holding the orb and sceptre.”

Today, the Victoria Memorial functions as a museum, with galleries full of historical paintings, sculptures, rare photographs, arms and armoury and antiquarian books. You get a glimpse into what India was like under British rule. It’s the kind of place that makes history feel a little less distant and more real.