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Photo: Subhrajyoti07, CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons
Kolkata's most celebrated landmark, this monument was built with imperial self-confidence and was the brainchild of Lord Curzon, one of India's most flamboyant Viceroys. The domed structure was completed in 1921, with marble used from Makrana. Now a museum, the Victoria Memorial's 25 galleries are spread over 2 floors. The collection covers a fascinating selection of Raj memorabilia and includes the Calcutta Gallery with oil paintings and watercolours of the city's history. Do not miss the grand Durbar Hall, inside which lies a statue of Lord Cornwallis. The museum is set in extensive and beautiful lawns and is lit up at night. A laser audio-visual show is held on the lawns every evening. "Nike", the Greek Goddess of victory, on top of the museum, is said to be haunted and has been prominently featured in many Kolkata stories and novels. Drones not allowed.
The Victoria Memorial is a large marble monument in the Maidan in Central Kolkata (Calcutta), having its entrance on the Queen's Way. It was built between 1906 and 1921 by the British Raj. It is dedicated to the memory of Queen Victoria, the Empress of India from 1876 to 1901. The work of construction was entrusted to Martin & Co. of Calcutta founded by Rajendranath Mukherjee and Thomas Acquin Martin, and work on the superstructure began in 1910. It is the largest monument to a monarch anywhere in the world. It stands at 26 hectares of gardens and is now a museum under the control of the Ministry of Culture, Government of India. Possessing prominent features of the Indo-Saracenic architecture, it has evolved into one of the most popular attractions in the city.
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Citizens' Park
A park known for its musical fountains and an open-air stage for cultural events.
রবীন্দ্র সদন Robīndro Sodon
Theatre and cultural centre built 1961-67.
সেন্ট পলস ক্যাথিড্রাল Senṭ Pols Kyāthiḍrāl
The largest Anglican church in Kolkata. It was constructed in 1847 and serves as a cathedral church of Church of North India (CNI). This Gothic-styled cathedral was designed by William Nairn Forbes.
বিড়লা তারামণ্ডল Biṛlā Tārāmoṇḍol
One of the oldest planetaria in India. The only planetarium in the country whose dome houses a collection of projectors and optical equipment expensively imported from the erstwhile East Germany. It is the largest planetarium in South Asia and the second largest in the world. Daily shows in English, Hindi and Bengali. The central dome measures 25 m in diameter.