* Officially the Victoria Memorial Hall, is a memorial building dedicated to Victoria, Queen of the United Kingdom and Empress of India, the capital of West Bengal and a former capital of British India.

* It currently serves as a museum and a tourist attraction. It is an autonomous organization within the Government of India's Ministry of Culture.

* The memorial was designed by Sir William Emerson using Indo-Saracenic style, incorporating Mughal elements in the structure.

* Lord Redesdale and Sir David Prain designed the gardens.

* The foundation stone of the memorial was laid down in the year 1906. The monument was intended to serve as a tribute to the success of the British Empire in India.

* The building is 184 ft high up to the base of the figure of Victory, which is another 16 ft high.

* The total cost of construction of this monument amounting to one crore, and five lakhs of rupees (1.05 crore (US$231,000)) was entirely derived from their voluntary subscriptions.

* The Memorial is the largest repository in India for a visual history of Calcutta. It also has a major collection of paintings, sculptures and manuscripts from the British period.

Picture: Pictolicious@Flickr

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