Victoria Memorial

Lonely Planet review

Had it been built for a beautiful Indian princess rather than a dead colonial queen, the incredible Victoria Memorial would surely rate as one of India's greatest buildings. It's a vast, beautifully proportioned confection of white marble domes set in attractive, well-tended parkland. Think US Capitol meets Taj Mahal.

Built to commemorate Queen Victoria's 1901 diamond jubilee, the structure was finally finished nearly 20 years after her death. It's most photogenic viewed at sunset across reflecting ponds from the northeast.

But the many interior galleries are worth seeing, specially the Kolkata Gallery, which traces an impressively even-handed history of the city, including the experience of Indians living under British rule. Some colonial statues offer a chuckle. Before the north door a sleepy Victoria seems to be nodding off on her throne. In the main entranceway King George V faces his wife Mary but looks more the queen himself in his camp posing britches. No wonder interior photography is forbidden.