Kolkata’s Victoria Memorial Hall gets makeover

Kolkata: Kolkata’s iconic Victoria Memorial Hall is getting a makeover and will soon become an open cultural centre allowing visitors to access parts of the marble structure that had been hidden for a long time.

According to Jayanta Sengupta, curator of the British-era museum, “The structure has always been a unique combination of heritage and architectural beauty. The part of the makeover plan is not only to convert the space into a cultural arena but also allow visitors access to all areas of the areas within the edifice,” Sengupta said.

As part of the renovation and modernisation program, the Indian Ministry of Culture is spending Rs600 million (Dh35 million) to carry out a preventive conservation of the heritage structure from the British era. The pollution has affected the marble structure which bears a close resemblance to that of the Taj Mahal and authorities have launched a massive cleaning drive.

“The exterior surface of the architectural marvel is made of Makrana marble; the same variety as in the Taj Mahal and Fuller’s earth was being used to clean it as it does not cause any chemical reaction. We hope to complete the cleaning process by October this year,” Sengupta added.

Visitors will also have access to the hidden part of the building and certain architectural aspects which till now was hidden will be visible to the public.

Built in the memory of Queen Victoria, George Curzon, Viceroy of India, proposed the creation of a fitting memorial building with gardens and museums. The Prince of Wales, later King George V, laid the foundation stone on 4 January 1906 and it was formally opened to the public in 1921.

The building is designed in the Indo-Saracenic revivalist style. This style uses a mixture of British and Mughal elements as well as Venetian, Egyptian, Deccani and Islamic architectural influences. The building is 338 feet by 228 feet and rises to a height of 184 feet.