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NDTV
11-06-2025
- NDTV
Why The Victoria Memorial Still Rules Kolkata's Cultural Map
If you step back and think about Kolkata, chances are the first image that flashes is the Victoria Memorial - sitting tall in white marble, surrounded by manicured lawns and traffic that never stops honking. It is not just a monument; it is practically Kolkata's middle name. But this stunner is not all looks. It tells a story stitched with colonial history, architectural swagger, and the long road to independence. If you are someone who likes your history layered and in high definition, this is your kind of place. So, if Kolkata is on your list, do not treat the Victoria Memorial like just another photo-op. Here is why it deserves a proper stopover. A Quick Backstory That Sets It All Up The idea of the Victoria Memorial was floated in 1901 after Queen Victoria died. Lord Curzon pushed the plan forward, and what followed was one of India's grandest tributes to colonial memory. Construction took place between 1906 and 1921, and architect William Emerson gave it his all. The design is a wild mix - Mughal domes, British symmetry, Egyptian overtones, and a splash of Venetian and Deccani elements. The funding came through public donations from both the British and Indian communities, which says a lot about how it was received back then. The building was formally opened in December 1921 by the Prince of Wales. What Makes The Victoria Memorial A Must-Visit 1. That Architecture Hits Hard View this post on Instagram A post shared by Victoria Memorial Hall (@vmhkolkata) It is not just a monument. It is a marble mic drop. The central dome is grand without being loud, the chhatris (domed pavilions) are beautifully symmetrical, and the white Makrana marble (yes, the same one used in the Taj Mahal) just glows in sunlight. The 'Angel of Victory' on top - balanced like a ballerina - adds flair while pointing to a not-so-subtle narrative of British triumph. Inside, the arches and design details reflect top-tier Indian craftsmanship. 2. A Museum That Actually Holds Your Attention View this post on Instagram A post shared by Victoria Memorial Hall (@vmhkolkata) Step in and you will find 25 galleries that do not mess around. You will see everything from Queen Victoria's writing desk and piano to Company School paintings and handwritten historical documents. The curation is chronological, so you get a neat walkthrough of colonial events. It is a proper peek into what shaped modern Kolkata - and by extension, modern India. 3. The Gardens Are More Than Just Pretty Filler View this post on Instagram A post shared by Victoria Memorial Hall (@vmhkolkata) Covering about 64 acres, the gardens around Victoria Memorial are beautifully laid out - courtesy of Lord Redesdale and Sir David Prain. But they are not just for lounging or clicking selfies. Look closer, and you will see statues of historical figures like Charles Cornwallis, Lord Curzon, and Robert Clive scattered across the lawns. These sculptures double up as a mini crash course in colonial history. 4. Light-And-Sound Show That Hits Nostalgia And Nerve Every evening (except on Mondays and national holidays), the Memorial hosts a light and sound show called 'Kolkata, the City of Joy.' It runs in Hindi, Bengali, and English, and lasts about 40 to 45 minutes. It tells Kolkata's story with just enough drama to make you care, and just enough colour to keep your eyes glued. It is a solid pick for those who like their history told with flair and foot-tapping background music. 5. From British Showpiece To Indian Archive View this post on Instagram A post shared by Ministry of Culture (@ministryofculturegoi) This is the part that many people miss. The Memorial was originally funded by public donations—around ₹10.5 million. Post-independence, the space was repurposed. Statues once symbolising colonial might now sit quietly in the gardens, while the galleries have been reimagined to include Indian voices, leaders, and movements. It is not just about British India anymore; it is about how India reclaimed the narrative. What You Need To Know Before You Visit The Victoria Memorial 1. When Is The Best Time To Visit? Kolkata's winter months - November to February - are ideal. The weather is pleasant enough to stroll through the gardens and actually spend time reading those museum captions instead of just scanning them. 2. What Are The Entry Fees And Timings? The museum is open Tuesday to Sunday, from 10 am to 6 pm. It is shut on Mondays and national holidays. • Gallery Fee: ₹20 for Indians, ₹100 for SAARC nationals, ₹500 for others. • Gardens: Open daily from 5:30 am to 6:00 pm. Entry fee is ₹10. Yearly passes cost ₹1000. 3. What Else Can You Visit Nearby? Once done, take a walk to St Paul's Cathedral, Fort William, the Indian Museum, or even the Birla Planetarium. They are all within shouting distance from Victoria Memorial and continue the cultural loop. 4. Are Guided Tours A Thing? Yes. Free guided tours run every hour from 10 am to 5 pm, Tuesday to Sunday. They last about an hour and add context to what you see. The Victoria Memorial is not just a page out of a history book. It is the whole chapter. If you are in Kolkata and skip it, you are not doing the city right.
Deccan Herald
10-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Deccan Herald
Untold stories on the canvas
In his book, Room for Wonder: Indian Painting during the British Period 1760–1880 (The American Federation of Arts, 1978), the American scholar and curator of Indian art, Stuart Cary Welch Jr, contextualises how 'the British propensities for exploration and documentation' and 'their inquisitiveness and collectomania were rewarded by the growth of a new idiom of Indian painting, usually known as Company School'..Company School, or the more popular term 'Company Painting', came to be used 'freely', according to the Indian art historian and critic B N Goswamy, in the 1930s. While there can be a debate on who coined the term — whether it was Rai Krishnadas or Ishwari Prasad, or someone else — 'the 'style', if it can be so called, was soon everywhere', Goswamy notes in an popularise what the Company Painting era produced and how it helped shape the journey of Indian art, DAG (formerly Delhi Art Gallery) has an exhibition titled A Treasury of Life: Indian Company Paintings 1790–1835 on display until July 5, 2025. Curated by art historian and writer Giles Tillotson, who's also Senior Vice President, DAG, the exhibition 'builds' on the gallery's earlier one titled Forgotten Masters: Indian Painting for the East India Company, 'expanding the conversation to highlight the full scope of Company painting.'.From Prayers and Recitations at the Muharram Festival (1820–30) to Fete des Hindous appellée Kales Pojas [Hindu Festival called Kali Puja] (early 19th century) and from Chestnut-vented Nuthatch (Sitta nagaensis), 1810, to Arsenic Bush (Senna septemrionalis), Ivy Gourd (Coccinia grandis) and Bitter Gourd (Momordica charantia), 1795, the collection features some stellar works both by unknown artists from across India to well-known figures from Chuni Lal to Sewak Ram, and Sita Ram. But because this collection is a window to understanding the expansive Company School era, and doesn't capture it in its entirety, I believe the artworks on display draw from influences of the artists' predecessors like Bhawani Das and Shaykh Zayn-al-Din of Patna and Calcutta respectively though nothing like that is hinted at in the curatorial what Tilloston's curation reflects is something that Cary Welch Jr had summarised around half a century ago in his book about the Company School: 'Natural history painters, for instance, became especially skilled at rendering quills, feathers, blossoms, or the proportions of animals; while other artists devoted their lives to documenting views along the Ganges River.' Therefore, it feels logical to see the paintings organised at DAG based on their inspiration — India's flora and fauna, architecture, rural landscape views and Indian customs and trades. The curatorial note at DAG notes that the proliferation of the paintings depicting sacrificial killings or the congregation of people around some festival or the other could've never seen the light of day had it not been for the foreign patrons' 'demand'. The note doesn't pin anything on the gaze, there are several artworks featuring Mughal-era monuments, which makes one think why Indians were painting them when William Hodges, the masterful landscape artist, was brought especially from London to Madras towards the end of the 18th century to document the everyday Indian life (to be taken back to the UK by the patrons as mementos). Not only him, but there were also artists like Thomas Daniell, William Daniell, and George Chinnery, all of whom were trying to make the most of the opportunity. The answer, which the curatorial note also acknowledges, is that their paintings would cost a lot to the patrons. However, one can also find this interesting note in Cary Welch Jr's book: 'Seeing an English amateur painter at work, an Indian gentleman approached him, 'Why, sir,' he asked, 'are you doing that? Could you not employ some Indian to do it for you better?' Although many sahibs and memsahibs painted their own pictures (and a few were extremely talented), most took the view of the Indian gentleman.'.With this context in mind, through this exhibition, one can engage with the Company Painting chapter with a renewed vigour. But not without ignoring the legacy of British colonialism. For example, here's what the Assistant Professor at the Department of History, Shivaji College, University of Delhi, Sonal Singh, points out: '[William] Hodges' much-famed Ghats of Banaras made during the conflict with Warren Hastings, when he accompanied him, is in sharp contrast to the arrest of Chait Singh and the resulting battle. Even when the subject on the canvas was a battle scene, it conformed to imperial ideology, valourising the sacrifices of the Company in the wake of 'atrocities' by the natives.'.This is to say that gaze matters. Not only that of the consumers lining up to view and collect art, but also that of the artworks' producers. Perhaps this is how viewing artworks enriches us: if only we hear the stories they seem to be telling us from the background.
Hindustan Times
29-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Hindustan Times
Exhibition celebrates versatility of paper as medium through artworks across three centuries
New Delhi, The finely detailed ruins, forts and temple paintings of 18th century artists Thomas and William Daniell and the powerful feminist visions of painter Rekha Rodwittiya in the 21st century are connected through the bridge that is paper and its ability to preserve stories and serve as a medium for artistic exploration. The delicate yet resilient material makes for the common medium for over 100 artworks across three centuries at the 'Paper Alchemy' exhibition by Great Banyan Art at Bikaner House here. The exhibition, featuring more than 50 masters of their craft, explores the connection between paper as a medium and the evolution of artistic expression in India. "Featuring works that span over three centuries—from colonial-era aquatints to post-independence modernism and contemporary experimentation—the exhibition reflects themes of memory, fragility, and transformation. It traces how a humble material like paper has evolved into a powerful medium for storytelling, cultural memory, and artistic innovation in India,' Sonali Batra, curator, told PTI. The exhibition spans major movements in Indian art, including the Company School, the Bengal School, the Progressive Artists' Group, the Madras Group, and Contemporary practices, providing an opportunity to witness the evolution of artistic engagement with paper across generations and aesthetic philosophies. From rare Oriental aquatints by Thomas and William Daniell, James Prinsep, William Hodges, to modern pioneers like M F Husain, F N Souza, H A Gade, Ramkinkar Baij, and Ganesh Haloi, the exhibition bridges historical traditions with contemporary voices such as Atul Dodiya, Anju Dodiya, Jagannath Panda, Rameshwar Broota, Amit Ambalal, and Anupam Sud. The exhibition showcases the versatility of paper through diverse techniques including watercolour, gouache, tempera, acrylic, lithography, etching, aquatint, serigraphy, and photography. 'What's consistent among all of these works is the medium of paper and how paper has the ability to hold on to memories, and it's such a fragile medium and it's taken forward stories and lasting visual imprints, cultural memories over three centuries,' Batra said. It highlights paper's dual role both 'as a medium for experimentation and as a bridge between historical techniques and transnational modernism'. The exhibition will come to a close on April 30.
