|
Like Shah Jahan, Lord Curzon wanted to write history
in marble and sandstone. Victoria Memorial, the monument of his
dreams was built to pay homage to a legendary monarch. It has
survived the city’s tumultuous history and become an integral
part of its imperial legacy. This year the Victoria Memorial will be
seventy year ol.
When Lord Curzon died,his
youngest daughter Lady Alexandra Metcalfe was by his side. She heard
the old man faintly whisper the two words-Victoria Memorial just
before the breathed his last. Lady Alexandra could not have heard
wrong as a major part of her father’s life was dedicated to the
construction of this mausoleum. Curzon, unpopular though he was in
Bengal for having partitioned the great province, presented its
premier city, Calcutta this beautiful edifice. Long before the
monument was erected, curzon was aware that the building would
survive him and become an integral part of the city’s imperial
legacy. Alighting from his pahaeton near the Maidan, he would wonder
what the marble structure would look like after completion. He would
dream o its brilliant whiteness and would pride himself in having
visualized this piece of exquisite architecture.
Curzon had the mind of a
true architect. Like Shah Jahan, he wanted to write history in marble
and sandstone. Calcutta’s magnificent Raj Bhavan, which served
as the Viceroy’s residence before the capital was shifted to
Delhi in 1991 was built during his reign. Raj Bhavan is presently
the official house of the west Bengal Governor. Victoria Memorial
was the result of a faithful servant’s unflinching loyalty to
his royal masters. Once he d3ecided to go ahead with the scheme and
received the green signal from the British Government, Curzon was an
inspired man. His noval method of raising resources and collecting
objects d’art displayed his keen interest in the matter.
However, Curzon who had conceived the museum and worked hard to
implement the project left the country when the construction had only
just began. Fate was so cruel to him that he did not figure among the
invitees at the inaugural function in 1921. by then, Curzon,s
contribution was forgotten.
In 1991, the Victoria
Memorial will be 70 years old. It has survivd some crucial decades in
the city’s tumultuous history, fraught with the impact of
partition and blood spilled by the unsuccessful terrorist movement of
the Naxalites. Today, it stands in the heart of Calcutta Maidan,
gleaming under the blistering summer sun with the black bronze angel
atop the dome moving noiselessly. Every morning, the
health-conscious middle class occupy its sprawling lawns and walk
around the garden-the total area of which is not less than 26
hectares. In the evenings, the picturesque building is washed by a
soft glow of arch lights.
Bathed in a haunting
blue. It evokes memories of the British Raj. Opposite the main
entrance, darkness engulfs the stretch of the Maidan known as the
Brigade Parade Ground and the flickering lamps of the phuchkawallahs
quiver in the distance. In a city where there has been a severe
recession in the tourism industry, the marble halls and galleries
containing priceless art objects and important historical documents
still draw a large number of outsiders.
The story behind the
construction of this beautiful monument is very interesting. Queen
Victoria, the grand empress died at the age of 94. for long she had
symbolized permanence. It was said about her, when the Queen is in
Buckingham Palace the people of England sleep well. No wonder her
death was a blow to Englishmen. The demise also shocked the sahibs in
Calcutta. It was Lord Curzon who raised the issue of erecting a
monument as a mark of homage to Queen Victoria through newspaper
advertisements published in “The Englishman” and “The
Statesman.” He repeated the proposal in two subsequent
gatherings of the city’s elite. He proposed that a solemn
mausoleum be constructed at the center of a beautiful garden. Even
Indians were invited to the condolence meetings where the proposal
was placed for discussion. The idea was appreciated and approved by
all those who were present. Curzon, who preferred to abide by
democratic norms, sought advice from various quarters regarding the
probable site and the nature of construction.
Several suggestions were
put forward. Someone recommended the vacant plots around Sealdah
railway station as th ideal location. It was argued that this would
enable visitors to the city to have a glimpse of the memorial as soon
as they stepped out of the platform. Sir Gurudas Banerjee wanted the
museum to contain documents and objects depicting the Indian heritage
and he laid stress on models portraying stories from epics like the
Mahabharata and the Ramayana. Sir Surendranath Banerjee seemed to
have put forward the most practical suggestions. The firebrand
nationalist felt that the museum would be extremely popular if it
narrated episodes from the country’s past with special emphasis
on ethnic groups like the Sikhs, Rajasthanis and the Marathas.
Obviously, Sir Surendranath desired that great moments in the history
of India nationalism be given prominence.
Curzon, however, dodged
these suggestions with unmatched cunning. Without sounding harsh and
authoritative, he had his way and overruling the advice of the Indian
intelligentsia declared that the museum would focus its attention on
Indo-British history and would date from the advent of the Raj. Since
British rule was still continuing, he also ruled that the museum
would not contain exhibits connected in any way with a living person.
Even art objects to be on display in the museum would deal
exclusively with this particular period in Indian history.
Not a single paise was
raised outside the India sub-continent for the memorial. Curzon
appealed for funds and he received immediate response-both from the
mercantile elite, comprising the burgeoning industrial classes and
chambers of commerce; as well as the princely kingdoms who assured
help despite their depleting coffers. Within two days, curzon had
been promised a sum of Rs.2,65,000. it has been alleged that some of
the Indian royal families did not come forward voluntarily. They
understood that if they dissociated themselves from the prestigious
project they might land themselves in unnecessary trouble by
antagonizing the British. The Government ensured that the promises
regarding financial help were kept. When a Rangoon based timber
merchant died without paying the amount he had vouched, an inquiry
was undertaken to find out if he had been rendered insolvent prior to
his death and if his sons had enough money to make the payments.
The construction work
proceeded in the absence of the chief architect who provided guidance
from Britain Since Curzon would have nothing short of the best, the
job was entrusted to none other than Sir William Empson, president of
the British Institute of Architects. He drafted his plan modeling
the building on the tradition of the Italian Renaissance
Architecture, though its resemblance with Shah Jahan’s Taj Mahal
was unmistakable. Sir William described his model as one that was
occidental in design. Appointed in 1903, his duties were confined to
the preparation of the building plan and advising trustees on the
choice of contractors. It was decided that he would visit the work
site annually if it was necessary in his opinion or if the trustees
desired so Mr.Roert Lyons Serenoaks, who was appointed as
superintending Achitect oversaw the dayto-day functioning. He was
made responsible for the execution of the project and sent
photographs of the progress made in construction work to Sir Willians
every month. The initial estimate was $300,000. three applications
were received for tenders floated by inviting contractors to
undertake the implementation of the scheme. Messrs.Martin and company
of Calcutta who had promised to complete the construction at the cost
of around Rs.54 lakhs excluding the price of marble clinched the
deal.
It is said that a goods
train 17 miles long would have been required to bring over the entire
building material needed for the memorial. The total weight of the
building has been calculated to be around 80,300 tonnes and the
quantity of marble measured 16,080 cubic feet. The same quarries in
Rajasthan from where Shah Jahan had obtained the marble for the Taj
Mahal were initially excavated. However a decision was subsequently
Taken to mine the Markana
area then a part of the Jodhpur kingdom and presently located in the
Nagpur district of the desert province. The cost of marble including
freight charges was initially estimated to be around Rs.25 lakhs.
Later, the expenses were reduced by Rs.2 lakhs when the Railways
waived the transport costs and offered free carriage. In the latter
part of 1917 constructionwas temporarily brought to a halt as heavy
rains had flooded the Markana region. New quarries were opened in
the adjoining area to maintain uninterrupted supply for the edifice.
The construction which began after laying of the foundation stone in
106 took 15 years to be completed. The building was formally
inaugurated on December 28,1921.
Both the foundation stone
laying ceremony ad the inaugural functions were grand and colourful
events with a curious blend of pomp and solemnity. King George V, who
had not yet been crowned in 106, laid the foundation stone. Similarly
Kind Edware VIII, who made history by relinquishing the throne to
marry a commoner was then still the Prince of Wales when he
inaugurated the completed structure in 1921. Queen Elizabeth II
visited the galleries during her brief visit to the city in the
fifties. So did Prince Charles and other members of British royalty
when they toured Calcutta decades later. Terrorists operating in the
city during the freedom movement seemed not to have borne a grudge
against this colonial institution as their numerous exploits never
brought them to the gardens and the museum interiors. Neither did the
Naxalites carry out any plan to defile its premises even when red
terror had reached a peak in the early seventies and statues of
freedom fighters were being beheaded by the young anarchists. The
memorial and its placid gardens did not witness much violence. Only
once when some rebels had garlanded one of the statutes with a wreath
of chappals did the authorities react and two constables were posted
at the gate. The practice of patrolling the gardens by two
lathi-wielding policemen continues even to this day and presently
their job is to ensure that the young couples who converge here in
the afternoons do not cause what may be civilly described as public
offence.
The black bronze angel
holding a bugle in her hand and placed at the apex of the dome has
always been regarded as a curious addition to the monument. The
statue, five meters tall and weighing 3,500 kilogrammes is fixed to
its pedestal with ball bearings and can rotate when the windspeed is
high enough. In the early eighties there was much concern when the
mechanical device stopped functioning and a leading engineering
company’s services were sought to rectify the defect and make
the melancholy angel resume her movement. This statue as well as
others that adorn the garden were sculpted by Italian craftsmen with
the marble available in that country. The Greek muses figure among
these pieces of sculpture. Special care was taken to collect exhibits
for the various galleries. Leading art auctioneers like Christie’s
and the Sotheby’s were approached to provide help in expanding
the collection. The Maharajahs were also made to contribute
From their own private
collections.
The Victoria Memorial is
now beset with problems resulting from falling environment standards.
Gaseous fames are said to have damaged the quality of the marble
which is fading in some portion. The Maidan area receives dust fall
during the heavy Calcutta smog in winter. The air quality monitored
by scientists in this part of the city shows that dangerous
pollutants including heavy metals are in the atmosphere which damage
the edifice. During the first 30 years the building subsided 18
inches but fortunately this trend of subsidence disappeared latter.
It has also been noticed that villagers who stream to this tourist
spot are often inclined to wash their clothes and have a quick bath
in the ponds within the compounds. Therefore efforts are being made
to regulate the flow of visitors. a restoration center inside the
museum repairs and restores the art objects and plans are being made
to start a daily son et lumiere show to attract the tourists to this
glorious edifice to revel in its imperial beauty.
| 
