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Which large white marble building in Kolkata, built by the British in memory of a queen, has a design that echoes the Taj Mahal?
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Answer: Option C — Victoria Memorial
Detailed Solution
The Victoria Memorial in Kolkata is a large white marble building, built by the British in memory of Queen Victoria; its design, with a central dome and white marble, echoes the Taj Mahal.
About the Victoria Memorial:
- It was conceived by Lord Curzon, the Viceroy of India, after Queen Victoria's death in January 1901.
- Its foundation stone was laid in 1906 by the Prince of Wales (later King George V).
- It was designed by the British architect William Emerson.
- It was built of white Makrana marble, the same marble used for the Taj Mahal.
- It was completed and opened in 1921.
- It stands in a large garden of about 64 acres, near the Maidan.
Architecture:
- It combines British (Renaissance and Classical) architecture with Mughal (Indo-Islamic) elements, a style sometimes called Indo-Saracenic.
- It has a large central dome, topped by a bronze statue of the "Angel of Victory", which rotates with the wind.
- It has corner towers and domed kiosks.
The museum:
- It is now a museum, with collections of paintings, sculptures, manuscripts, weapons and other objects related to the history of India, especially the British period.
- It includes paintings by artists such as Thomas Daniell and William Daniell.
- It is managed by the Ministry of Culture of the Government of India.
About Queen Victoria:
- She ruled the United Kingdom from 1837 to 1901.
- After the Revolt of 1857, the British Crown took over the government of India from the East India Company.
- She was proclaimed "Empress of India".
Other monuments of Kolkata:
- Writers' Building: the old office of the East India Company's clerks (writers), later the secretariat of West Bengal.
- Marble Palace: a 19th-century mansion of a wealthy Bengali family, known for its art collection.
- Raj Bhavan: the residence of the Governor, earlier the Government House.
Howrah Bridge, St. Paul's Cathedral, and the Indian Museum.
Why not the other options?
- ✗Writers' Building, Marble Palace and Raj Bhavan are other buildings of Kolkata.
Quick tip
Remember: Victoria Memorial, Kolkata = conceived by Lord Curzon, designed by William Emerson, opened 1921; Makrana marble; Angel of Victory on the dome.
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Monuments & Religious Places — Preparation
This question tests your understanding of Monuments & Religious Places, a key topic in the General Knowledge section. The detailed solution above uses a step-by-step approach to show the reasoning, and where available, a shortcut that helps you solve similar questions in under 90 seconds during the actual exam.
This topic covers India's important monuments, temples, mosques, churches, gurudwaras and pilgrimage sites, who built them and when, their architectural styles, and India's UNESCO World Heritage Sites. Questions ask who built a monument, where it is located, or which dynasty or style it belongs to. For example, the Qutub Minar was begun by Qutbuddin Aibak, and the Sun Temple at Konark was built by the Eastern Ganga king Narasimhadeva I. Revise the UNESCO World Heritage Sites as a list, noting the most recent additions. Practise the monuments and religious places questions below, written in the style of the general awareness sections of exams such as SSC, banking, railways, CUET GAT, MAH CET and CLAT. Each question comes with a detailed explanation that adds related facts, so every question helps you revise more than one point.