The Victoria Memorial, Kolkata (Calcutta)

Victoria Memorial Hall is based in Kolkata (formerly known as Calcutta) in India and is a tourist attraction which was dedicated to Queen Victoria and inaugurated in 1921. The building and surrounding grounds were built as a tribute to the British Empire although from my knowledge locals in Kolkata who visit tend to just see it as a place to visit for fun rather than as a remembrance to why it was originally erected. I had heard of this attraction many times over the years but never got around to visiting myself until December 2009 and enjoyed my visit so much that I went back again in ... more

HOW CALCUTTA GOT ITS NAME: Kolkata as the city called now was known as Calcutta till 2001 A.D. There are four distinct schools of thought as to how Kolkata got its name. It’s a derivation from Kalikata which again is derived from the Bengali word Kalikshetra meaning “Ground of the Goddess Kali”. There people who say that it is a name derived from the location of its original settlement on the bank of a canal which in Bengali is known as a Khaal. Again there is a school of thought the name matches Bengali word for lime (kali) and burnt shell (kata) as the place was very well known for ... more