Victoria Memorial top choice for global travellers

Kolkata: The iconic Victoria Memorial Hall (VMH) here has been inducted in TripAdvisor's 'Hall of Fame' making it the only museum in India to get thumbs up from three global travel-related sites and publications, its curator said on Wednesday.

The memorial, which opened to the public in 1921, has been receiving a 'Certificate of Excellence' since 2011 from TripAdvisor, arguably the world's largest travel and tourism-related website. Now, it is in their 'Hall of Fame'.

"It is a recognition based on reviews by visitors from across the globe and so it is an international recognition of the museum," curator Jayanta Sengupta said.

The British-era Hall also finds mention in 'Editor's Choice' of Lonely Planet while Fodor's, the world's largest publisher of English-language travel and tourism information, has given the VMH a 'Fodor's Choice' rating.

Sengupta said the VMH is the only Indian museum to have entered coveted spots in these global tourism information sources.

The grand white marble monument was conceived in 1901 by Lord Curzon and built over a 20-year period.

Surrounded by manicured gardens and water bodies, the monument boasts of a rich collection of paintings, sculptures, arms and armours, rare books and various Raj-related exhibits, including Queen Victoria's writing desk and piano, Indian miniature paintings, watercolours, and Persian books.