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Statue of Queen Victoria


On my visit to the Cubbon Park, I stumbled across this statue of Queen Victoria, hidden in the trees.
I googled to learn more about the statue and found an article by Meera Iyer.

Here are some excerpts from the said article:

The statue of Queen Victoria in Bangalore was officially unveiled on February 5, 1906 in a ceremony filled with much fanfare and oratory. The then Prince of Wales, George Frederick Ernest Albert (later King George V), did the honours.

From 1876, Victoria had ruled from afar as Empress of India. Soon after her death in January 1901, committees sprang up all over India and elsewhere in her dominions, to deliberate on ways to commemorate the haughty queen’s memory.

After vacillating between a technical institute in her name and a statue, it was finally decided to commission a statue. The memorial was to be funded by public subscription. But after six months of fund-raising, the public had only contributed Rs 10,000. In the end, it was a generous donation from the Maharaja of Mysore, Krishnaraja Wodeyar IV, which finally ensured that the statue project didn’t die an early death.

The task of making the statue was given to Thomas Brock, a prolific and celebrated sculptor in England whose most famous work was the Victoria Memorial in front of the Buckingham Palace in London. Brock made an 11-foot-tall marble statue for Bangalore, which, together with its 13-foot granite pedestal, cost Rs 25,500. It was shipped here from England and arrived in July 1905.

 In all, Brock made 14 Victoria statues during his career. Statues made by him that are similar to Bangalore’s statue still stand in cities around the world including Carlisle and Hove (both in England), Belfast, Cape Town, Brisbane and London.

Of the more than 50 statues of Victoria that were installed in India, only five still remain at their original locations. Bangalore’s statue is one of them.

The empress’s regalia are somewhat battered now. Her sovereign’s orb lost its cross many years ago and her sceptre too lies broken, along with a finger in her right hand.

Early photographs show the statue encircled with ornamental chains, and a soldier and two cannons standing guard. But our colonial past is behind us and so, fittingly, this imperial symbol no longer occupies pride of place. Though it is still tended to, the queen’s statue stands encircled and almost obscured by lush green trees.

38 comments:

  1. we have a queen victoria, must be made at the same time.

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  2. Lovely frame. Seems like she just turned her face away when you focused, and will turn it back any moment. now that a brilliant shot has been captured!

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    1. hehe Happens all the time with me. I do try to avoid shooting into the sun as a habit.

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  3. Beautiful, we miss out so many wonderful things around us...

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  4. whatever... it is a beautiful piece of work!
    Well taken Shiju!

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  5. lovely capture and really interesting story too... incidentally, her fate seems to be better than the one of her which used to stand at VT station... apparently, it was removed some years back, only to be lost!!!

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  6. Great shot..... Loved the angle.....

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  7. That is a prize winning shot.
    QMM

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  8. I agree with QMM - this is a winner.

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  9. The angle of the shot, head slightly turned way, just seems to add to the aura of haughtiness that surrounded her.

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  10. It's a beautiful statue. Will have to look it up next time I am in Cubbon Park. Thanks for the story behind the statue.

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  11. how interesting - fascinating story

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  12. Lovely detail on the statue, the flowers on the skirt and her drop earrings.

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  13. Tack för intressant historia och fin bild!!

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  14. Beautiful capture. Have a fabulous week!

    Liz (mlc)

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  15. Nice find!! Boom & Gary of the Vermilon River, Canada.

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  16. Gorgeous shot and interesting background. What is she holding in her hand?

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    1. She is holding the Sovereign's Orb which is a type of regalia known as a globus cruciger. It is one of the British Crown Jewels.

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  17. Wonderful find. We have lots of Victoria memorials here in New Zealand.

    Rhonda @Laugh-Quotes.com

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  18. she certainly has a presence..great pic.

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  19. Great Shot, and what an interesting story indeed.
    Happy WW.

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  20. That's strange to stumble upon her like that.

    http://joycelansky.blogspot.com/2013/06/wordless-wednesday-event-management.html

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  21. what a great sculpture..:) amazed..

    Happy Wordless Wednesday! My entry is here.

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  22. Great capture! It seems somehow befitting that she fade into obscurity. Happy WW

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  23. My favorite monarch. Nice picture. Hi, new follower. Please consider following me. Lenore Butler

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  24. The statue is definitely old, but the age really makes the detail stand out! Great photo.

    Natashalh

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  25. Interesting and informative post. Great shot as well!

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  26. Ah, poor Victoria. But, then, so many statues are missing body parts, etc, so I guess it isn't such a big deal. Every time I go to London, I have to go to Buckingham Palace. I never get tired of seeing it. There's a Victoria in Patiala, also! That lady sure gets around, doesn't she?

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  27. She looks good after all these years.

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