A memorial to colonial arrogance?

Two weeks of holiday back blipping starting on the 14th of October...

The Victoria Memorial in Kolkata, a wide expanse of green marking the control the British had over the region, with Kolkata (as Calcutta) once the capital of the British colonial area. While houses within Kolkata crumble, this shines out white (though not as white as it used to be, as it was painted black in WWII to avoid being bombed and the black paint damaged the marble).

While I'm all for historical buildings being maintained and retained I'm slightly uneasy about this monument and its juxtaposition with much of the squalor seen on the streets. However, despite that poverty and degradation I warmed to Kolkata, and its people, with a friendly and non-threatening air.

But culture shock certainly set in early on this trip.

Mother Theresa's tomb
Jain Temple
Cocooned away from the outside world