IELTS Cue Card/ Candidate Task Card 664 with Model Answer

Describe an old building that you like

: You should say

where it is
how old it is
what it is used for
and explain why you like/dislike it

: Model Answer

India is a historical country and proudly owns different relics of the past. A large number of buildings have been constructed across the country in different periods. Victoria Memorial Hall in Kolkata is one of them. This is one of the old buildings in the country

Victoria Memorial Hall has been located in Kolkata under West Bengal in India. Kolkata was formerly known as Calcutta and has served as one of the most important posts during the British colonial period. The large white marble made building has been dedicated to the memory of Queen Victoria and presently the house is made as a museum for the people. The museum is now under the care of the Ministry of Culture in West Bengal. The building is also located by the side of the Hooghly River. Immediately after the death of Queen Victoria, initiatives were taken to construct the building in her memory that will serve as a memorial for the great queen of the British Empire. The proposals of the building contained a large garden and a museum and accordingly everything has been constructed

The Victoria Memorial was constructed by 1906 to 1921. Some of the finest marbles have been used to construct the structure. Now the structure is over 90 years of old and been standing proudly on the lands of Kolkata. The entire complex is dedicated to the memory of Queen Victoria who reigned over different countries and expanded colonialism in India. The foundation of the building was laid by the Prince of Wales in January of 1906 and took over 10 years to make the structure. The hall was opened to the public in 1921. Though it was planned to keep the Memorial Hall at the capital of India, due to the transfer of the Indian capital to New Delhi has changed the situation and thus the Victoria Memorial remained in one the provinces in India

Now the memorial is used for several purposes and the visitors mostly come to know about the life of Queen Victoria. The memorial is divided into different parts and there are 25 galleries containing the royal relics of the British Empire and some of the belongings of the Queen. Among the galleries, the most notable are the royal gallery which contains the royal relics of the then time, the portrait gallery – containing the portraits of the royal family members, national leader gallery where the images and belongings of the national leaders of India are exhibited, Calcutta gallery, and arms and armour gallery. The memorial also owns some rare collection of books. The Calcutta gallery is the latest addition on the Memorial Hall and contains the history of Calcutta and its importance in the past. The garden before the memorial is used for growing different flowers and plants. The garden is grown on an area covering over 60 acres of land and a skilled team of gardeners maintain it. The bronze statue of Victoria in the garden is one of the most attractive things here

I like the Victoria Memorial for different reasons. Firstly this is one of the old and historical buildings in the city. Located near the Jawaharlal Nehru road, this is a large iconic structure in Kolkata. The building is opened for all and shows the histories of the royal families in Britain. The portraits look like real and the galleries are filled with artefacts and historical documents. The design of the building is another issue to consider. The design is a blend of the Mughal and British architectures which has raised the beauty of the building. The entire design is influenced by some other architectural features and white Markana marble has been used to build it. After the independence of India, further improvements of the building were made. The building looks different in different times of the day. I like it most as it helps us to know about the history of British Empire and India