Angel atop Victoria Memorial must rotate: HC

The Calcutta High Court is taking keen interest in restoration of the monument's old glory.

The still angel atop the famous Victoria Memorial in Kolkata could rotate again.

HT Image

The Calcutta High Court is taking keen interest in restoration of the monument's old glory and an environmentalist also seeking the help of British Prime Minister Tony Blair.

Expressing concern over the sic position of the 3.5 metre high bronze statue on top of the monument, a division bench comprising Justice Ashok Kumar Ganguly and Justice Aniruddha Bose on Monday observed that "the angel must rotate."

It was brought to the notice of the court that work was being done to assess the damage to the ball bearings, atop which the angel is seated, and to restart its rotational movement, a huge attraction for tourists from other parts of the country as well as abroad.

Environmentalist Subhas Dutta has also written a letter to British Prime Minister Tony Blair in this regard seeking expertise to ensure rotation of the angel.

Dutta, in his letter to Blair, has requested him to "explore the possibilities of extending the necessary expertise to overcome the problem (rotation of the statue)."

On Dutta's petition seeking proper upkeep of Victoria Memorial and to save it from pollution, the High Court had earlier passed several orders.

Dutta said before the court that rotation of the angel if arrested, subjects the dome to additional wind load leading to possible structural damage to the monument.

The angel atop the monument, conceived by the then Viceroy Lord Curzon and opened to the public in 1921, stopped rotating in 1999.