6 Indian Monuments In Britain

The castle of the last Sikh maharaja, memorials to Indian soldiers, Dr Ambedkar's house...A look at historic sites in the UK with an India connect.

Photographs curated by Manisha Kotian/Rediff. Feature Presentation: Aslam Hunani/Rediff

Elvedon Hall, Suffolk
Duleep Singh, the last maharaja of the Sikh empire, was exiled to England after the annexation of his kingdom by the British.
He bought Elveden Hall in 1863 and rebuilt its interiors as a grand Mughal-styled palace.

Bob Jones/Wikimedia Commons

It was sold after his death to pay off his debts and belongs to the Guinness family.

Kind courtesy Wikimedia Commons

The Royal Pavilion, Brighton
The exterior resembles the Taj Mahal and was built as a seaside retreat for King George IV.
Served as a military hospital during World War I. Wounded Indian soldiers were treated here.

Kind courtesy Qmin/Wikimedia Commons

The Chhtari Memorial, Brighton
The war memorial located 500 feet above the suburb of Patcham is accessible by bridleway.
It is the cremation site of 37 Hindu and 16 Sikh soldiers killed fighting for the British empire in World War I.

Kind courtesy Wikimedia Commons

Shah Jahan Mosque, Woking
Built in 1889, partly funded by Nawab Shah Jahan Begum of Bhopal, for students at the Oriental Institute in Woking.
Queen Victoria's Indian employees and her secretary Abdul Karim prayed here while visiting Windsor Castle.

Kind courtesy shahjahanmosque.org.uk

Raja Ram Mohan Roy Memorial, Bristol
The social reformer and founder of the Brahmo Samaj died of meningitis while visiting England in 1833.
He was first buried at Stapleton Grove and his remains were reburied in Arnos Vale cemetery, Bristol.

Kind courtesy Adrian Pingstone/Wikimedia Commons

A chhatri was later erected over Raja Ram Mohan Roy's grave in 1845, funded by Dwarkanath Tagore and designed by artist William Prinsep.

Kind courtesy Arijit Kisku/Wikimedia Commons

Ambedkar House, London
Dr Ambedkar's home as a student at LSE, it is now a heritage site and museum.

Kind courtesy @mkstalin/X
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