London is the Capital City of England and United Kingdom. It is the
Cultural capital of the world. It is the center of arts, finance, education
fashion, commerce, media and healthcare. It is one of the most populous and
finest cities of the world. Trafalgar Square is the heart of the London City. Your visit
to London is incomplete without visiting
Trafalgar Square, it is the perfect lace to understand the cultural and people
of London. It is built around the area known as Charing Cross. It was named
after the battle of Trafalgar fought
between the British Navy and the Napoleonic Army. Trafalgar Square is
situated in the borough of the city of Westminster and is owned by the Queen in
the right of the throne and managed by the Great London Authority.
Trafalgar Square is famous for its history, statues and
sculptures. It is home to various historical features like Nelson’s Column
which lies in the center surrounded by
four lion statues. It has something to offer to everybody in every season. It
is the perfect place for new and upcoming artists to showcase their talent. It is
a circular plaza surrounded by roadways
on three sides and the National Gallery on another. Trafalgar Square was once
famous for the thousands of pigeons which gathered there and it was one of the
attractions of the place to feed them. But those pigeons caused a lot of mess,
thus now it is prohibited to feed pigeons in that area. This area is packed
with world class museums, beautiful parks, shops, restaurants and everything
best London has to offer.
The Trafalgar Square honors the greatest British Naval
Commander. Admiral Lord Horatio Nelson. In 1805 he took 27 naval ships against
33 naval ships of French and Spanish and was victorious against an enemy of
superior strength without losing a single ship. He was the hero of the battle
of Trafalgar and it was this victory
which turned the tides of the Napoleonic war and prevented the invasion of
England. He was honored for his bravery in this decisive battle by placing his
statue on top of 151 foot granite column at the center of Trafalgar Square. Nelson’s
Column was designed by the architect William Railton. The column is surrounded
by four huge lion statues. These lion statues are casted by bronze and they
appear to be guarding the column.
The Forth Plinth is another major attraction of the Trafalgar Square.
It was originally intended to hold a statue of William IV but the project could
not be completed due to insufficient funds. It is now used for temporary
display of artworks. It is as much loved site of Trafalgar Square as the Nelson’s
Column and the lions. The exhibition of artwork here started with Ecce Homo by
Mark Wallinger (1999), Regardless of History by Bill Woodrow (2000) and Monument
by Rachel Whiteread (2001). A waxwork of David Beckham was also displayed here for a short time being in
2002. Recently the pregnant, nude body
of disabled artist Alison Lapper by Marc Quinn was also on display in the Square.
At present a high blue sculpture of cockerel by Katharina Fritsch is installed
on the Fourth Plinth.
The National Gallery is an art museum in Trafalgar Square
founded in 1824. It has a collection of 2300 painting ranging from the mid 13th
century to 1900. The entry to the main collection of the gallery is free of
charge. The paintings belong to the public of the United Kingdom. It is the
fourth most visited museum in the world. Holbein’s ‘The Ambassadors’, ’The Hay
Wain’ by Constable and Jan Van Eyck’s ‘Amolfini Marriage’ are few of the
greatest works of the National Gallery. This is the place to witness top
quality art work which showcases different styles and fashion of art of different eras.
Trafalgar Square is also used for organizing many events. It has
been a venue of many political demonstrations. The authorities had tried to ban
such activities and in their effort to
do so, they had built fountains in 1839 to reduce the free space in the square
and hence prevent overcrowding of the area. The Christmas Ceremony in the Trafalgar
Square since 1947 had always been spectacular and one of the main attractions
of the place. Every year the capital of Norway, Oslo presents the largest
Christmas tree to express gratitude for the support of England during Second
World War. The lighting ceremony of the giant Christmas tree makes the
Trafalgar Square, the most famous square of London.
While roaming around the area, you will have indefinite opportunities to shop
and dine. Having dinner or lunch once in the Thai Square Group is a must when
you are visiting this place. The restaurant is decorated with beautiful Thai
artifacts and it will make your trip memorable by its healthy Thai cuisine. After
the delicious dinner you can enjoy your night in the nearby night club. Twelve temple
place is also one such delicious fantasy which serves British Cuisines with
local sourced ingredients. Trafalgar Square is also famous for different
festivals that are celebrated according
to different months. Festivals like Chinese New year, St. Patrick’s Day and
even Indian Festivals like Diwali and Vaisakhi are celebrated with great enthusiasm.
Festivals like these are celebrated with much fun and excitement the cultural diversity of
London.