Birla Industrial and Technological Museum

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Sight Address : Birla Industrial and Technological Museum , 19A, Gurusaday Road, Kolkata, West Bengal 700019. Edit

Detail InformationEdit

Birla Industrial and Technological Museum was established in 1956. It was started by the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research. It was at the initiative of Dr. B.C. Roy, the then Chief Minister of West Bengal, that the House of Birlas donated the building and the adjoining plot of land. This originally belonged to Satyendranath Tagore, the elder brother of the great poet Rabindranath Tagore and was used for setting up a science museum. Since 1978 the museum has come under the National Council of Science Museums (NCSM) an autonomous body, set up by the Union Ministry of Education & Culture to administer the museums which were formerly under the CSIR and to develop new science museums in the country. The primary objective of the museum is to arouse scientific curiosity and an understanding of science and technology among the common people, especially the student-community. It has a large number of exhibits, designed, prepared and fabricated at its own workshop. Galleries cover models showing Electricity, Nuclear Physics, Iron and Steel, Optics, Motive Power, Communication and Mining. The Optics Gallery has since been converted into a Popular Science Gallery. Popular activities of the Museum include films shows, demonstration-lectures, hobby activities, periodical programs of sky-observation through telescopes. Runs several mobile units for the rural areas. Regional Science Museums at Malda and Purulia operate under this body. The museum also has a small ‘animalorium’ with live snakes, reptiles, rabbits, an aviary and aquariums. Chief Arrractions of the Birla Industrial Museum of Kolkata include : Underground Mock-up Coal Mine, Rabbit House, Snake Pits, Aquarium, Aviary, Bonsai, Cacti Garden, Television and Scientific film shows.

Birla Industrial and Technological Museum

HistoryEdit

The first science museum in India was set up by the industrialist Ghanshyam Das Birla at BITS, in Pilani in a hall (185 sq.mt area) of the Tower Building. The museum depicted mainly the industries and business enterprises of the Birlas. The museum was opened to the public in 1954. Ten years later the museum was shifted to the present building.
The second science museum was mooted by Professor K S Krishnan, physicist and the then Director of National Physical Laboratory (NPL), he was inspired and encouraged by the then prime minister of India Jawaharlal Nehru. Professor R. Subramanian was appointed to develop science museum and planetarium project by NPL in 1956. The science museum of 555 sq.mr floor space in Delhi was opened for public in 1956, but it was close down by the authority after few years, although it was appreciated by general visitors. Dr. Bidhan Chandra Roy, the then Chief Minister of West Bengal and physician was impressed to see Deutsches Museum of Munich. He thought to set up a science museum and a planetarium in Calcutta. Dr. Roy requested to Ghanshyam Das Birla for a help. Ghanshyam Das Birla donated his residential house to the then prime minister of India Jawaharlal Nehru. The three storied Victorian style architectural building along with five bighas land of ‘Birla Park’, where they had lived for thirty five years.

Must SeeEdit

Popular

Visiting TimeEdit

10.00 am- 5.30 pm

Closed OnEdit

Monday

Best Season to VisitEdit

Best season to visit Kolkata is October-march . This is the perfect time to savor the autumn season that is in its full bloom. Not only the weather is pleasant, but also, it is the time of festivities.

Best Time To VisitEdit

Morning , Afternoon.

Time Required for SightseeingEdit

1-2 hrs.

Ticket Required : No Edit

Individual National Adult Rs. : N.A.

Kids Rs. : N.A.

Individual Foreigner Adult Rs. : N.A.

Kids Rs. : N.A.

Still Photo Camera Rs. : N.A.

Video Camera Rs. : N.A.

Guide Required : No Edit

Approximate cost: N.A.

Dress Code (If Any) : No Edit

Dress Require: N.A.

Restaurants NearbyAdd / Edit

Indus Valley – Kolkata ; 53 Syed Amir Ali Avenue, Shivam Chambers, Ballygunge,Kolkata, West Bengal 700019 ; Ph/M – 033 4008 8274 ; Food Serve – Indian thalis., Burgers, Pastas,piza

How to ReachEdit

Taxi : After landing in Kolkata cabs would be the easiest choice to reach the sight in the city from the airport or the railway station. The meters in Kolkata are not standardized so remember to ask for the conversion chart that would indicate the exact payable amount for the number indicated by the meter. The cab fares should ideally be around Rs 15 for the first two kilometers and around Rs 3 for two hundred meters from thereon. Kolkata Cabs is the leading Cab Service and you can book yourself a cab by calling them on 03344333222.
For a night out, cabs are the safest option if you have missed the last metro train or the last bus. The nighttime cab fares are more expensive than daytime fares, but it is a small price to pay for the safety it provides.

BUS : Kolkata has a broad network of government and private buses. The Calcutta State Transport Corporation (CSTC), Calcutta Tramways Company (CTC) and West Bengal Surface Transport Corporation (WBSTC) run regulars bus service in the city. The city’s biggest bus station is Esplanade with many city buses, state-wide CSBC services and routes towards Sikkim. For buses towards Odisha (Orissa) use Babughat near Eden Gardens.
There are also mini buses. The fares range from Rs 10 to 15. Buses are an ideal choice if you plan on travelling a long distance or going to the suburbs or to those places that are not in the vicinity of the Metro stations. Most long distance bus services offer comforts like push back or sleeper seats, video coaches and air conditioning. Local travel tours are arranged by tour operators and luxury buses are offered as part of this service.

Train : The local train service across various city points is another option. The local train network is spread across different points in the city. A total distance of around hundred kilometers is covered by these local trains. Most fares cost less than Rs 10. Cheaper than the metro, it is a good option if you are the kind of a person who likes exploring different options when in a new city.
Howrah and Sealdah are two major railway stations in Kolkata. These stations are well connected to all major cities in India. Metro rail system in Kolkata connects all the main junctions in Kolkata. It is the fastest way to reach the different parts of the big city. Trains from other parts of the country are easily available for Kolkata. Super-fast trains such as Rajdhani Express and Shatabdi Express connect the city to major cities and states in India. The Kolkata Circular Rail encircles the entire city and currently its route is being extended.
Howrah Station Phone: (033)26382581, (033) 26383542.
After getting down at the railway station, take an auto-rickshaw, bus or hire a taxi to reach the destination within the city.

Air : Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose International Airport, located at Dumdum, is 17 km away from the heart of Kolkata. This airport is well connected to all major cities in India including north east capitals. Kolkata is a major international airport which is connected to many cities in abroad. Airport to the city center costs about Rs 400 by Tourist taxi car. Most of the domestic airlines have direct services to and from Kolkata to other important cities of India such as Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Patna, Varanasi, Lucknow, etc. Kolkata also provides international flights to most of the countries in Southeast Asia.
Air India : 22114433; China Eastern Airlines: 40448887 , Druk Air: 22902429, Biman :22266672, GMG:30283030; United Airways Bangladesh :9007095363.

Others : Rickshaws : Rickshaws is also available in kolkata .Rickshaws are of three kinds. The usual three wheeled motor one, one which is pedaled by the rickshaw driver and a third one which is a two-wheeled cart pulled by a rickshaw puller. The motorized three wheeled rickshaws are not like the rickshaws found in other parts of India. They ply on a fixed route and the fare is fixed. So these rickshaws are more like smaller forms of public transport. The two wheeled carts are an experience by themselves. Being taken across the town by the sheer physical strength and manual effort of the rickshaw driver is an experience only Kolkata can offer. Many consider it barbaric and it has been prohibited in most parts of the city. These rickshaws charge from anywhere between Rs 10 – 20 per km.
Tram: Kolkata has a local tram facility. Slow moving coaches on tracks that have been laid in the middle of the road. There are 37 different tram routes in Kolkata. Most places of interest from a tourist’s point of view can be accessed by using Kolkata’s tram service. The green traveler would probably like to use the tram service to move about as trams are an eco friendly option. At any rate trams are a unique way to experience the old world charm that Kolkata has to offer.