Birla Planetarium

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Sight Address : Birla Planetarium is situated at Chowringhee Road adjacent to the Victoria Memorial, St Paul’s Cathedral, and the maidan in south Kolkata. Edit

Detail InformationEdit

The largest Planetarium in Asia and the second largest in the commonwealth counties after London scientific, educational, research institutes – the Astronomy Centre of Kolkata is the Birla Planetarium in Chowringhee in Kolkata of West Bengal State. The Planetarium sprawls over one acre of land in central Kolkata. Also called the ‘Taramandal’ – a 688-seater, this planetarium remains one of the largest in the world. Gazing at the Earth, Sun, Moon and the Stars in the circular mini-sky – seated in directional seating in cool dark room with cove lighting where all that sparkles are stars in the sky and guided by the discerning voice of a star guide who transports you light years away and around our universe – is an awesome experience and a ‘must-do’ atleast once in a lifetime. Star Show is what the Planetarium is popular for where you are introduced to the ‘Night Sky’ like never before. In an endeavour of creating awareness and popularizing astronomy and for conducting research, The Birla Planetarium in Kolkata was established by Madhav Prasad Birla. The Planetarium arranges Astronomical Shows like Celestial Events (various phases of the moon, planetary oppositions etc) and Solar Eclipses (when moon passes between sun and earth) daily with the special effects and visuals with the help of Automation Systems – featuring latitudinal, daily, annual and precessional motions for demonstration of the various celestial phenomena. Employing prerendered content or recorded shows and real-time powerful simulation software for presenting aesthetically pleasing visualization of legitimate, scientific data, the Birla Planetarium provides shows of the Space which will make you wonder whether we are really alone in this universe or the next. The Planetarium is modeled on the circular dome shaped architecture of the Buddhist Stupa located at Sarnath. It is an imposing structure with an impressive eye appeal which gets accentuated at night when the whole structure gets floodlit. The insides of this dome are adorned with astronomer busts and fading star-gazer pictures. Being a pioneer in enhancing the scientific field in Asia, the Birla Planetarium in Kolkata was chosen as a venue for the ‘7th International Planetarium Directors’ Congress’ in the year 1980 which was attended by Planetarium Directors from all over the world – a remarkable achievement for India!

Birla Planetarium

HistoryEdit

The Birla Planetarium in Kolkata is a single-storeyed circular structure designed in the typical Indian style, whose architecture is loosely styled on the Buddhist stupa at Sanchi. , it is the largest planetarium in Asia and the second largest planetarium in the world.[3] There are two other Birla Planetariums in India: B.M. Birla Planetarium in Chennai and the Birla Planetarium in Hyderabad.
Popularly known as taramandal, the planetarium was inaugurated in 1963 by the then Prime Minister of India, Jawaharlal Nehru. It has an electronics laboratory for design and fabrication of science equipment. It has an astronomy gallery that maintains a huge collection of fine paintings and celestial models of renowned astronomers. The Planetarium also has an astronomical observatory equipped with a Celestron C-14 Telescope with accessories such as ST6 CCD camera and solar filter. It offers to the public and students more than 100 astronomical projects dealing with various facts of astronomy, astro-physics, Space Science as well as myths concerning stars and planets. It has a capacity of 500.
Daily programs are conducted in English, Bengali and Hindi from 12:00 to 19:00 hrs. Programs are occasionally conducted in Oriya, Tamil and Gujarati, as well. Extra shows are arranged on holidays.

Must SeeEdit

Popular

Visiting TimeEdit

Hindi – 12:30, 2:30, 4:30 pm(Daily)
English – 3:30 and 5:30 pm(Daily)
Bengali – 1:30 and 6:30 pm(Daily)
Two special shows on Sundays and Holidays at 10:30 am, in Hindi a 11:30 am, in Bengali.

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 , Evening.

Time Required for SightseeingEdit

1-2 hrs.

Ticket Required : Yes Edit

Individual National Adult Rs. : Rs.20

Kids Rs. : N.A.

Individual Foreigner Adult Rs. : Rs.20

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

Jongs Restaurant – Kolkata ; 26, Jawaharlal Nehru Road,Kolkata, West Bengal 700087 ; Ph/M – 033 22495572 ; Food Serve – authentic Chinese food

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.
Ferry : A ferry service is available to cross the river and this is the best way to avoid the traffic snarl on Howrah Bridge. The ferry service is highly affordable as the minimum fare is Rs 2 and the maximum is Rs 5. The entire distance is covered in a maximum of fifteen minutes.