Birla Planetarium

Location: South of the Maidan.
Address: 96, Jawaharlal Nehru Road,
Kolkata - 700 071
Hit the Spot: All buses going to Park Street can bring you here. One can take a metro and get off at the Rabindra Sadan or Maidan Metro Railway Station.
Photography / Video charges: Strictly prohibited.
Nearest Railway Station: Howrah
Nearest Metro Station: Rabindra Sadan/Maidan
Nearest International Airport: Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport.
Entry Fee: Rs. 20 per person.
Number of seats: 688

Show Timings:
Weekdays:
Hindi (12:30 P.M., 2:30 P.M., 4:40 P.M)
Bengali (3:30 P.M., 5:30 P.M)
English (1:30 P.M., 6:30 P.M)

On Sundays and Holidays: Additional shows at 10:30 A.M. (Hindi) and 11:30 A.M. (Bengali)

The M. P. Birla Planetarium was inaugurated on July 2, 1963 by the first Prime Minister of India, Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru. However, it had started operating from September 29, 1962 as an educational, scientific and research institution. The Planetarium holds the distinction of being the first of its kind in India and the largest Planetarium in Asia.

The driving force behind this project was M.P. Birla. It has its assets affiliated to the Registered Society of “Birla Institute of Fundamental Research”. The Planetarium stands on an acre of land leased by the Government of West Bengal.

The M. P. Birla Planetarium, since its foundation, has planned and offered to the public and students more than 350 astronomical projects dealing with various facets of astronomy, astro-physics, Celestial Mechanics, Space Science, History of astronomy,Centenaries of eminent astronomers as well as myths concerning stars and planets. The Planetarium is equipped with an Electronics Laboratory for design and fabrication of scientific equipment. In 1993, after two years of work, this lab set up an Automation System for excecuting the special effects and visuals during a planetarium show.

The Planetarium owns an astronomical observatory equipped with a Celestron C-14 Telescope with accessories such as ST6 CCD Camera and Solar Filter and publishes a scientific Journal called “The Journal of M. P. Birla Planetarium”. The journal contains articles from Indian as well as international astronomers. There is an editorial board which assesses and publishes the articles. In recent years, the Planetarium has also brought out some astronomical publications like “Bust Stories”, “A Brief Introduction of Astronomy”, yearly astronomical pocket-calendars and picture post-cards.

The M. P. Birla Planetarium was chosen as the venue for the 7th International Planetarium Directors’ Congress in 1980. Several planetarium directors from all over the world attended this conference and participated in deliberations.

The Planetarium conducts a chain of graded school programmes for children of various age groups. It also holds a Free Evening Course in Astronomy. From the year 1993, it introduced a Post-Graduate Diploma Course in Astronomy & Planetarium Sciences. In 1999, the Planetarium joined hands with the Birla Institute of Technology and Science, Pilani, and introduced a new course called the M. Phil. in Astronomy And Planetarium Sciences.

Grub Joints

Near to the Planetarium lies the Chowringhee-Park Street-Esplanade stretch which is a Grubbers delight in Kolkata. There are numerous restaurants which offer a range of mouth watering delights: blends of home- feel Bengali cuisines, to the spicy Mughlai, to the sizzling Chinese, to Italian and Continental spreads.

If one wants to try on the flavours of Bengal one should visit the Peerless Inn or the Oh! Calcutta. For Mughlai freaks, there is Aminia, Rahmania and Shiraz; Mainland China, Marco Polo, Chung Wah and Golden Dragon offer delicious Chinese cuisine whereas Domino's at Russel Street and Pizza Hut at Camac Street excel in Italian delicacies. Indian Cricket icon Saurav Ganguly's signature restaurant-Saurav's-The Food Pavilion is a grubbers delight whereas the British legacy is still exemplarily followed by Flury's. One could drop in at Peter Cat or One Step up! for Continental spreads, whereas people looking for some cool beverages can drop in at Barista or CCD. One can also treat themselves to mouthwatering puchkas, sherbets, fruit salads and other road side delicacies near the Planetarium, although they could be tough on the tummy at times!

Related External Link:
Official Website of the Birla Planetariom