Suvarna Garge (Editor)

Birla Industrial and Technological Museum

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Formation
  
2 May 1959

Legal status
  
Government

Headquarters
  
Kolkata

Phone
  
033 2287 7241

Motto
  
Science popularization

Type
  
Science Museum

Purpose
  
Educational

Location
  
India

Founded
  
2 May 1959

Staff
  
103

Birla Industrial & Technological Museum

Address
  
19A, Gurusaday Dutta Rd, Ballygunge, Kolkata, West Bengal 700019

Hours
  
Open today · 10AM–5:30PMThursday10AM–5:30PMFriday10AM–5:30PMSaturday10AM–5:30PMSunday10AM–5:30PMMonday10AM–5:30PMTuesday10AM–5:30PMWednesday10AM–5:30PM

Similar
  
Birla Planetarium - Kolkata, Marble Palace, Victoria Memorial - Kolkata, Indian Museum, Rabindra Sarobar

Birla Industrial & Technological Museum (BITM), a unit under National Council of Science Museums (NCSM), Ministry of Culture, Government of India, is at Gurusaday Road, Kolkata.

Contents

History

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 KS 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. 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.

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. Roy requested to GD Birla for a help. 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.

Sk. Emdadul Islam, 2008-continuing till date

Existing galleries

  • Biotechnology
  • Children's Gallery. Inaugurated on 14 November 2012
  • Electricity
  • Fascinating Physics
  • Life Science
  • Mathematics
  • Metals
  • Mock-up Coal Mine
  • Motive Power
  • Popular Science
  • Television
  • Transport

    • Regular activities

  • 3D film show, 'Lost World'
  • Coal mine show
  • Science shows on Magic & Miracle, Surprising Chemical Reactions, Super Cool Bodies, Fun Science and Fire-y-tale
  • Sky observation
  • Taramandal (Portable inflatable planetarium)

    • Satellite units

  • Bardhaman Science Centre, Babur Bagh. Inaugurated on 9 January 1994. Covered floor area 952.7 Sq. metres.
  • Digha Science Centre & National Science Camp, New Digha. Inaugurated on 31 August 1997. Covered floor area 2589 Sq. metres.
  • Dhenkanal Science Centre, Odisha. Inaugurated on 5 June 1995. Covered floor area 1147 Sq. metres.
  • District Science Centre, Purulia. Inaugurated on 15 December 1982. Covered floor area 1637.40 Sq. metres.
  • Kapilas Science Park, Dhenkanal. Inaugurated on 5 June 1995. Area 4.8 Acres
  • North Bengal Science Centre, Matigara. Inaugurated on 17 August 1997. Covered floor area 1875 Sq. metres.
  • Regional Science Centre, Bhubaneswar. Inaugurated on 18 September 1989. Covered floor area 3819 Sq. metres.
  • Srikrishna Science Centre, Patna. Inaugurated on 14 April 1978. Covered floor area 3523 Sq. metres.

    • References

    Birla Industrial & Technological Museum Wikipedia
    (Text) CC BY-SA