The Birla Planetarium, Kolkata
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| Birla Planetarium, Kolkata |
And no description of this beautiful place would be complete without at least a reference to the Birla Planetaium, one of the most famous destinations for tourists here.
The Birla Planetarium is the second largest of its kind in the world, the fact that alone makes it special. In addition to being one of the oldest and boldest initiatives of its kind in this part of India, it commands respect, awe and inspiration in the hearts of its many admirers. Successfully and strangely maintaining its splendour with somewhat outdated shows and graphics, it still is one of the best places to visit when you're here.
What's outside?
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| The small courtyard facing the structure |
Tickets are Rs. 40 per head, and chances are, you'll have to stand in the queue for a while before you get to the counter. The courtyard is nicely decorated, with a bust of Neil Armstrong overlooking the area, a small fountain facing the twin gates, benches and vendors. Facing the entrance, you'll have St. Paul's Cathedral to the right, and Indira Uddyan to your left, and Victoria Memorial behind (although a long way off). While waiting in the line, you can definitely grab a bite to eat, because the place is practically full of vendors and tea-sellers, although none of them is allowed to step into the courtyard.
Shows are conducted daily from 12:00 PM to 7:00 PM, and extra sessions are held during the holidays. Usually, shows are held in Bengali, English and Hindi, but additional language sessions in Oriya, Tamil and Gujarati can be seen occasionally as well.
The structure of the planetarium resembles, not surprisingly, a large, bulbous, hemispherical dome, white in colour. On the side of the main entrance, you'll see Slokas (sacred sayings, for those unfamiliar with Sanskrit) from the Vedas and Upanishads decorating the walls, and indeed it creates quite a beautiful feeling reading them.
Stepped inside, now what?
After getting inside, you'll see a large circular gallery, which can house hundreds. Usually I'd say it's better to take a seat to the right, that way you save yourself from having to turn your neck repeatedly to see the display. A large projector stands proudly at the centre of the gallery, and usually the hall seems to be dimly lit at first. With time, that changes.
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| The show mostly deals with the solar system |
Announcements are made repeatedly to turn off your mobile and camera, if any, and I guess it's better to obey the instructions. The authorities are quite strict about it, and it can be a mess if your friend rings you right in the middle of the show. Silence and patience are must once you step inside. And photography, videography and recording are strictly prohibited inside.
Usually, the program kicks off with an announcement of instructions, and then follows a series of facts about Kolkata's skyline. A green pointer moves across the virtual 'sky' (actually the inner side of the dome), and makes your acquainted with the directions, if you're puzzled. Shadowy figures representing notable buildings and structures such as the airport, Vidyasagar Setu and Howrah station decorate the 'horizon', and the accuracy in their placement and angle is surprising.
The show starts as the sun sets. Facts about the time of the year, the current location of the sun etc. are announced. And then the virtual time is accelerated, helping you see how things happen at the celestial level. I have once or twice heard some amazingly good Vedic chantings when the virtual sun is shown to set in the west, although that's not a regular case. I wouldn't want to blame anyone, but there is at least one very annoying host, who apparently likes to skip over such delicacies.
Anyway, the main show starts with a brief discussion of the night sky. Stars and planets are shown projected on the virtual sky, and useful bits of information regarding the solar system, the Milky Way galaxy, stars and nebulae follow. However, the primary focus of the programme is cosmogony, rather than cosmology. That is, most of it is actually about planets, rather than stars. Detailed information regarding voyages to Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter etc. are presented in a nice and quaint manner, if you get a nice host that day (and not the person I find myself displeased with).
After the end of the programme, we need to step outside, to find ourselves amid an impressive display of busts, photos and astronomical images. The gallery is neatly organized, and circular in shape. However, there isn't anything else to do other than watching, because it certainly isn't anything interactive, unlike the Science City.
Worth visiting?
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| The bust of Neil Armstrong |
Overall, the show is around 30 minutes long. Slides are not really very elegant, and especially graphics is rather poor, I'd say. But considering the entry fare, I guess that's okay. Another thing is that, people usually prefer to relax inside, rather than trying to do some serious astronomical research. And most of the visitors are only casually concerned about the heavens, to be honest.
I'd however certainly recommend anyone to at least once visit the place, because it really gives you a feel of Indian astronomy. And since it is conveniently positioned, visiting the planetarium isn't that hard.
Pros:
- Largest planetarium in Asia, and second-largest in the world.
- Very cheap and easy to visit.
- An informal approach to astronomy, and popular science.
- Food for thought.
- Easy to reach.
- Relaxing environment.
- Good gallery of busts and astronomical images.
Cons:
- Really outdated graphics.
- Poor quality of slides.
- Occasionally boring and annoying narrations.
How to get there
Taxis can be hired anywhere within the city for a ride, and buses connect Jawahal Nehru Road (the nearest stop) to almost everywhere. However, if you prefer the Metro, you should take the train to Maidan and get off there, then resume walking straight toward the Queen's Way and the place will present itself into your view.
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