5 Must Visit - Exciting Science & Technology Centres and Museums in India

Visvesvaraya Industrial and Technological Museum, Bangalore

Visvesvaraya Industrial and Technological Museum, Bangalore (VITM) is a constituent unit of National Council of Science Museums (NCSM), Ministry of Culture, Government of India. It was established in memory of Bharat Ratna Sir M. Visvesvaraya, an Indian Engineer, Scholar, Statesman and alumni of College of Engineering, Pune.

The museum is a real paradise for science and technology lovers. It offers lots of exciting exhibitions and galleries. To name few, Engine Hall, Fun Science Gallery, Electro Technic Gallery, The Space Technology Gallery - renovated with guidance from Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO), Biotechnological Revolution hall, BEL Hall of Electronics – developed in collaboration with Bharat Electronics Ltd. (BEL), Science for Children Gallery, Dinosaur Alive exhibit and Wright Brothers exhibit. In addition to these exhibits, the museum includes a science show hall, a 3D theatre, a 250-seat auditorium, a telemedicine facility, an 11' Celestron telescope with GPS, and a cafeteria.

Science City, Kolkata

Science City, Kolkata is the largest science centre in the Indian subcontinent. It is developed under National Council of Science Museums (NCSM), Ministry of Culture, Government of India.

The Science City exhibits amazing scientific and technological wonders. Its Science Centre complex comprises Space Odyssey, Dynamotion, 3-D Vision Theater, Evolution Park Theme Tour, Maritime Centre, Earth Exploration Hall and a sprawling Science Park. The Science Exploration Hall offers the tourists Emerging Technologies gallery, Evolution of Life - a dark ride, Panorama on Human Evolution (360 degree projection) and remarkable ‘Science and Technology Heritage of India’ gallery.

The Science City has recorded footfall of more than 25 million since its launch and is the major tourist attraction in Kolkata. 

Nehru Science Centre, Mumbai

Nehru Science Centre (NSC) is one of the largest interactive science centers in India. It is located in Worli, Mumbai. The center is named after India's first Prime Minister, Jawaharlal Nehru. National Council of Science Museums (NCSM), the parent body of Nehru Science Centre, Mumbai.

NSC has more than 500 hands-on and interactive science exhibits on energy, sound, kinematics, mechanics, transport, etc. installed in the Science Park and different galleries. It is thus a magnificent science and technology treasure and a must visit tourist destination. 

Every year, the centre is visited by over 7,50,000 people, science enthusiast, students and tourists. Close to 1,20,000 school children alone participate in the activities of the Centre.

National Science Centre, Delhi

The National Science Centre in Delhi, established in 1992, is a science museum. It is the northern zonal headquarters of the National Council of Science Museums (NCSM).

The entry plaza to the Centre welcomes its visitors with a huge exhibit spanning four floors, one of the largest exhibits in the world. Some of the fascinating galleries at this center are Science & Technology Heritage Gallery, Emerging Technologies Gallery, Hall of Nuclear Power, Fun Science Gallery, Water: The Elixir of Life.

Birla Planetarium, Hyderabad

B. M. Birla Science Museum is an Indian science museum located in Hyderabad, India. The Birla Planetarium is a wing of the Science Centre. 

Along with being a treasure of information in science and mainly in astronomy field, this planetarium is also a fun place to explore and enjoy. The screen inside the planetarium provides information about the planet in three different languages namely Hindi, English and Telugu. The Birla Planetarium offers a magnificent 35 minutes sky show ‘An Incredible Voyage Through The Universe’ which is must to experience for astronomy lovers.

Culinary Delights from Five Indian States – Part 2

Misal Pav, Maharashtra

Misal, a spicy curry usually made of sprouted beans and pav, a type of Indian bread roll, together they make a very popular dish – Misal Pav – from Maharashtra, India. When you will visit the cities and villages in Maharashtra you will find numerous local-favorite Misal Pav joints. It is served as a breakfast dish, as a snack and you can also have it as a full meal. Misal Pav with chilled buttermilk is really awesome to try in Maharashtra.!

Garadu, Madhya Pradesh

Madhya Pradesh and specially Indore city is a paradise for street food lovers. Garadu chaat is a mouthwatering Indore special street food dish. Garadu is a type of yam. It looks somewhat like sweet potato in appearance. It is a fried chaat with lots of local spices, chatpata chutneys and lemon juice.

Hyderabadi Biryani, Telangana

If you are visiting Telangana, specially Hyderabad, then you must add Hyderabadi Biryani in your ‘to eat’ list. Hyderabadi biryani is a form of biryani – a rice preparation from Hyderabad, Telangana, India. General ingredients of Hyderabadi biryani are basmati rice, goat or chicken meat, yogurt, onions, spices, lemon, saffron. Coriander leaves and fried onions are used to garnish it beautifully. This authentic spicy biryani is usually served with dahi chutney (yogurt, mint, and onion) and mirchi ka salan - a green chili curry.

Dehrori, Chhattisgarh

From Chhattisgarh state, popularly known as ‘rice bowl of central India’, Dehrori is a delicious sweet desert. It is a deep fried rice preparation dipped in sweet sugar syrup. Cardamom powder adds a fantastic flavor to its great taste. Dehrori is garnished with mixed nuts. If you are visiting Chhattisgarh, Dehrori is a must try for having a sweet delight.

Dal Bati Churma, Rajasthan

Dal Bati is a Rajasthani dish. It is comprised of dal (lentils) and bati (hard wheat rolls). Dal is prepared using tuvaar dal, chana dal (prepared by removing skin of split chickpeas), mung dal, moth dal, or urad dal. Tennis ball-sized round balls of dough are cooked in a well-heated traditional oven to prepare bati. When the baati becomes golden brown in colour, it is greased with ghee and is then served with dal, rava ladoo, rice, pudina chutney, kairi (raw mango) chutney, green salad with lots of onion, and fresh buttermilk (chass).