Visvesvaraya Industrial and Technological Museum

Coordinates: 12°58′30″N 77°35′47″E / 12.975100°N 77.596400°E / 12.975100; 77.596400

Visvesvaraya Industrial & Technological Museum

Visvesvaraya Industrial & Technological Museum
Location in the Map of Bangalore
Established 14 July 1962[1]
Location Kasturba road, Bangalore India India
Coordinates 12°58′30″N 77°35′47″E / 12.975100°N 77.596400°E / 12.975100; 77.596400
Type Science museum
Visitors 1 million+
Director K G Kumar
Curator K Madangopal, K.A. Sadhana, Sajoo Bhaskaran, Jyoti Mehra, Shaik Rafi
Public transit access P K Nandakumar, Admn Officer (SG)
Website vismuseum.gov.in

The Visvesvaraya Industrial and Technological Museum, Bangalore(VITM), India. a constituent unit of National Council of Science Museums (NCSM), Ministry of Culture, Government of India, was established in memory of Bharat Ratna Sir M Visvesvaraya.This is a classical and modest building with a built up area of 4000 sq. mtrs., was constructed in the breathtaking surrounding of the Cubbon Park, housing various scientific experimentsand engines, which was opened by the first Prime Minister of India, Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru on 14.07.1962. The first gallery set up at VITM on the theme ‘Electricity” was opened to the public on 27.07.1965.

Establishment

In order to honour Bharat Ratna Sir M Visvesvaraya, the great visionary, celebrated engineer and statesman of our country, the All India Manufactures’ Organization, Mysore State Board, decided to set up a Science & Technology Museum at Bangalore and the foundation stone was laid by Shri B.D. Jatti, Chief Minister of erstwhile Mysore State on 15.09.1958. The Visvesvaraya Industrial Museum Society (VIMS) came to be registered as the nodal agency in order to pool in resources from various industrial houses. A modest building with a built up area of 4000 sq. mtrs., was constructed by the Society in the serene surrounding of the Cubbon Park, housing various industrial products and engines which was opened by the first Prime Minister of India, Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru on 14.07.1962.

However, the Society, felt that the southern region lacked a full-fledged science museum; whereas the eastern region was already having a science museum in Calcutta under CSIR, which was quite popular. On the Society’s request, CSIR took over VITM. The Society was given the liberty to nominate a permanent representative to the Executive Committee of VITM. On 27 July 1965, VITM was opened in Bangalore with the first gallery on the theme ‘Electricity’.

In the year 1970, VITM launched the Mobile Science Exhibition (MSE) with 24 participatory exhibits mounted on a bus for taking science to the common man’s door step. The MSE Bus travels through the length and breadth of the whole of South India and it continues to be a very effective tool for science communication in the rural area as the bus carries with it a portable planetarium, telescope for night sky observations, HD large screen TV for science film shows in the evenings, materials for conducting popular science shows and demonstrations aimed towards the students and the general populace.

In 1978, the science museums/centres including VITM were delinked from CSIR and brought under a newly formed Society registered on April 4, 1978 as National Council of Science Museums (NCSM). In the year 1979, a link block was constructed with a built area of 2900 sq. mtrs., raising the total built up area of the Museum to 6900 sq. mtrs.

Exhibition Galleries

Engine hall

The "Engine Hall" exhibits engines of various automobiles, machines used in industry, a jet aircraft engine, and other mechanical devices. The predictability and precision of mechanics is demonstrated by the rolling balls that travel endlessly within metal tracks. It is delighting to watch the balls moving over roller coaster, looping a loop and bouncing high to be caught by a basket. Principle of conservation of energy can be explained convincingly through this exhibit.

How Things Work

Without machines our life will be reduced to a rigorous physical struggle. Machines help us to reduce effort, enhance the delivery time and produce repeatedly the same product with no variation and many more advantages. We use them without realizing its presence around us. This gallery is an attempt to explain the fundamentals and working of some of these machines through interactive exhibits. Exhibits on Pulley system, Gears, different ways of transferring motion, reducing effort by levers, inclined plane, screw etc. introduces the visitors to the story of simple machines. Another section deals with the application of these simple machines in our daily life. Ever wondered! How a Ball point pen works, the zipper that we use in almost all our clothes and covers has wonderful principles behind their operation; this section unravels the science and technology behind such simple but essential gadgets. After the exposure to these exhibits, visitors can delve deep into the working of other machines that they see around.

Electro Technic

Jacob's Ladder and Tesla Coil

The 'Electro Technic Gallery' contains interactive electrical exhibits which work on the basic principles of electricity, electronics and communication. A renovated version of Electro Technic gallery is opened to public on 8 April 2010. This gallery exhibits the classical experiments like Oersted's experiment, Barlow's wheel, Faraday's ring, etc. A demonstration on electrostatics, which include Tesla coil, Van de Graaff generator etc. is on display. This is a must visit for all the students of electricity at basic and advanced level and all those who are attracted by the marvels of electricity.

Fun Science

The first floor of the Museum houses the 'Fun Science gallery' that displays exhibits on sciences of sound, optics, fluids, math and perception. There are about 60 fun-filled exhibits in this gallery and people throng every exhibit in large numbers to operate them.

Space gallery

Exhibit in the museum

The 'Space Gallery' is about rocket science and the history of space exploration.

Biotechnological Revolution

Biotechnology hall also on the second floor of the Museum has exhibits on basics of Biotechnology and its applications.

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BEL hall of Electronics

The 'BEL Hall of Electronics' has interesting exhibits on basic Electronics and its practical applications.


Science for children

Another gallery named " Science for Children" houses exhibits that engages children in activities that help them to enjoy science. There is a giant piano over which they can dance to play music. A pin-wall helps the children to make the impression of their body parts on it.

Dinosaur Enclave

The 'Dinosaur alive' has a moving replica of a Spinosaurus. This pneumatically operated dinosaur can move its head, hands and tail and roll its eyes at the visitors.

Other attractions

Development of VITM

Over the last 50 years, VITM initiated several education extension activities to supplement science education in the schools and to bring scientific awareness among public with activities like Science Demonstration Lectures, Hobby Centre, Sky Observation Programmes, Popular Science Lectures, Teachers Training Programmes etc., for the benefit of students and programmes like Science Fairs, Science Seminars, Planetarium programmes, Science Drama Festival and special programs in commemoration of notable achievements in science and technology, Public Science Shows etc., for the benefit of students, teachers and the general public.

In order to take the message of science to the doorstep of common man, VITM embarked on a novel project in the form of Mobile Science Exhibition (MSE) with 24 participatory exhibits mounted on a bus. Launched in the year 1970, the MSE Bus travels through the length and breadth of the whole of South India. The Mobile Science Exhibition programme has become very popular among the school students.

Between 1982 and 1993, NCSM set up three more science centers at Gulbarga (Karnataka) in 1984, Tirunelveli (Tamil Nadu) in 1987 and Tirupati (Andhra Pradesh) in 1993, which are functioning under the direct administrative control of VITM. Thus, VITM became the southern zone headquarters of NCSM.

With the changing times, the contents of the exhibition halls and the display technology at VITM underwent continuous changes with new themes & topics such as Astronomy, Space Sciences, Biotechnology, Electronics and Information Technology added to the galleries.

In order to showcase the achievements of Indian Space Programme, a new gallery ‘Space – Emerging Technology in the Service of Mankind’ was inaugurated on 19 June 1999, which is now under renovation with financial, material and technical support from ISRO. VITM opened its doors to frontier technologies with a new gallery titled ‘Biotechnological Revolution’, which was opened on 4 January 2003 coinciding with the Human Genome Sequencing. VITM joined hands with Bharat Electronics Ltd. (BEL) to set up a new gallery ‘BEL Hall of Electronics’ which was inaugurated on 29 June 2004. This gallery has exhibits on basic principles of electronics and Information technology. Keeping young children in mind, a gallery ‘Science for Children’, where they could play and enhance their learning skills, was inaugurated on 30 April 2007. The ‘Electrotechnic’ gallery was renovated with new exhibits using latest technology to explain the basic principles of Electricity and Magnetism and inaugurated on 8 April 2010.

This being the Golden Jubilee year of VITM a new facility “Science on a Sphere” was opened at VITM on 28 July 2014. VITM also has on display the first and the only one in India, a 1:1 scale model of the Wright Brothers’ Flyer, fabricated in-house. During the Golden Jubilee, VITM added a simulator to this Flyer model, which gives the visitors a thrilling experience of how the Wright Brothers flew the first aircraft.

VITM has developed several travelling exhibitions. To name a few The World of Astronomical Observatories, Life and work of Sir C V Raman and his life, Nanotechnology, Life and work of Sir M Visvesvaraya, Srinivasa Ramanujan etc. VITM also holds on a regular basis travelling exhibitions that are developed by other units of NCSM on varied themes such as Science of Sports, Giants from the Backyard, Chemistry, Disaster - preparing for the worst, Radiations around us etc.

To support grass root innovation and to instill the spirit of scientific inquiry, practical problem solving and innovative skills the museum has set up an Innovation Hub which allows children and adult alike to work on their innovative ideas and bring out innovative products regularly mentored by experts from various fields of science and technology.

The footfall to the museum is to the tune of approx. 10 lakh per year and is growing. It is a matter of pride that the cumulative visitor footfall to the Museum for the past 50 years has crossed 4 crore. The yearlong celebrations this year include various science propagation events like National Science Seminar, Golden Jubilee lectures, opening of new exhibition galleries and facilities, family quiz, Electrical and Fire Safety quiz, opening of new science centers in the southern region etc.

VITM being the southern headquarters of NCSM has been assigned with the task of setting up new science centres in the southern zone by NCSM. The Regional Science Centres at Dharwad, Coimbatore and Pilikula (Mangalore) were opened on 27.2.2012, 6.5.2013 and 1.10.2014 respectively. A Sub-Regional Science Centre with Planetarium at Puducherry was inaugurated on 3.5.2015. The work of setting up a Regional Science Centre at Mysore is currently under way. VITM also provides catalytic support to all science centres in the country as per their requirements duly approved by NCSM. This museum not only caters to the technical needs and provides catalytic support to the 3 science centres functioning under its administrative control at Tirupati, Gulbarga and Tirunelveli but also supports the science centres developed by NCSM and handed over to the State Governments of the Southern region.

In a nutshell VITM is one of the most sought after destination to the tourists of Bangalore, a place for out of school science learning for the school and college students and a place where scientists and innovators meet to discuss and propagate science and technology.

Visitors

The museum attracts close to one million visitors a year, is opened on all days (except Dipawali and Ganesha Chathurthi) from 10 am to 6 pm. A serious visitor should be prepared to spend at least 3 hours in the Museum to have a glimpse of this treasure house of knowledge in the heart of Bangalore.Entry Fee for Adult is Rs 40.

Gallery

References

  1. ↑ "Visvesvaraya Industrial and Technological Museum web site, About page" (Web site) (Web page). Bangalore: Visvesvaraya Industrial & Technological Museum. Retrieved 2012-12-11.

External links

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