Birla Planetarium
Birla Planetarium a wing of the B.M. Birla Science Centre at Hyderabad is a large planetarium near the Government of India tourist office providing a virtual tour of the stars and the solar system. It is located near the famous tourist attraction Birla Mandir at the center of the city, on the small hill known as Naubat Pahad. It was inaugrated by the Late Mr. N.T. Rama Rao, on 8 September 1985. This planetarium displays and demonstrates the advances in science and technology. There are another two Birla Planetariums. One in Kolkata known as M.P. Birla Planetarium and the other in Chennai.
The planetariums holds sky shows everyday at different timings in different languages. The show covers the various aspects of the Cosmos, Space, Solar System, Galaxies, Comets, Eclipses, The Hubble Space Telescope and the mysterious UFO's.
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The Victoria Memorial
Adjacent to the Maidan, stands the neo-classical attempt at building the Taj, an enormous paean in marble to the Grand Empress - The Victoria Memorial. The failed attempt although, a cross between classical western and Mughal style, yet reveals the global attraction for the monument of love even in those days. It was opened on 1921. There are enormous oil paintings in the Royal Gallery, illustrating episodes from queen Victoria's long, eventful life and reign, an impressive collection of the British colonial period.
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BBD Bagh (Dalhousie Square)
When Kolkata was the administrative centre for British India, BBD Bagh was the centre of power. It is a square area built around the old Lal Dighi tank which exists till date. It was later called the Tank Square and then the Dalhousie Square. Now it was renamed after Benoy, Badal, and Dinesh, three freedom fighters who were hung by the British during the protests against the partition of Bengal in 1905. The tank in the centre, fed by natural springs, is said to have supplied Charnock with drinking water.
BBD Bagh and its surrounding roads and areas like Netaji Subhash Road, Biplabi Trailakya Maharaj (formerly Brabourne) Sarani, Lyons Range, India Exchange Place, Mission Row, R.N. Mukherjee Road and Fairlie Place form the older commercial hub of the city.
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Academy of Fine Arts, Calcutta
The academy was formally established in 1933. It was initially located in a room loaned by the Indian Museum, and the annual exhibitions used to take place in the adjoining verandah.
In the 1950s, thanks to the efforts of Lady Ranoo Mookerjee and patronage by B.C. Roy, Chief Minister of West Bengal, as well as Jawaharlal Nehru, the Prime Minister of India, the academy was shifted to a much larger space in the Cathedral Road, beside St. Paul’s Cathedral, the present location.
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Asutosh Museum of Indian Art
Named after Sir Ashutosh Mukherjee, the great educationist, this museum was established in 1937 by pre independence intellectuals of Bengal to preserve the cultural and historical heritage of the area.
Ashutosh Museum has a extravagant library containing of books on art and culture. It provides guidance to visitors from several educational institutions, holds lectures, exhibitions etc. for popularising art and archaeology.
Display Objects
On display are basalt sculptures from Pala and Sena periods with us distinctive blend of Hindu and and buddhist styles, as also sculpted clay panels from temples of the Vishnupur region.
There are also enchanting collections of patachitras, or painted scrolls from Bengal, playing cards, palm leaf manuscripts, ritual objects, toys and dolls. The textiles include embroidered Kanthas, the patchwork and quilting textile technique, and saris from Baluchar with their quaint figurative designs.
Miscellaneous items including ivory works, bidi works, glasswares, metal wares etc. enrich the collections of the museum. The activities of the museum are manifold. Since it belongs to a university (Kolkata University), it is open to the public. But it plays a wonderful role in providing academic aid to the teaching faculties of the University and offers great help to the students of Ancient Indian History & Culture, Islamic History, Sanskrit, Bengali, Pali, Museology etc. as well as students carrying out research in several fields.
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