Shrikrishna Science Centre, Patna
Shrikrishna Science Centre is a constituent unit of the National Council of Science Museums (NCSM), an autonomous body under the Ministry of Culture, Government of India and is the country’s first regional level science centre and the only one in the state of Bihar. It was established in Patna in the year 1978 which was named after the first Chief Minister of Bihar (Dr. Shrikrishna Singh).
It was inaugurated on April 14, 1978 by the then Minister of Education, Govt of Bihar, Shri Thakur Prasad Singh. Since its inception in 1978, the centre has been attracting a large number of visitors, particularly school students from all over the state and has been playing a key role in realizing the national goal of inclusive ‘science education for all’ through non-formal mode. The centre provides its visitors with engrossing and interactive self-learning experiences in an enjoyable manner. Apart from its permanent galleries with a number of participatory exhibits on science, this Centre organizes regular educational programmes and activities, especially for the students, in order to inculcate scientific temper in them by imparting science education in a non-formal way.
Objectives
- To portray the growth of science and technology and their applications in industry and human welfare, with a view to develop scientific attitude and temper and to create, inculcate and sustain a general awareness amongst the people.
- To collect, restore and preserve important historical objects, which represent landmarks in the development of science, technology and industry.
- To design, develop and fabricate science museum exhibits, demonstration equipment and scientific teaching aids for science education and popularization of science.
- To popularize science and technology in cities, urban and rural areas for the benefit of students and for the common man by organizing exhibitions, seminars, popular lectures, science camps and various other programs.
- To supplement science education given in schools and colleges and to organize various out-of-school educational activities to foster a spirit of scientific enquiry and creativity among the students.
- To organize training programs for science teachers/students/young entrepreneurs/technicians/ handicapped/housewives and others on specific subjects of science, technology and industry.
- To render assistance to universities, technical institutions, museums, schools and colleges or other bodies in planning and organizing science museums and also in training of personnel for museum profession.
- To establish Centres for development of science exhibits and demonstration aids.
Gallery & Shows
- Science on a Sphere
- Children Gallery
- Fun Science Gallery
- Mirrors and Images Gallery
- Evolution
- Ocean
- Dr. Shrikrishna Singh Photo Gallery
- Travelling Exhibition
- Science Park
- Jurassic Park
- Indian Scientists Bust
- 3D Theatre
- Digital Planetarium Show
- Science Show
- Taramandal
Science on a Sphere
Hon’ble Chief Minister of Bihar Shri Nitish Kumar and his Cabinet Minister visited “Science on a Sphere” facility at Shrikrishna Science Centre, Patna on 15.05.2018.
Children's Gallery
Fun Science
Fun, excitement and a lot of action are what this gallery is all about in a nutshell. It is a place where every move of yours counts and every action you take is responded to. A truly interactive experience is what the gallery promises you.
Here pendulums create chaos; rings go up defying gravity; coloured liquids make impossible mixture with a spectacular effect. Here you find funny a carrom board in the shape of an ellipse, a string-less piano that produces sound when yousimply wave your hand in air above it, how a slant and straight rod easily passes through a curved hyperbolic slot, invisible magnetic lines of forces become visible … .. and a plethora of other enjoyable contraptions – all for helping you all learn science through fun.The gallery, in other words, justifies the fact – Science is Fun.
Mirrors and Images Gallery
Mirrors! Mirrors! What a wonderful experience awaits you in the mirror section of the gallery! Navigate through the mesmerizing ‘Mirror Maze’ or ‘BhulBhulaiya’ and enjoy being lost in the maze created by mirrors. Behold with baited breath an ‘Infinite Well’ right on the gallery floor or watch an infinitely long train in the exhibit ‘Infinite Train’. See how a large hall fits into a small cabinet in the exhibit ‘Giant Hall’ or ‘Dine with Yourself’ in a mirrored dining room. Do not miss taking a snap of the severed head of your friend on a fruit plate in the exhibit ‘Head on a Platter’ and become the focus of attention in the exhibit ‘All Eyes on You’.
In the exhibit ‘Images of Bihar’, you can get to know about the important places in Bihar by browsing through a map of Bihar on the monitor screen.
Discover and enjoy the magical power of digital electronics in the ‘TV Studio’ where you can also fly in air using the special technique called ‘Chroma Keying’.
Besides these, there are exhibits that explain the basic laws and principles involved in the phenomena of reflection and refraction of images. Come and enjoy the wonderful world created by Mirrors and Images at Shrikrishna Science Centre, Patna.
Evolution
The most unique and wonderful aspect of our planet is its great variety of life. Innumerable species of plants and animals, each having its characteristic features in terms of looks and lifestyles, have evolved and flourished over the ages. Many have perished in the process and many are on the verge of extinction. The story of life on this planet is the struggle and adaptation of success and failure, and of survival of the fittest.
How did first life come into being? How did it get such varied forms? Did all life forms emerge at the same time? Were our ancestors all human beings? These are basically the issues this gallery essentially address to.
Man, the latest mammal on the earth, is also the most intelligent. Evolution of modern man from primates is a story of the triumphs of brain over body, tools over bare hands, and knowledge over ignorance.
The gallery portrays the origin and evolution of life on earth under three sections viz.
- Life through ages
- Evolution, Evidence and Mechanism
- Ecology and Evolution
The presentation follows an evolutionary sequence but avoids the monotony of systematic classification. The presentations not only provide useful general information to the common visitors but also serve as effective supplements to the school curriculum for the benefit of the student community.
Ocean
The new gallery on Oceans- Blue world will present a new dimension of Oceanic science and beauty to the visitors. Especially focused on school children the exhibits of this gallery beautifully explained some physical phenomena related to oceans through its interactives. It will also have exhibits for general visitors like feel in Arctic and selfie with sea lions. This gallery also deals with Ocean pollution and tell you some mysteries of oceans. Overall you are going to love this gallery. The gallery will be opened for public in the month of December- 2021.
Dr. Shrikrishna Singh Photo Gallery
The glimpse of the Life and Works of late Dr. Shrikrishna Singh, the first Chief Minister of Bihar, is presented in this gallery, through an array of panels containing rare photographs, for the visitors to admire.
Travelling Exhibition
In a large country like India, having diversified climatic conditions, economic conditions, educational levels etc. it is indeed a challenge to produce a travelling exhibition which will strike the right chord. With the prime objective of NCSM being the development of science literacy among the masses and increase interest among the students in science, travelling exhibitions in NCSM had to take into account a number of parameters. Findings suggest that while parameters like contemporary topics, interactivity in exhibits, multimedia etc. were take into account while fabrication of travelling exhibitions like, ‘Dinosaurs’, ‘Radiations Around Us’ and ‘Century of Physics’, while the same parameters were not incorporated in exhibitions like ‘Story of Poles’, ‘Networks’ etc.
The advantages of developing and displaying of a travelling exhibition are manifold. The most important being it gives the visitors to know and understand about contemporary topics and also for science museum / centre it helps to get repetitive visitation.
Findings suggest that visitors are intersected in exhibitions on contemporary topics current scientific issues and cutting edge technologies. Keeping these in mind centre organised temporary exhibitions on ‘Radiations Around Us’, ‘Century of Physics’ etc.
Science Park
Science Park is the most vibrant among the outdoor expositions. Here the visitors are provided with an opportunity to relax in colourful surroundings, away from the hustle & bustle of the city life. Science Park allows the children to play with an array of outdoor exhibits on physical science. Here students can explore and learn many scientific principles by playing with swings, pulleys, see-saw, gear train, camera obscura, eco-tube, musical pipes etc. fitted and displayed in natural settings. Pet animal cages, aviaries and green garden also enrich the environment where science is alive and harmonised with nature. It is a lifetime experience of learning while playing in an open yard.
Dinosaur Park
The Jurassic Park is a recreated world of wonderful life that once lived on this earth millions of years ago. Today none of these life forms is present as no one has seen them ever. Jurassic Park will make you travel back in time and will open a window before you to get a glimpse of some of the salient moments of evolution of life on Earth. A variety of prehistoric animals including dinosaurs are exhibited with a detailed note of their period of existence, food habits, and other living parameters.
To get an ambience of prehistoric life with animals, please visit the Jurassic Park.
Indian Scientists Bust
There are also busts of a few eminent Indian scientists have been displayed in the park to whom visitors can pay their respectful homage. They can get to know the life works of these scientists.
3D Theatre
When we watch 3D movies we see two images at once, each from a slightly different perspective, the actual image and the light of the image are being emitted at different points on the screen. This disparity creates confusion for the convergence and accommodation functions as they’re being processed in our brain The result of this illusion is 3D Cinema. To provide this excitement to the Visitors District Science Centre arranged 3D shows for the visitors.
Digital Planetarium Show
The Science of astronomy emerged as a result of intense study of sky by mankind. With the progress of civilization newer and better than ever instruments were developed for astronomical observations which intensified star gazing and widened human knowledge on celestial bodies.
The planetarium has been making learning Astronomy a pleasant experience.
Planetarium as an instrument which educated the man about the objects of the sky, their nature and their relative movement by simulating the night sky of a particular place at a particular date & time of the year. In the planetarium the night sky is projected from a highly sophisticated and intricately complex instrument from the centre of hemispherical dome under which the visitors sit surrounding the projector. This gives the visitors the feeling of being a part of a place the sky of which has been simulated over their eyes. One can identify some well known stars and constellations like Pole Star, Great Bear, Sirius, Orion etc. Different programmes with astronomical film are launched from time to time to give more and more information about the mystic sky.
Science Show
We have a programme called the SCIENCE SHOW where our demonstrator performs and explains a set of exciting experiments on topics like Liquid Nitrogen, Fun with Chemistry, Cell basic unit of Life, Properties of Liquid, Electricity Generation etc. The experiments produce startling and amusing effects with unique learning experience.
Taramandal
Taramandal is a portable mini planetarium with an inflatable dome with simple projection system in which student can have interactive learning experience of elementary astronomy.
Twenty five visitors can be accommodated at a time in the taramandal show.
During the show you can get acquainted with various stars, constellations, zodiacs and daily astronomical phenomena in the night sky.
The Centre remains open for visitors from 09:30 am to 6:00 pm every day, except on ‘Holi’ and Diwali’.
Ticket counter closes at 5:15 pm
Ticket Rates
Centre Entry Ticket
- General Visitors – Rs.30.00 per head,
- 25 or more Visitors in a group – Rs.20.00 per head
- *Students in Groups – Rs.10.00 per head,
- *Govt. School Students in Group – Rs.5.00 per head
Taramandal Show Ticket
- General Visitors & Students in a group – Rs 10.00 per head,
- *Govt. School Students in Group – Rs.5.00 per head
Science Show Ticket
- General Visitors & Students in a group – Rs 10.00 per head,
- *Govt. School Students in Group – Rs.5.00 per head
3D Science Show Ticket
- General Visitor – Rs 25.00 per head,
- 25 or more Visitors in a group – Rs.20.00 per head
- *School Group – Rs. 15.00 per head
- *Govt. School Students in Group – Rs.10.00 per head
Space and Astronomy Centre (Digital Planetarium Show)
- General Visitors – Rs.25.00 per head,
- 25 or more Visitors in a group – Rs.20.00 per head
- *Students in Groups – Rs.15.00 per head,
- *Govt. School Students in Group – Rs.10.00 per head
Science on a Sphere
- General Visitors – Rs.25.00 per head,
- *Students in Groups – Rs. 15.00 per head
- *Govt. School Students in Group – Rs.10.00 per head
(*bring a letter from the Head of the Institute is mandatory)
Entry is free for
- Police and Military personnel in uniform
- Physically handicapped
- Children below 3 years
Shrikrishna Science Centre
(National Council of Science Museums,
Ministry of Culture, Govt. of India)
West Gandhi Maidan, Patna-800001
- T:- 0612 2206992
- E:- sscncsm@gmail.com
- W : https://sksciencecentre.org