Birla Science Museum

The Birla Science Museum is the second phase of the B.M. Birla Science Center, one of India’s most prestigious institutions for dissemination and promotion of science to the public. Together with the Birla Planetarium and the Birla Dinosaurium, the Birla Science Museum was created to educate the masses about the fundamentals of science in a manner that is interactive, exciting, and fresh — a far cry from just reading about it in textbooks and journals.

The museum was opened in 1990, and it was and still is Hyderabad’s only museum that is solely dedicated to science. It is a remarkable endeavour considering that science museums seem to have the stigma of being a nerd or geek place, far removed from the classical air that is usually given to art museums or natural history museums, for example. Nevertheless, regardless of it being a minority, the Birla Science Museum is becoming one of the more popular attractions in Hyderabad.

Since it is established by one of the most dynamic and influential groups of the country, the Science Museum is very well-maintained. It also has wonderful displays and exhibits that are sure to pique one’s interest in science and prove that it is not just limited to textbooks. The Museum itself has several sections that are worth visiting, and each one has something that is as interesting as science goes.

The Interactive Science Center has a section for optical illusions as well as an electronics section that has, among others, a harp that has sensors for strings. it plays a note when a visitor passes a hand over them. There are also holograms that show images of plants, drawings and faces.

The Nirmala Birla Art Gallery is a labyrinthine maze of dolls and sculptures that are made of crystal and glass. The dolls are porcelain figures of the Royal Dolton England make and are dressed up in various attires. Of particular interest is the ivory architecture on display that will surely capture everyone’s awe with its exquisite carvings of figures and designs.

Other sections give the visitors insight on the heavens and prehistory, as well as the evolution of certain technology. A visit to the Birla Science Museum will certainly enrich anyone’s minds about the wonders of science.