If you are a 80s or early 90s kid and love science, then you will remember that summer vacations meant a fun picnic with the family to Cubbon Park. While the day ended on a high note with a ride on the toy train and ice cream, it began at the Visvesvaraya Industrial and Technological Museum (VITM).
Nestled between the Venkatappa Art Gallery building and the Government Aquarium on Kasturba Road, the museum has kindled the love for science in many a bright kid. With a steam engine on one side and a MIG fighter jet on the other, walking into the bright white structure transports you into a world of discovery and wonder.
While the architecture may make it seem ordinary, it is what is inside that makes the museum extraordinary, says history buff Naveen Thomas who points out that since he can remember, people flocked to the museum for the latest in science and technology.
“The museum was regularly updated with modern exhibits and trendy shows. Of course with time, things have gone online. But there is still a devoted flock that comes here regularly,” Naveen says.
Inside there are five galleries, each dedicated to a particular aspect of technology. From monitoring how your voice modulates as you speak to learning how things are made including motion pictures and alarms to even seeing how much you will weigh on different planets, there’s tons that the museum offers to adults and children alike.
Back in time
Opened by Pandit Jawarharlal Nehru on July 14, 1962, the museum was set up by a prominent society of industrialists to honour Bharat Ratna Sir M Visvesvaraya. The foundation stone for the building, under the aegis of the All India Manufacturer’s Association, Mysore State Board, was laid by B D Jatti, Chief Minister of Mysore in September 1958. Occupying an area roughly 43,000 square feet, the building’s first exhibition was on the theme ‘electricity’ opened to public on July 27, 1965. The museum, now a constituent unit of National Council of Science Museums (NCSM), Ministry of Culture, Government of India, has a dedicated dinosaur corner and a perfect replica of the Wright Brothers’ Flyer ‘Kitty Hawk’. The permanent exhibition galleries in the building include sections dedicated to engines, fun science, electronic and biotechnological advancements, space and science for kids. The museum also has a mobile science exhibition unit with 24 exhibits on a bus that was launched in 1970.
Science stories
Sneha Rajshekar, a science faculty at a prestigious school in the city, says if it wasn’t for the Visvesvaraya Museum, she may have never liked science at all. “In fact, it was visits to the museum in my growing up years that made me realise science isn’t as boring as it looks in textbooks. Every summer will feature a whole new section. I particularly loved their themed Jurassic exhibition right around the time Jurassic Park was released. The dinosaurs were huge and almost life-like. I vividly remember being thrilled at seeing my elder brother disappear in a black hole exhibit. I wasn’t very happy when he reappeared though,” she laughs and adds: “The fun science exhibits have the most unbelievable showcases. Some of them were so incredible that you’ll find it hard to believe they really exist.”
Gayathri Srinivas, who only recently took her kids for the first time to the museum says, “They got excited after binge-watching the Night At The Museum trilogy. It only seemed fair to show them how amazing our own museum is. I had my fingers crossed in the beginning, but by the time they were done with one floor, they were thrilled to bits. It was fun discovering facts about our industrial revolution, the history of the wheel and our advancement in space. There’s so much to learn here that we don’t actually learn online. I recommend a visit to the museum to everyone I meet. It definitely is a place where ‘history (and science) comes alive’!”
Regular shows apart from the permanent exhibitions are held at the museum. Visvesvaraya Museum is open on all days of the year except for Ganesha Chathurthi and Diwali from 10 am to 6 pm with nominal entry fees.
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