MP Birla Planetarium

Located in the heart of Kolkata (Calcutta) on Chowringhee Road, the MP Birla Planetarium is the largest in Asia and second largest in the world. The single-story spherical white dome houses a working observatory equipped with a Celestron C-14 telescope.

Several times throughout the day, the domed ceiling lights up with astronomic imagery with explanations for some of the great myths and mysteries about space. Shows are narrated in Bengali, Hindi and English, and up to 500 visitors can be seated during each show. The outer ring of the structure is home to an astronomy gallery with a large collection of paintings and models from some of the world’s most renowned astronomers.

The language of show presentations alternates, so call ahead to find out the latest times for English programs. For more avid sky gazers, the planetarium conducts a free lecture series covering everything from stellar classification to spectroscopy.