K’taka: PM Modi to inaugurate Rs 115-crore planetarium in Mysuru on Nov 13

Mysuru: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate a newly constructed Rs 115-crore planetarium in Mysuru on November 13, featuring what is claimed to be the world's first curved-screen technology of its kind, Mysuru-Kodagu BJP MP Yaduveer Krishnadatta Chamaraja Wadiyar said on Monday.

Addressing a press conference in Mysuru, he said the planetarium was a major addition to the city's educational, scientific and tourism infrastructure. The project was a dream of Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, who contributed Rs 5 crore from her Members of Parliament Local Area Development (MPLAD) funds towards its establishment.

The project has also received funding through the Swadesh Darshan scheme and the Department of Science and Technology under the Union Ministry of Science and Technology.

Highlighting its technological features, Yaduveer said the planetarium would have a curved-screen system, making it a unique facility. He said the planetarium in Prague, installed by Konica Minolta, has a flat-screen system, while the Mysuru facility would feature curved technology.

The planetarium will have two domes with a seating capacity of around 150 to 160 people. Students and tourists will be allowed to visit the facility, with entry tickets for tourists. Two to three shows are expected to be conducted daily, he said.

He added that the facility was expected to attract around five lakh visitors annually, similar to the planetarium in Bengaluru, which receives approximately five lakh visitors every year.

The institution comes under the Bengaluru-based Indian Institute of Astrophysics and has been established on Mysuru University land. The university management will also be involved in its functioning. The facility will have classrooms and training rooms to conduct educational programmes, training sessions and camps. The institute will manage its operations, he said.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will also address a gathering at the venue, which has a capacity of around 10,000 people. The district administration is making arrangements for the event, and the BJP will extend its cooperation to ensure its successful conduct. The administration will take a decision on the distribution of entry passes, he added.

As part of his Mysuru visit, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will participate in two programmes. After inaugurating the Pink Line of Namma Metro in Bengaluru, he will arrive in Mysuru and take part in a Miyawaki forest development programme at K.C. Layout, where he will plant a sapling.

The Miyawaki forest has been developed under the Bharat One project with Japanese collaboration. The planetarium inauguration programme is scheduled to take place after 3 pm on November 13.

Yaduveer said the two programmes would bring significant developments to Mysuru, particularly in the fields of science, education and tourism, and urged people to make use of the new facility.

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