The planetarium, which was closed down for the public on April 1 for the ongoing renovation, will in all likelihood be ready in a six-month period, just ahead of the Commonwealth Games.
The Nehru Planetarium in New Delhi, a loved destination of students and amateur astronomers, is all set to get a major revamp ahead of the Commonwealth Games with the latest technology equipment and digital devices.
The planetarium's projector, dating back to the early 1980s, will be replaced with a modern one and new digital devices will enhance the programming of the public shows.
The planetarium, which was closed down for the public on April 1 for the ongoing renovation, will in all likelihood be ready in a six-month period, just ahead of the Commonwealth Games when a stream of tourists will descend upon the capital.
"By the end of September, that is just in time for the Commonwealth Games, we will get a revamped and new Planetarium, such that once it's ready you will not recognise it," Director of the Nehru Memorial Museum and Library (NMML) Prof Mridula Mukherjee told PTI.
Besides the technological advances that will be introduced, the whole building will be given a new look, and everything from the office space to the air conditioning will be redone, Mukherjee said.
"We are replacing our old projector, which had become quite ancient. It will give us a completely new picture and will also be able to show a number of new programmes from all over, apart from the stars and astronomical objects," she said.
For the project, the NMML has tied up with the National Council for Science Museums, which manages major science centres across India including the Delhi Science Centre.
The upgrade will bring its infrastructure and equipment at par with other planetaria in the world.
The Nehru Planetarium, which has a capacity of 300 people, is always bustling with activity and records regular footfalls, especially from schoolchildren.
Throughout the year, there are a number of workshops or observing activities. Besides the regular public shows detailing the various aspects of the solar system are shown four times daily.
Mukherjee says the overhaul will also allow the planetarium to develop new programming and interesting features.
The capacity of the planetarium, however, and the dome area will remain the same, Mukherjee said.
Nehru Planetarium, a wing of the NMML, was established by the Jawaharlal Nehru Memorial Fund to promote astronomy education.
The revamp of the planetarium is one among a series of upgradation exercises being carried out at the institution, to make it more suited to the present day and help it recognise its vision of disseminating information.
Another major programme that got underway recently, was the complete digitisation of the library, which will make the treasure of information there available to people across the country.
"Our main objective is to help as many number of people access the host of material information we have, and these are ways to achieve it," Mukherjee said.
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