Wandering Destination: Pathani Samanta Planetarium, Bhubaneswar

Wandering Destination: Pathani Samanta Planetarium, Bhubaneswar

Portrait of Pathani Samanta

The Pathani Samanta Planetarium has been established in Bhubaneshwar with a view to invoking interest in our celestial environment and creating awareness in Astronomy, Astrophysics and Space Science among the people. 

The place is named after a great astrologer of Pathani Samanta. He was renowned Indian astrologer and scholar who was being able to measure the distance from earth with a bamboo pipe and many other traditional and frugal instruments built by himself which earned him "Mahamahopadhyaya" award from British govt. His observations, research and calculations were compiled into a book "Siddhanta Darpana" which has verses written in Sanskrit in Oriya script.

I watched one English show here: "Wonders of universe". It is obviously a different experience midst your day full of visiting temples and gardens. Seats inside are not god enough. Wooden seats doesn't have good cushion. Seats doesn't bend more than 30 degree. New movies with better 3D effects can be introduced.

Note: All photographs are shot with Moto E mobile camera.

The box office:

The exhibits: 

 

Different solar dials for display

Renovation work at the place:

Location and conveyance:

Planetarium shares the fence with Regional Museum of Natural history, and is located on Sachivalaya marg in Acharya Vihar square (Chowk). From AG square share auto takes five rupees only while from CRP square it takes ten rupees.