12°58′30″N 77°35′47″E / 12.975100°N 77.596400°E
 Visvesvaraya Industrial & Technological Museum | |
  Location in the Map of Bangalore | |
| Established | 14 July 1962 |
|---|---|
| Location | Kasturba road, Bangalore, India |
| Coordinates | 12°58′30″N 77°35′47″E / 12.975100°N 77.596400°E |
| Type | Science museum |
| Visitors | 1 million+[citation needed] |
| Director | K.A.Sadhana |
| Curator | Manash Bagchi, Jyoti Mehra, Navaram Kumar, Shaik Rafi,Gantla Suresh |
| Website | Official website |
The Visvesvaraya Industrial and Technological Museum (VITM), Bangalore, India, a constituent unit of the National Council of Science Museums (NCSM), Ministry of Culture, Government of India, was established in memory of Sir M. Visvesvaraya. The 4,000 m2 (43,000 sq ft) building was constructed in Cubbon Park, and was inaugurated by the first Prime Minister of India, Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, on July 14, 1962. The museum displays industrial products, scientific models and engines.
Honoring Sir M. Visvesvaraya, the All India Manufacturers Organization and Mysore State Board decided to create a science and technology museum in Bangalore. The foundation stone was laid by Shri B. D. Jatti, Chief Minister of Mysore, on 15 September 1958. The Visvesvaraya Industrial Museum Society (VIMS) came to be registered as the nodal agency in order to pool resources from various industrial houses. It was inaugurated by the first Prime Minister of India, Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, on July 14, 1962.[1]
The first exhibition, 'Electricity', was opened to the public on July 27, 1965.[2]
In the year 1970, VITM launched the Mobile/Moving Science Exhibition (MSE) with 24 participatory exhibits mounted on a bus. The MSE Bus travels throughout Southern India.
In 1978, many science museums, including VITM, parted from CSIR and were brought under a newly formed society registered on 4 April 1978 as National Council of Science Museums (NCSM). In 1979 an extension was added to the building, increasing the total area of the museum to 6,900 m2 (74,000 sq ft).
NCSM set up three additional science centers at Gulbarga (Karnataka) in 1984, Tirunelveli (Tamil Nadu) in 1987, Tirupati (Andhra Pradesh)in 1993 and at Kozhikode, Kerala in 1997, which are functioning under the direct administrative control of VITM. Thus, VITM has become the southern zone headquarters of NCSM.
The museum attracts nearly one million visitors a year,[2] and is open on all days (except Deepavali and Ganesha Chathurthi) from 09:30 to 18:00.
In addition to these exhibits, the museum includes a science show hall, a 3D theatre, a 250-seat auditorium, a telemedicine facility, an 11' Celestron telescope with GPS, and a cafeteria.
VITM has developed travelling exhibitions including The World of Astronomical Observatories, The Life and Work of Sir C. V. Raman, Nanotechnology, and The Life and Work of Sir M Visvesvaraya. VITM also hosts, on a regular basis, travelling exhibitions that are developed by other units of NCSM such as Science of Sports, Giants from the Backyard, Chemistry, Disaster - Preparing for the Worst, and Radiations Around Us.
