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Spacing and adding in the lede

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{{Use Indian English|date=April 2014}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2014}}
{{Infobox Museum
|name = M. P. Birla Planetarium
|image = Birla Planetarium, Kolkata.jpg
|caption = M. P. Birla Planetarium, Kolkata
|map_type =
|map_caption =
| coordinates = {{coord|22|32|43.92|N|88|20|42.70|E|display=title,inline}}
|established = 1963
|dissolved =
|location = No. 96, [[Jawaharlal Nehru Road]], [[Kolkata]], India
|type = Planetarium museum
|visitors =
|director =
|curator =
|publictransit =
|website =
}}
The '''Birla Planetarium''' (officially '''M. P. Birla Planetarium''') in [[Kolkata]], [[West Bengal]], [[India]], is a single-storeyed circular structure designed in the typical Indian style, whose architecture is loosely styled on the [[Buddhist Stupa]] at [[Sanchi]].<ref>[http://kolkata.clickindia.com/tourism/mpbirlaplanetarium.html Kolkata Click India] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120418111625/http://kolkata.clickindia.com/tourism/mpbirlaplanetarium.html |date=18 April 2012 }}</ref> Situated at [[Chowringhee|Chowringhee Road]] adjacent to the [[Victoria Memorial (India)|Victoria Memorial]], [[St. Paul's Cathedral, Kolkata|St. Paul's Cathedral]] and [[Maidan (Kolkata)|the Maidan]] in [[Kolkata|Central Kolkata]], it is the largest planetarium in Asia<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.timeschennai.com/index.php?mod=article&cat=MetroNews&article=37926 |title=Birla Planetarium plans show for students to mark its golden jubilee |access-date=29 July 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110722232922/http://www.timeschennai.com/index.php?mod=article |archive-date=22 July 2011 |url-status=dead }}</ref> and the second largest [[planetarium]] in the world.<ref>[http://www.india9.com/i9show/M-P-Birla-Planetarium-23482.htm M P Birla Planetarium]</ref> There are two other Birla Planetariums in India: [[Birla Planetarium, Chennai|B.M. Birla Planetarium]] in [[Chennai]] and the [[Birla Planetarium, Hyderabad|Birla Planetarium]] in [[Hyderabad, India|Hyderabad]].

Popularly known as ''taramandal'', the planetarium was inaugurated on 2 July 1963<ref>[http://scientificman.com/2013/07/16/50-years-of-birla-planetarium-kolkata-birla-planeterium-interview-with-director-birla-planetarium-kolkata/ 50 Glorious years of M.P. Birla Planetarium Kolkata] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130721064940/http://scientificman.com/2013/07/16/50-years-of-birla-planetarium-kolkata-birla-planeterium-interview-with-director-birla-planetarium-kolkata/ |date=21 July 2013 }}</ref> by the then Prime Minister of India, Jawaharlal Nehru. It has an electronics laboratory for design and fabrication of science equipment. It has an astronomy gallery that maintains a huge collection of fine paintings and celestial models of renowned astronomers. The Planetarium also has an astronomical observatory equipped with a Celestron C-14 Telescope with accessories such as ST6 CCD camera and solar filter. It offers to the public and students more than 100 astronomical projects dealing with various facts of astronomy, astro-physics, Space Science as well as myths concerning stars and planets. It has a capacity of 6800.

Daily programs are conducted in English, Bengali and Hindi from 12:00 to 19:00 hrs. The show timing is as follows: Mon to Sat - 12.30 PM HINDI, 1.30 PM ENGLISH, 2.30 PM HINDI, 3.30 PM BENGALI, 4.30 PM HINDI, 5.30 PM BENGALI, 6.30 PM ENGLISH and two extra show on Sunday and Holiday is 10.30 AM HINDI, 11.30 AM BENGALI (updated on 15.08.2017) Programs are occasionally conducted in Oriya, Tamil and Gujarati, as well.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://kolkata.kyakare.com/event/view/9948:visit-to-birla-planetarium- |title=Visit to Birla Planetarium |access-date=29 July 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303221544/http://kolkata.kyakare.com/event/view/9948:visit-to-birla-planetarium- |archive-date=3 March 2016 |url-status=dead }}</ref> Extra shows are arranged on holidays.
The Planetarium was constructed by ML Dalmiya & Co. which is owned by [[Board of Control for Cricket in India]] former President late [[Jagmohan Dalmiya]].

It reopened to public on 18 July 2017, after closing down for 28 months of renovations work. The new planetarium system for the Birla Planetarium is a so-called ZEISS Hybrid Planetarium, with the STARMASTER, an optical-mechanical planetarium projector (also called “Starball”) working in synch with a dome video display system. The Starball presents the most realistic starfield in the dome with superimposed images of constellation outlines, space objects like nebula and galaxies, planets and moons by the VELVET digital video system, called fulldome projection. The technical upgrade was delivered and installed by the German company [[Carl Zeiss AG]].

==See also==
* [[Swami Vivekananda Planetarium|Swami Vivekananda Planetarium, Mangalore]]
* [[M. P. Birla Institute of Fundamental Research]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
* {{commonscat-inline}}
{{Wikivoyage-inline|Kolkata/Maidan}}

[[Category:Planetaria in India]]
[[Category:Tourist attractions in Kolkata]]
[[Category:Buildings and structures in Kolkata]]
[[Category:Education in Kolkata]]

Birla Planetarium, Kolkata - Revision history

>Rasnaboy: Spacing and adding in the lede