Bhubaneswar: The Odisha government has inked a deal with Birla Industrial & Technology Museum (BITM) in Kolkata aimed at a full-scale revamp and modernisation of Pathani Samanta Planetarium in Bhubaneswar.
On Thursday, the Department of Science and Technology signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with BITM, an autonomous institution under the National Council of Science Museums (NCSM), Ministry of Culture, Government of India. It was formalised at Lok Seva Bhawan here by Director of Pathani Samanta Planetarium Urmiprava Maharana, and BITM director Arnab Chatterjee.
Chatterjee noted that a technical team would soon visit Bhubaneswar to prepare a detailed project report (DPR) for the renovation work.
Besides comprehensive upgrade and modernisation of the existing facility, the initiative seeks to introduce advanced astronomical display
s, immersive educational experiences, and enriched programme designed to spark scientific curiosity among young people. It also envisions establishing new science centres throughout Odisha to broaden access to high-quality science education for students and the wider public.
Pathani Samanta Planetarium, operational since its public dedication on January 8, 1990, has long served as a cornerstone for promoting science, astronomy, astrophysics, and space science in the state. It honours Maha Mahopadhyay Chandrasekhar Singh Harichandan Mahapatra Samanta, popularly known as Pathani Samanta, a legendary 19th-century Odia astronomer renowned for his naked-eye observations and contributions documented in the classic “Siddhanta Darpana.”
Over the decades, the planetarium has nurtured scientific awareness among thousands through daily shows in Odia, English, and Hindi (except Mondays), outreach activities, and programmes like the Young Astronomer Talent Search (YATS) in collaboration with Tata Steel since 2007.
Incidentally in September last year, a portion of the boundary wall of planetarium had collapsed, sparking concern among locals who sought immediate steps to repair the wall and ensure proper safety measures around the planetarium.