The Cosmos Planetarium at the foothills of Chamundi Hill in Mysuru is scheduled to be inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on November 13 at 3.30pm, Mysuru MP Yaduveer Krishnadatta Chamaraja Wadiyar said on Monday. The inauguration is planned after the Prime Minister’s programme for the Pink Metro route in Bengaluru.
Built at a total cost of ₹115 crore, the planetarium has been designed as a curved-dome facility and will use advanced LED technology for space-viewing programmes, according to the MP. The project is expected to add a new public science and education facility to Mysuru, a city that also receives a significant tourist footfall.
Wadiyar said the planetarium would operate in collaboration with the Bengaluru-based Indian Institute of Astrophysics. The project has also received support through the Union government’s Swadesh Darshan scheme and the Department of Science and Technology, according to the information shared at the press conference.
Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman contributed ₹5 crore to the project from her Members of Parliament Local Area Development Scheme fund, the MP said. The funding details place the facility within a wider public investment structure involving central government support, a parliamentary local-area development allocation and institutional collaboration.
The curved-dome design is intended to support immersive space-viewing experiences through the LED system. The facility will have seating for between 150 and 160 people, with access planned for students and members of the public. The project’s stated education objective is to make astronomy and space-related viewing available beyond classroom instruction through scheduled programmes.
The planetarium is also expected to provide a ticketed visitor facility for tourists. Wadiyar said there was an intention to organise programmes for tourists alongside access for students and the general public. Details such as ticket prices, programme schedules and operating arrangements were not provided in the announcement.
The inauguration schedule makes the facility part of the Prime Minister’s November 13 Karnataka programme, subject to the announced itinerary. The next formal milestone is the inauguration ceremony at the Cosmos Planetarium in Mysuru at 3.30pm.
