Birla Planetarium
Considered the most modern in the country, Birla planetarium at Chennai has been built in the memory of B.M.Birla, the popular industrialist and visionary. The facility features eight galleries each of them dedicated to the fields of science including Physical Science, Electronics and Communication, Energy, Life Science, Innovation, Transport, International Dolls and Children and Materials Science. The hemispherical theater that can accommodate 236 people features a computerized project to represent the skies and heavenly bodies projected on a hemispherical dome. The complex enjoys a centralised air condition facility attached with a sound studio, classroom and seminar hall. Adjacent to the facility, the Periyar Science and Technology Museum is located, which proves to be a highly useful resource centre for students and other science scholars. The Planetarium offers regularly scheduled shows. The center also conducts several seminars and workshops on astronomy. The planetarium is situated at Kotturpuram near Adyar.
Kalakshetra
As the meaning of the name in Sanskrit suggests, Kalakshetra or the ‘Temple of Art’ was founded by was established by danseuse Rukmini Devi Arundale in the year 1936 to give vent to her deep desire to revive Bharatanatyam, a classical dance form native to the Tamil Nadu state. The center is operated echoing the trends of the ancient gurukula system. The establishment is committed to classical dance, music, traditional textile designs and weaving. The various segments forming part of this campus and covered under the Kalakshetra Foundation are the Rukmini Devi College of Fine Arts, the Besant Arundale Senior Secondary School, the Besant Theosophical High School, the Craft Education and Research Center, the Bharata Kalakshetra Auditorium and the Dr U. V. Swaminatha Iyer Library.
The Craft Education and Research Center run by of Kalakshetra is a popular organization dedicated to reviving the traditional patterns and colors employed in the making of South Indian saris manufactured in silk and cotton. The center has an exceptional theater, where Kalakshetra organizes a ballet festival in the month of December as an annual feature. Round the year, the foundation also offers music recital and dance performances across several segments of Chennai.
