Puspa IPTEK Sundial, Science museum in Padalarang, Indonesia
The Puspa IPTEK Sundial is a science learning center in Padalarang, West Java, housing over one hundred fifty interactive exhibits on physics, astronomy, and engineering principles. The exhibition halls span multiple levels and feature both large installations and smaller experiment stations that visitors can operate themselves.
This center opened in 2002 under Minister Hatta Rajasa as part of a nationwide effort to promote science education across Indonesia. Over the following years, the facility expanded its collection steadily, adding new displays to make contemporary discoveries accessible to the public.
The name Puspa IPTEK combines "Puspa," meaning flower, with IPTEK, the Indonesian acronym for science and technology, reflecting the hope of nurturing curiosity to bloom. Local families often visit on weekends to experiment together at the interactive stations, where children and parents learn side by side through hands-on play.
The facility opens daily from half past eight in the morning until half past four in the afternoon, except during Hari Raya Idul Fitri holidays, and ticket sales close half an hour before the doors shut. Most exhibits are self-explanatory, but it helps to allow some time to try out the different stations at a comfortable pace.
The grounds contain both vertical and horizontal sundials linked to a single 30-meter gnomon, forming the largest sundial system in Indonesia. The entrance features twelve pillars decorated with carvings from the traditional Indonesian calendar, each representing one month of the year.
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