M. P. Birla Planetarium, Scientific planetarium in Chowringhee, Kolkata, India.

The M. P. Birla Planetarium is a facility for astronomical education in Chowringhee, Kolkata, India, with a circular building and a large dome over the auditorium. The domed ceiling serves as a projection surface for representations of planets, stars and galaxies during scheduled programs.

Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru opened this center in 1963 as part of a push to promote science education across South Asia. It was among the first of its kind on the subcontinent and helped spark public interest in space exploration during the years shortly after the start of the space age.

Locals call the planetarium taramandal, and shows are given daily in Bengali, Hindi and English, with occasional programmes in Odiya, Tamil and Gujarati. The astronomy gallery holds paintings and celestial models of astronomers, and the observatory's Celestron C-14 telescope with ST6 CCD camera and solar filter is used for skywatching.

Shows run daily in Hindi, English and Bengali, with occasional sessions in Odiya, Tamil and Gujarati and extra shows on holidays. The planetarium closes on the first Thursday of every month, so plan around that day. Ticket counters open about half an hour to an hour before a show.

The building shape takes design elements from the ancient Buddhist stupa at Sanchi, a monumental domed structure from the third century BCE. Inside, there is also a lab room where technicians develop and repair scientific equipment for educational purposes.