Planetarium-Colombo
Location – Stanley Thilakaratne Mawatha (In the middle of University of Colombo)
Colombo 07
Western Province
Sri Lanka
Opening Hours – 8.30 am
Tickets – Adult – 100/- Child – 50/-
(Weekdays are usually crowded. Try to call to reserve seats, or go for the weekend shows)
This planetarium is the first and only planetarium in Sri Lanka. It is located at Stanley Thilakaratne Mawatha, Colombo 07 on the university of Colombo campus itself. This was inaugurated in 1st of February 1965 by state Engineering Corporation as one of the special feature of the industrial exhibition held in Colombo. Mainly it was designed by A.N.S. Kulasinghe, the chief Engineer of the State Engineering Corporation in the shape of a lotus in full bloom. After the Planetarium was constructed by the German Engineers. It has a 500-seats auditorium and the seats are arranged centrically to give you a better view. Today, the planetarium provides educational and other astronomical shows for science buffs. This is functioning as a subsidiary of the ministry of technology and research.
- The Show
First you buy a ticket and go around the planetarium building. There you have to stand in a queue. Usually the queue is full with school children and school teachers. The ceiling looks like a cloudy sky when you see it firstly. The one and half hour show is a really great to know about the universe. It consists of a lesson related to the planets, the sun, the solar system and stars. But many little children feel asleep with the darkness inside the auditorium.
This might be a wonderful experience to you all.
