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Location:
FICCI Building, Barakhamba Road, near Connaught Place
Time to Visit:Tuesday-Saturday, closed on Sunday and
Monday
Preferred Timings:10.00 AM- 5.00 PM
Admission Fee: Free and open to all
Photography charges: nil, permission required
How to Reach: Tourists can either take local buses from
various points within the city to reach the museum, which is
located near Connaught Place (CP), the heart of the city, or
they can hire auto-rickshaws and taxis or metro rail.
Nearest
Railway Station:New Delhi Railway Station
Nearest Metro Station: Barakhamba Road
Functional Metro Station: Patel Chowk
Nearest International Airport: Indira Gandhi International
Airport
Time required for sightseeing: Approx.55 minutes
Inaugurated on
5th June 1978- World Environment Day, National Museum of
Natural History is located on Barakhamba Road, opposite
Embassy of Nepal in FICCI building easily recognized by a
large model of dinosaur. Established as an institution to
promote awareness on the natural heritage of India, the
National Museum of Natural History is the only place in the
capital to give detailed information about country's rich
flora and fauna and other environmental issues through
exhibits. Educating while entertaining, the museum has theme
based galleries and hands-on activity areas.
The first
gallery of the museum presents an introduction to the origin
and evolution of life and presents the variety and diversity
of the flora and fauna of India. It has sections presenting
plants and animals in their natural habitat, information about
endangered animals, patterns, adaptation and life cycle of
terrestrial, aerial and aquatic animals and pollination
process in different types of flowers. The next gallery of the
museum gives an overview of the major ecosystem of the world,
issues concerning environmental hazards, food chains, and
inter-relationship between man, flora and fauna.
Throwing light
on conservation, the third gallery of the museum informs its
importance through life size dioramas and models. The whole
process of deforestation, the need of tropical rain forests,
depletion of wildlife, the problem of pollution and population
are all well explained through a range of intriguing exhibits.
The pièce de résistance of this gallery is the exhibit the
attributing the contribution of Bishnoi community of Rajasthan
to conservation of flora and fauna.
The fourth
gallery of the museum is solely dedicated to 'Cell', the
structural and functional unit of life. It explains the
structure, functions, difference between plant and animal
cells and many other related issues through large displays and
models.
A must visit
place for children and school students, the museum has a large
collection of fossils and stuffed animals and birds apart from
a Discovery Room, a Bio-Science Computer Room, an Activity
Room and a Mobile Museum.
The museum
provides guided tours of the galleries by Educational
Assistants at 10:30 AM, 12:30 PM and 4:00 PM every day. On
special request, the museum authorities organize useful
interaction sessions for students and provide loan kits to
schools to enrich classroom teaching as well as Teacher
Orientation Programme.
Special
Attractions/ Annual Events
Daily film
shows on wildlife, conservation and the environment are
screened at 11:00 AM and 3:00 PM at the museum Auditorium.
Eminent scientists and experts conduct public lectures under
the monthly lecture series during the third or fourth week of
the month apart from regular programmes for handicapped
children. The museum in order to make youth and children aware
of the environmental issues organizes month long summer
programme every year. Nature-painting contest is also held for
children of different age groups every year during the
Wildlife Week (first week of October). |
