Regional Museums

Realising that, as a National Institution, the National Museum of Natural History has an obligation to the entire country in respect of creating environment awareness and promoting conservation education, it
was decided during the VII Plan to have regional offices in the form of Regional Museum of Natural His-
tory (RMNH) in different parts of the country in a phased manner so as to extend the activities of NMNH
at regional and state levels.


Accordingly, the first such Regional office was initiated in the 'Southern Region' in 1995 at Mysore (Kar-
nataka State). The second one was developed for the ' Central Region' in Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh) in 1997.The third Regional Museum in the 'Eastern Region' of the country was established in Bhubaneswar (Orissa) and operationalised in 2004. The fourth Regional office was established in “Western Region” in Sawai Madhopur in 2008 and it is expected to be operational shortly. A fifth Regional office in “North-Eastern Region” is expected to be established soon in Gangtok (Sikkim).

Regional Museum of Natural History, Mysore

The historical city of Mysore added another landmark with the opening of the Regional Museum of
Natural History (RMNH) on 20th May 1995. Located on the banks of Karanji lake, and with the ba-
ckdrop of Chamundi hills, the Museum provides unique opportunity to explore nature and natural
world through judicious mix of models, translites, AV aids, diorama, thematic, interactive and pa-
rticipatory exhibits. The learning in the captivating environment of the Museum is indeed a fun
and truly enjoyable.

Objectives:

The broad objectives of the Museum are:

1 Depict floral, faunal and geological wealth of the southern region of India.
2 Depict ecological interrelationship among plants and animals with emphasis on conservation of Nature and Natural Resources
3 Provide out of school facility for school children on curriculum-based studies in biology and geology with emphasis on environmental aspect.
4 Develop programmers for masses to create environmental awareness.

Exhibit galleries

The Museum has a gallery with many sections dealing with the Biological Diversity, Life through the Ages. Future galleries will be on Ecology, Conservation, Intangible Natural Heritge.

Biological Diversity

This gallery projects an overview of the Biodiversity of the Southern region of India with special emphasis on Western the Ghats. This section also presents the basic concepts of natural history, the variety and diversity of plants and animals, some endangered species of plants and animals and the geography and geology of the region

The next section on Tropical Rain Forests signifies the importance of these forests, not only for the countries possessing them but also for the whole world for the enormous biological and genetic wealth they hold. The section also projects the various adaptation adopted by plants and animals of the region for their survival.

The next section deals with the significance of Wetlands and the Mangrove forests. The section also highlights some of the adaptation acquired by plants and animals of these regions.

The section on Sea depicts a diorama of a marine habitat, the adaptation of marine life and the vastness and importance of different shores, estuaries and deep seas. The section concludes with a scale model of a blue whale. A huge panel on the other side shows river Cauvery-the lifeline of Karnataka and Tamil Nadu.

The gallery concludes with a large exhibit panel cautioning against the wanton destruction of our natural heritage. The life on earth today is result of millions of years of evolution.This fascinating fact has been presented here in a truly captivating environment through a walk-through tunnel, where the visitor explores the mysteries of life over time and space. The tunnel ends with the emergence of the modern man.

Discovery Centre

Discovery Centre in the museum is an area that help activate various senses of the visitors, who may choose one or several activities provided. This Centre consists of a Discovery Room, and a Computer Room.

Discovery Room

The Discovery Room provides opportunities for children to handle, examine and study specimens through participatory activities and discover information contained in several discovery boxes. Smaller children get fascinated with the variety of toys and puzzles. A mini theatre, a Bioscience lab, a sound booth etc are the other facilities available to keep children engrossed in fun-filled creative activities and enjoy learning with fun.

Bioscience computer Room

This facility is meant for high school students.It enables them to study biology using computers. The multimedia techniques provide them an entirely new experience of learning about nature through interactive facilities.