In its 25th year, Science City in Calcutta is being fondly remembered by its visitors.
As part of its celebrations, Science City had asked Calcuttans to share memories of their first visit.
Many have responded to this call.
“We received a tremendous response. We are reading through them and posting them on our social media pages,” said a spokesperson of Science City.
A programme executive of All India Radio, Suvayan Bala was the first to write in. “Twenty-five years ago, I was in Class I or II when I visited Science City with my parents. The Dino Park had various models of dinosaurs and one of them was Tyrannosaurus rex,” he wrote.
He also has faint memories of a gallery displaying pictures of the royal Bengal tiger of the Sunderbans and aquariums filled with shiny fish.
“There was a time machine taking me on an enjoyable ride. My father bought me two books on dinosaurs with engrossing visuals,” he added.
Bala plans to visit Science City again with his ageing parents.
Shipra Chowdhury, whose father was an employee of Birla Industrial and Technological Museum (BITM), recalled how his father made the models of dinosaurs displayed at the Science City.
Shipra Chowdhury, whose father was an employee of Birla Industrial and Technological Museum (BITM), recalled how his father made the models of dinosaurs displayed at the Science City.
She was wondering if it would be such fun to take her father’s models back home.
“My father’s senior colleague Murthy G. heard my wish and later gave me a box with puzzles. When I went back home, I did the puzzles and low and behold I had a dinosaur at home. The model is still there in my house,” she wrote.
Sunetra Adhya has sent in a video recording of her recollections.
She remembers that when Science City first came up, the area was like a jungle. “It was difficult reachingScience City 25 years ago. There were no buses. We could only take a cab. Today, it is right in the middle of a bustling area,” she said.
Before visiting Science City, Sunetra had watched Jurassic Park and was very excited to see the live models of dinosaurs. “I took my young daughter with me. She, however, was not too impressed. It was me who really enjoyed it,” she says with a laugh.
