Quick answer: The Nehru Planetarium is an astronomy centre in the grounds of Teen Murti Bhavan, the former home of Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru, in central New Delhi. It runs sky-theatre shows in English and Hindi and displays the Soyuz T-10 capsule in which India’s first cosmonaut, Rakesh Sharma, came back to Earth in 1984. The planetarium’s website lists show times, but it does not give ticket prices and some of its pages are clearly out of date, so call before you go.
Nehru Planetarium at a glance
| Detail | What we could verify (October 2026) |
|---|---|
| Location | Teen Murti House, New Delhi 110011 |
| Run by | A wing of the former Nehru Memorial Museum and Library, now the Prime Ministers’ Museum and Library (PMML) |
| Public shows | 11:30 am (English), 1:30 pm (Hindi), 3:00 pm (English) and 4:00 pm (Hindi), as listed on nehruplanetarium.org |
| Tickets | Sold at the ticket counter (cash, card or UPI) and online through BookMyShow, according to the planetarium’s website. No prices are published there, so check before visiting. |
| Closed on | Not stated on the official site; call before visiting |
| Phone | 011-23014504 or 011-23012994 (from the planetarium’s contact page) |
| Time needed | About one to two hours, including a show |
The show schedule above comes from the planetarium’s own website, which still shows pandemic-era notices. Treat it as a guide and confirm the times by phone. Late entry to the sky theatre is not allowed.
History of the Nehru Planetarium
Jawaharlal Nehru believed children should grow up understanding how science works. After his death, the Jawaharlal Nehru Memorial Fund was set up in 1964 to promote his ideas, and it took on the job of building a planetarium whose main aim was to teach astronomy. Prime Minister Indira Gandhi inaugurated the Nehru Planetarium on 6 February 1984.
The planetarium stands in the green grounds of Teen Murti House, which was Nehru’s official residence and later became a museum in his memory. In 2023 the Nehru Memorial Museum and Library Society was renamed the Prime Ministers’ Museum and Library Society, with effect from 14 August 2023. The Pradhanmantri Sangrahalaya, a museum covering all of India’s prime ministers, opened on the same campus in 2022.
The planetarium closed for a major upgrade and reopened in September 2010, before the Commonwealth Games in Delhi. According to the planetarium, its projection equipment has since been upgraded again as a turnkey project by the National Council of Science Museums, Kolkata.
Other planetariums named after Nehru operate in Mumbai, Bengaluru and Pune. Prayagraj (formerly Allahabad), where Nehru was born, has the Jawahar Planetarium. An earlier version of this article described the Delhi planetarium as the Nehru Memorial Museum and Library itself; the two are separate, and the planetarium is one wing of the institution.
What to see and do
The sky theatre
The main attraction is the dome-shaped sky theatre, where the night sky, planets and constellations are projected on the dome overhead. The current public programme, according to the planetarium, is about the Solar System, with shorter digital programmes on topics such as asteroids, astronauts and light pollution. Shows run in English and Hindi at different times of day.
The Soyuz T-10 capsule
The planetarium displays the descent module of Soyuz T-10. Rakesh Sharma flew to the Salyut 7 space station in April 1984 on Soyuz T-11 and returned to Earth in the Soyuz T-10 capsule, which is why that capsule is now in Delhi.
Workshops, sky-watching and competitions
The planetarium describes live interaction as its strength. It runs workshops and observing sessions for students and amateur astronomers through the year, public lectures and sky-watching events around eclipses and planetary alignments, and astronomy quiz and art competitions in February and August.
How to reach the Nehru Planetarium
- Metro: The closest stations are on the Yellow Line. Lok Kalyan Marg station (formerly Race Course) and Udyog Bhawan are both a short auto or taxi ride away. An earlier version of this article used the old Race Course name.
- Bus: Several Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC) routes pass Teen Murti Marg. Bus numbers change, so check the DTC route finder or a journey-planning app.
- Auto-rickshaw or cab: Ask for Teen Murti Bhavan. Insist on the meter or agree the fare before you set off, or use an app-based cab.
- Nearest railway station and airport: New Delhi Railway Station is the main railhead, and Indira Gandhi International Airport is the city’s airport.
Tips for visiting
- Buy tickets early in the day or online, because school groups often fill shows on weekdays during term.
- Arrive a little before your show starts; late entry to the sky theatre is not allowed.
- Do not take food or drink into the theatre. Phones should be silent and screens off during shows, because light from a phone ruins the dark-sky effect for everyone.
- Weekdays outside school-trip hours are usually quieter than weekends.
- Combine the visit with the Teen Murti campus museums. Ticketing for the Pradhanmantri Sangrahalaya is separate, so check its own website.
Places to visit nearby
Teen Murti is close to several other sights in central Delhi. Gandhi Smriti, where Mahatma Gandhi spent his last 144 days, is a short drive away, as are the tombs and lawns of Lodhi Gardens. You can also plan a guided visit to Rashtrapati Bhavan and finish the day at India Gate.
Frequently asked questions
What are the Nehru Planetarium show timings?
The planetarium’s website lists public shows at 11:30 am and 3:00 pm in English, and 1:30 pm and 4:00 pm in Hindi. The site has not been fully updated recently, so confirm by phone before you go.
How much is the Nehru Planetarium ticket?
The official website does not publish ticket prices. Earlier versions of this article quoted two different sets of prices, and neither could be verified, so they have been removed. Check BookMyShow or call the planetarium for current prices.
Which capsule is displayed at the Nehru Planetarium?
The descent module of Soyuz T-10, in which Rakesh Sharma and two Soviet cosmonauts returned to Earth in 1984.
Is the Nehru Planetarium the same as the Nehru Memorial Museum?
No. The planetarium is a separate wing on the Teen Murti campus. The museum and library institution has been called the Prime Ministers’ Museum and Library since 2023.
Details checked in October 2026 against the Nehru Planetarium’s website, reporting on the 2023 renaming of the Nehru Memorial Museum and Library, and records of the Soyuz T-10 mission. Show times change, so confirm with the planetarium before visiting.
