• After Ganga, Brahmaputra Galleries, first such Gallery in South India
• Gallery timings: 10 am – 6 pm
• Entry ticket: Adults – Rs. 20, children – Rs. 10

Mysore/Mysuru: The Cauvery Gallery that has been set up at Karnataka Exhibition Authority (KEA) Grounds showcasing the life, culture and biodiversity of the River from its birth at Talacauvery in Kodagu till it reaches the Bay of Bengal at Poompuhar in Tamil Nadu will be open to the public on July 13.

The visually appealing Gallery with many 3-D presentations has been built jointly by Karnataka Knowledge Commission and Tourism Department. It has been modelled as per the design, specifications and imagination of the National Academy of Sciences, India (NASI) and has been built at a cost of Rs. 3.5 crore.

KEA Chairman Hemanth Kumar Gowda told Star of Mysore that Tourism Minister Anand Singh will inaugurate the Gallery on July 13 at 11 am in the presence of Mysuru District Minister S.T. Somashekar. In-Charge Mayor Sunanda Palanetra, MPs V. Sreenivasa Prasad, Pratap Simha and Sumalatha Ambarish, MLAs G.T. Devegowda, Tanveer Sait, S.A. Ramdas and L. Nagendra will be the guests.

NASI-NCSM project conceptualisation

The project is based on research conducted by the National Council of Science Museums (NCSM), an autonomous society under the Ministry of Culture. Officials of the NASI and the State Tourism Department had signed an agreement to establish the gallery in the KEA complex (at Kannada Karanji). It is the first river gallery in South India.

The Gallery highlights the geological and ecological characteristics of the Cauvery River apart from projecting the social and cultural characteristic features of civilisation that have evolved along the river bank.

NASI is the implementing agency and would train the authorities from Mysuru on how to maintain and administer the gallery. The NASI and NCSM have completed the establishment of the Brahmaputra River gallery project in Guwahati, Assam, and the Ganga River gallery project in Allahabad.

15,000 sq.ft. area covered

The Cauvery Gallery has been built on an area of 15,000 sq.ft. and highlights the geological and ecological characteristics of the Cauvery apart from projecting the social and cultural characteristic features of civilisations that have evolved along the banks of the river.

Artefacts and dolls tell the story of the Cauvery River from Talacauvery (birthplace in Kodagu) to Poompuhar. Pictures, live visuals and models of the river flowing from one part to another criss-crossing the hills and plains narrate the story giving an audio-visual and also pictorial presentation to the viewer.

Ticket pricing

The mega project includes multimedia features and an electronic display to provide visitors with an immersive experience of life and culture along the Cauvery. After the viewers see the gallery, there will be a 20-minute short film on Cauvery.

Adults will have to pay Rs. 20 for an entry ticket while children have to pay Rs. 10. The Gallery will be open from 10 am to 6 pm and the timings will be extended based on the tourist response and tourist seasons.