The building housing the museum, Hijli Shaheed Bhavan, served as a detention camp during the British Raj before being repurposed for the first IIT.
The museum preserves the heritage of India’s first Indian Institute of Technology, established in 1951.
It features a dedicated section on the history of the Hijli detention camp, acknowledging its role in the Indian independence movement.
The collection includes vintage scientific instruments that document the transition from manual engineering to modern computational technology.
The museum functions as a bridge between the site's history as a political prison and its current role as a premier technological university.
The Nehru Museum of Science and Technology is located within the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Kharagpur campus. It serves as a repository for historical artifacts related to the technological and industrial evolution of India. The museum is housed in the historic Hijli Shaheed Bhavan, a building that was once a colonial-era detention camp. It displays early laboratory equipment, industrial machinery, and scientific apparatus used during the institute's foundational years. Exhibits highlight the development of engineering education in the post-independence era. The facility is managed by IIT Kharagpur and functions as both an educational resource and a site of historical preservation.
The front facade of the historic Hijli Shaheed Bhavan building.
Combine your visit with a walk through the broader IIT Kharagpur campus to see its unique landscaping and architecture.
Ensure you have valid identification, as the museum is located within a restricted high-security academic campus.
Check with the institute's public relations office for any restricted access areas before entering.
Do not attempt to enter departmental laboratories or student hostels, which are off-limits to unauthorized visitors.
Typically closed on weekends and national holidays; visitors should verify campus access protocols before arrival.
Maintain academic decorum; quiet behavior is expected. Dress modestly as it is an active educational institution.
