INS Kursura Submarine Museum

Museums

Andhra Pradesh

INS Kursura Submarine Museum is located on the coast of Ramakrishna Beach in the beautiful city of Visakhapatnam. The highlighting point of this museum is that it is based inside an actual submarine, INS Kurusura. India's 5th submarine and now a museum, it displays several artefacts, pictures, and articles that were used during wars.

Various gadgets and weapons are on display in this museum. Visitors also get to explore the control room, radar, and sonar room inside this submarine museum. It also comprises various artefacts, scripts, photographs that display the evolution of submarines around the world. Visiting INS Kursura is an experience of a lifetime as it takes you closer to the life inside a submarine.

Though Andhra Pradesh, where Submarine Museum is situated, has normal climatic conditions, still it is preferable that you come for a vacation between the months of October and February for its blissful and moderate weather. It remains open for all the days of the week from 2:00 pm to 8:30 pm.

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For adults, the ticket price is Rs.40
For children below 20 years, the ticket price is Rs.20
If you want to take a still camera inside then, you will need to shell out Rs.50
In case of the video camera, you will need to shell out Rs.200

History of Submarine Museum

INS Kursura was inducted in the Indian navy in 1969 and was decommissioned in 2001, after 31 years of its incredible service in the Indian Navy. Later on, it was decided to turn into a museum and a complete makeover was given to it for the same. The submarine played a significant role in the Indo-Pak war of 1971 and also contributed to many other wars in Indian history. With the dimensions of 91.3 meters in length and 8 meters in breadth, INS Kursura is the second such submarine-cum-museum in the world.

However, currently, the submarine is not the same as it was during its service years, as it has gone through several modifications so that people can move freely and have a clear view of everything. Another interesting thing about the museum is that a few naval officers often visit or stay in the museum as guides to enlighten the visitors about the significance of each room, gadgets and other specifications of the submarine.

Major Attractions in and Around Submarine Museum

1. Naval Archives. You can look through several naval archives from the war-times. Taking a look at the exhibits, you feel that our naval officers' patriotism and courage was indeed worth it. A lot of articles and souvenirs from the wartime are also displayed in this museum.

2. Ocean Resources Maritime. Here, one can get thorough information about the ocean resource that is showcased at the naval museum. The museum will give you an insight into the marine life and how the security is preserved in the oceans.

3. Weapons of Medieval Maratha Soldiers. The submarine museum also consists of several articles and weapons from the medieval era. Such weapons include guns, swords, etc. Visiting the museum will allow you to see these ancient weapons and know the lesser-known stories from the bygone era.

4. Ramakrishna Beach. The panoramic beach is always alluring for the locals as well as tourists. The beach is popular as an ideal place for sunrise and sunset views. For locals, it is one of the popular picnic spots.

5. Tyda Park. When you are done with your exploration of the Submarine Museum, you can head to Tyda Park which is just a few kilometres away from INS Kursura S20 naval museum. The park is known to be home to rich flora and fauna. Visitors may also indulge in multiple adventure activities such as target shooting, camping, and rock climbing.

6. Matsya Darshini. This is surely a kid’s paradise as they can enjoy the marine world of the great Visakhapatnam. Located within a few kilometres from RK Beach, this place is home to different kinds of fishes and tortoise aquariums.

How to Reach the Submarine Museum

Commonly known as Vizag, Visakhapatnam is one of the oldest port cities in the country. The beaches of Visakhapatnam, its culture along with the historical past of this city make it one of the most phenomenal travel destinations of India. Visakhapatnam is situated at a distance of 1,770, 1,338, 888, 1,011 km from Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, and Bengaluru respectively. The route mentioned below would be best suitable for you to reach the city of Visakhapatnam.

By Air. Visakhapatnam Airport (VTZ) would be your best option to reach here. This airport operates as a civil enclave on one of the Indian Navy bases namely INS Dega. And it is connected with other Indian cities via many airlines like IndiGo, Air India, Spicejet, Air Asia, and many others. After you deboard at the airport, you will need to cover a distance of 15-20 km via some means of public transport.

Hyderabad - Take Air India, IndiGo, Air Asia from Rajiv Gandhi International Airport. Starting airfares are from Rs.4,000
Bhubaneshwar - Take IndiGo or Air India flights from Biju Patnaik International Airport. The starting airfares are from Rs.10,000
Chennai - Take IndiGo, Air Asia, Air India and Spicejet flights from Chennai International Airport. The airfares are starting from Rs.3,000
Mumbai - Take Air India, Spicejet, IndiGo, Air Asia from Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport. The starting airfares are from Rs.6,000

By Train. Visakhapatnam has its own railway station that goes by the same name. This is one of the primary train stations and is operated under the South Coast Railway Zone. It is interesting to know that in 2017, this railway station was titled the cleanest railway station in our country. After you deboard at the station, you can easily take a cab or some other means of public transportation to reach your destination.

Here is the route that you can follow to reach Visakhapatnam by train.

Delhi - Board Samta Express from H.Nizamuddin Station and deboard at the Visakhapatnam station
Pune - Board Konark Express from Pune Junction and deboard at the Visakhapatnam station
Aurangabad - Board SNSI VSKP Express from Aurangabad Junction and deboard at the Visakhapatnam station
Nashik - Board LTT VSKP SUP Express from Nashik Road station and deboard at the Visakhapatnam station

By Road. Visakhapatnam is fairly well-connected via road with other Indian cities. Depending upon your location, you can consider travelling here by cab, personal vehicle or a bus.