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Ins Kursura
INS Kursura (S20) Visakhapatnam was once a Kalvari class submarine under diesel-electric category of Indian Navy, but was decommissioned in 2001. Thereafter, this submarine was preserved to be used as a museum for exhibition of navy related artefacts and special exhibits.
This Submarine Museum is positioned at the Ramakrishna Beach at Visakhapatnam, which is very popular and got its name from the Ramakrishna Mission Ashram across the beach road.
History
INS Kursura was built by Sudomech in the Admiralty Shipyard and it is one of the Soviet Foxtrot class sub-marines. It was commissioned on 18th December 1969. It was decommissioned on 27th September, 2001, when it was preserved as a Museum Ship positioned at Ramakrishna Beach at Visakhapatnam.
INS Kursura had served for 31 years and also played significant role in 1971 during Indo-Pak war. After de-commissioning, this submarine was converted into a Museum, with all her weaponry and mechanisms carefully preserved forthe public view on the 24th August 2002.
The submarine museum is maintained by theVishakhapatnam Urban Development Authority, VUDA and is now a very important tourist destination of Andhra Pradesh.
Different Sections in Museum
This submarine itself is an interesting object to know about Submarines. INS Kursura comes under the Kalvari Class Submarine. The characteristic Displacement refers to at what tonnage the Submarine surfaces in the water and at what tonnage the Submarine submerges. INS Kursura surfaces at 1950 tonnes and submerges at 2475 tonnes. The submarine’s length, Beam, Draught, Speed, Range, Test depth, Complement and Armament are the other characteristics which describe a Submarine.
Mission
The objective of setting up of INSKursura (S20) as a museum is to create awareness among public as to how the submarines function during wartime. The mission of establishing this museum is also to make the public know as to how the crew of submarine strategically act at times of emergencies. INS Kursura is the first of its kind in the Asian region.
Exhibitions
Right at the entrance, there is a display of all the information of what is inside so that the visitor can have good orientation of what to see inside.
There one can see
- The two steel hulls, the pressure hull and the outer hull. The pressure hull accommodates the working people, weapon and the Stores, which is watertight.
- 448 Batteries, each weighing 652 kg, used for running the engine while on dive, which are raised closer to water level for snorting to get recharged as and when required.
- The sonars to navigate the vessel and to sense the enemy ships to torpedo.
- The torpedo which would carry hundreds of kilograms of explosives. INS Kursura used to have 22 such torpedoes.
- The 9m long Periscope to watch the enemy activities, to lay mines outside enemy harbours and to drop marine commandos to attack enemy installations.
- The seven compartments, weighing 1945 tonnes on the surface, carrying 10 ballast tanks and three diesel engines of 2000 HP capacity each.
- The three propellers and the three main motors
- The Anchor weighing 1000 kgs and the anchor chain of 176 mtrs length.
- The 54 high pressure air bottles each to have 200kg CM2 air.
- The bunk beds to rest, a dining table to be converted as operation table too and a small kitchen.
How toReach
Air
Visakhapatnam has an airport which is busy with a number of daily direct flight schedules from almost all the airports of India, besides tri-weekly flights to Singapore
Rail
The Visakhapatnam railway station is coming under the East Coast Railway of Indian Railways administration lying in the Chennai Central-Howrah Station route, with a number of fast moving trains having stoppage here.
Road
Visakhapatnam being one of the main cities on the east coast of India connected by NH5,it is a major highway and a part of the Golden Quadrilateral system of Indian highways connecting Chennai and Kolkata. APSRTC runs a number of local and long distance buses, including luxury type buses, while private operators also run buses to long distances connecting Mumbai, Bangalore, Hyderabad, Chennaietc places.
Sea
Visakhapatnam has also approachability with Visakhapatnam port functioning as a hub for ground traffic.
Timings and Ticket Prices
Facilities
INS KursuraSubmarinemuseum provides exhibits of every aspect of a Submarine working life, with scope to take photograph of the features by the visitors who collect information of a Submarine.
Photo Gallery