INS Kursura Submarine Museum, Visakhapatnam: History, highlights and visitor guide

History and context

The story behind INS Kursura Submarine Museum

Built in the Soviet Union, INS Kursura was commissioned into the Indian Navy in 1969 and remained in active service for close to 31 years, including participation in the 1971 Indo-Pakistan War, during which it is associated with operations connected to the sinking of the Pakistani submarine PNS Ghazi.

After decommissioning, the Navy and Andhra Pradesh authorities had the vessel moved onto a purpose-built platform on RK Beach. It was dedicated to the nation on 9 August 2002 and opened to the public on 14 August 2002, becoming the first museum of its kind in Asia.

Useful facts

INS Kursura Submarine Museum facts at a glance

Location

RK Beach, Beach Road, Visakhapatnam

Experience type

Walk-through museum inside a decommissioned Foxtrot-class submarine

Known for

First submarine-on-land museum of its kind in Asia

Architect/Built

Built in the USSR, commissioned 1969; museum opened 14 August 2002

Time or schedule

Fixed daily hours; check current timings before visiting

Why it matters

Why INS Kursura Submarine Museum is worth your time

INS Kursura entered Indian Navy service in 1969 and went on to serve for nearly 31 years, a career that spanned the 1971 war with Pakistan, in which the submarine is credited with a role in operations against the Pakistani navy. Its conversion into a museum was a deliberate choice by the Navy and the state government to preserve that service history in a way ordinary visitors could experience directly, rather than through photographs alone.

Dedicated to the nation on 9 August 2002 and opened to the public shortly after, it became the first museum of its kind in Asia and one of only a handful worldwide where a complete submarine is displayed on land. For a city built around its naval base and shipyard, the museum is also a way of making that otherwise closed world briefly visible to the public.

Highlights

What not to miss

1. 01

   The torpedo and control rooms

   Original equipment and instrumentation remain in place, giving a direct sense of how the crew worked in cramped conditions.

2. 02

   A vessel with a war record

   The submarine served through the 1971 war, adding real history to what could otherwise be just a static exhibit.

3. 03

   Crew quarters

   The bunks and mess spaces show just how little personal space submariners had on long patrols.

Plan your visit

How to experience it

INS Kursura is a genuine Soviet-built Foxtrot-class submarine that served the Indian Navy from 1969 for nearly three decades, including the 1971 war with Pakistan, before being decommissioned and hauled onto RK Beach in 2002 to become a museum. It is one of very few places in the world where a full submarine sits on dry land for visitors to walk through, rather than being viewed from outside or afloat.

Inside, you move through the torpedo room, control room, engine spaces and crew quarters exactly as the submariners who served aboard it did, ducking through low hatches and climbing steep internal ladders between compartments. The scale is the point: everything is compact, close and built for function rather than comfort, which is what makes the visit memorable even in under an hour.

Come in the morning if you can, since the metal hull holds heat through the day, and pair it with the TU 142 Aircraft Museum directly across the road, which covers naval aviation in a similarly hands-on way.

Know before you go

Timing, access and comfort

Area

RK Beach, Beach Road, opposite the TU 142 Aircraft Museum

Time needed

45–60 minutes

Best time

Weekday mornings, before the vessel warms up inside and queues build

Walking level

Moderate

Senior comfort

The submarine itself is entered via steep internal ladders and low hatches typical of a working vessel, which are not manageable for everyone; the interior is not air-conditioned in the way a museum hall would be, so those with mobility or heat concerns may prefer the entry displays instead.

Tickets and access

There is an entry fee, with the museum keeping fixed daily hours; check current pricing and timings locally, as both are adjusted periodically.

Plan it with

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