Growing interest in astronomy sparks a tourism boom in India’s high places as homestays add telescopes and night-sky observatories open
- Indians have discovered the joys of stargazing, creating an opportunity for enterprising communities to open ‘astroresorts’ offering night-sky experiences
- So far India doesn’t have any recognised ‘dark-sky’ sanctuaries – the best places to view the heavens – but efforts are being made to change that
The Phyang monastery in Ladakh, in the Indian Himalayas, plans to combine Western science with Buddhist cosmology to draw stargazing tourists to the desert region of Jammu and Kashmir state.
In April, the monks at the monastery, which dates back to 1515, will open an “astrohub”. The inspiration for it came after one of their number visited a Ladakh homestay run by Astrostays, a hospitality chain that specialises in stargazing experiences.
With Covid-19 restrictions limiting opportunities for international travel, Indians are discovering the joys of stargazing, eclipse chasing and domestic destinations explored through the lens of the night skies overhead. Being in the great outdoors following extended periods of lockdown is an added bonus.
Catering to these converts is a slew of “astro resorts”, observatories and other skyward-looking start-ups throughout the country that are kindling interest in young and old alike.
Astrostays was established in the village of Maan in Ladakh in 2019 with a single Dobsonian telescope (a low-cost type optimised for viewing deep-sky objects). Founder Sonal Asgotraa, 35, an electrical engineer, says she has long been fascinated by astronomy and when, on a night trek in Ladakh, local guides used the stars to find their way home, she was inspired to devise a project that would combine stargazing with community development.
“All our guides are locals – some of them are just school dropouts – who have been trained in astronomy and taught to make use of the telescope,” says Asgotraa.