India astro-tourism in Ladakh |
Watch out for Astro-tourism, for it is going to come in big and real soon. A tripartite agreement was signed between the Indian Institute of Astrophysics, the Ladakh Union Territory Administration, and Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council in order to form India`s first ever Dark Sky Reserve at Hanle in Ladakh. The area falls under the very beautiful and pristine Changthang Wildlife Sanctuary. Though this is not the first time that science will contribute to tourism, nor it is the first time for astronomy tourism in India, this concept of a dark sky reserve is surely a first for India. And definitely a first for the region of Ladakh. The idea is to boost local tourism through science and in the process, we will be able to learn a whole lot about astronomical observations. Hanle is definitely a good choice for this project because of the location as well as the pristine environmental conditions. Hanle enjoys cloudless nights most months of the year, making it an excellent destination for stargazing, a hobby that is quickly turning out to be a very popular adventure activity.
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