TO CATCH A FALLING STAR

The pandemic, Isro's 'Chandrayaan', Elon Musk, and a slew of amateur astronomy clubs have all served as catalysts in India's skyrocketing interest in astrotourism

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It is bitterly cold. Even in mid-May. Out on an open terrace, close to midnight, the temperature hovers around low single digits. The cold seeps through layers of clothing and gets under the skin. The air is thin, making breathing a bit laboured. But none of the discomfort registers. Instead, the drama up above is transfixing. The night sky is inky black and thickly carpeted with stars-some faint, some bright, some feel close enough to touch. It is spectacularly surreal. Even the few constellations that I can usually recognise (Little Bear, Great Bear, Orion) are lost in the stunning celestial show. In the far distance, a dense collection that appears like a puffy cloud is the Milky Way. Clearly, there's a reason why Hanle, a remote village in Ladakh, is the fulcrum of India's first and only dark sky reserve, and the aspirational destination for India's growing astrotourism community.

Spread over 1,073 sq. km, the reserve is named after Hanle village which sits in a valley carved by the eponymous river in the middle of the Changthang Wildlife Sanctuary, home to the rare kiang (Tibetan wild ass), 4,500m above sea level. It is about 7-8 hours from Leh and the nearest airport. The air is rare and the journey is through stunningly beautiful landscape but torturous roads. So it takes effort and determination to reach. And yet, a hitherto trickle of visitors is steadily swelling. While a few come for the wildlife, the overwhelming majority arrive to look at the skies. Especially after December 2022, when it was designated a dark sky reserve, a massive shot in the arm for the country's fledgling astrotourism. While September to March is the best time to visit, Hanle has clear skies for much of the year.