Uttarakhand Tourism launches ‘Nakshatra Sabha’, India’s First Astro Tourism Campaign in collaboration with Starscapes
Uttarakhand Tourism Development Board in association with Starscapes, India’s leading Astro tourism company, is launching ‘Nakshatra Sabha’, India’s first-ever annual campaign dedicated exclusively to promoting Astro Tourism. Nakshatra Sabha promises a holistic Astro Tourism experience with activities such as stargazing, special solar observations, astrophotography contests, camping under the stars and much more.
Scheduled to commence in early June at George Everest, Mussoorie, Nakshatra Sabha will span until mid of 2025, offering a series of immersive events at various locations throughout Uttarakhand. This will cover Dark sky potential sites in districts of Uttarkashi, Pithoragarh, Nainital, Chamoli besides seminars and webinars with experts. This initiative aims to bring together astronomy enthusiasts, adventurers, and travellers from across the globe to witness the beauty of the cosmos.
The campaign also offers professional training and skill development opportunities to local residents, with an aim to enhance local economies. Furthermore, it will advocate for the preservation of dark skies, fostering a community of ambassadors dedicated to promoting dark sky conservation efforts throughout Uttarakhand. This includes the formulation of a dark sky preservation policy and its implementation throughout the region over the course of the year. The team at Starscapes will actively collaborate with local communities, travel and tourism partners, as well as homestay communities, providing training and ongoing support to ensure successful implementation of these initiatives.
Secretary Tourism, Govt of Uttarakhand, said “Uttarakhand has tremendous potential to become the go to destination for all things related to astronomy-focused travel. Uttarakhand is uniquely positioned to be the choice for the Astro Tourist with its large forest cover, nature-based tourism, easy access to all major cities and a well-developed hospitality sector including Home Stays. This upcoming campaign is yet another step in that direction. Nakshatra Sabha is India’s first of its kind Astro Tourism campaign and our aim is to invite visitors from across the globe to experience the magic of the universe while giving them a glimpse into Uttarakhand’s unique heritage. We look forward to hosting many more campaigns like this that can put Uttarakhand on the global astro-tourism map”
Ramashish Ray, Founder, Starscapes, said “Over the last several years, we have been closely working with the Uttarakhand Tourism Development Board hosting several astronomy related camps besides promoting the same through our chain of Experience centres and Observatories in the state. We have received an overwhelming response for each of our earlier events, and that’s when we decided to curate an annual Astro tourism campaign that can be conducted on a much larger scale. This was the genesis for ‘Nakshatra Sabha’. The campaign has been conceptualised with a twofold goal in mind, one to position Uttarakhand as the ideal astro tourism destination and secondly to institutionalise the same through building of grass roots competencies and communities who have a stake in the same.”
Key highlights of the Nakshatra Sabha include:
Stargazing through specialised equipment: Participants will have access to a wide array of specialised equipment and trained guides, providing unparalleled opportunities for stargazing and celestial observation.
Expert Talks on Astro tourism: Renowned leaders from the travel industry and academia will lead engaging sessions, sharing insights and knowledge about the wonders of the universe.
Astrophotography Contest: An exciting competition will challenge participants to showcase their skills in capturing the breathtaking beauty of the night sky, with attractive rewards up for grabs.
Special Solar Observations: In alignment with the sun’s peak activity and the active Aditya mission, Nakshatra Sabha will feature special solar telescopes, offering participants unique opportunities for observation and exploration.
Dark Sky Policy: Astro Tourism is a win-win for local communities to economically benefit while preserving dark skies. The campaign will build awareness, train and create volunteers and dark sky ambassadors for the same
For registration and more details: Visit https://starscapes.zone/