India’s first astrological tourism campaign, “Nakshatra Sabha,” is announced by the Uttarakhand tourist board

Dehradun: The Uttarakhand Tourism Development Board is launching “Nakshatra Sabha,” India’s first-ever yearly campaign to provide people with a holistic astrological experience, in collaboration with Starscapes, the country’s top astrotourism firm. With a variety of events, such as stargazing, unique solar observations, astrophotography competitions, camping under the stars, and much more, this campaign will provide a comprehensive experience in astronomy tourism.

The goal of “Nakshatra Sabha” is to unite travelers, explorers, and astronomy aficionados.
Nakshatra Sabha is slated to begin in early June at George Everest, Mussoorie, and run until mid-2025, providing a range of immersive activities at several places in Uttarakhand. Along with professional lectures and webinars, this will cover prospective locations in the districts of Uttarkashi, Pithoragarh, Nainital, and Chamoli. The goal of this project is to unite travelers, explorers, and astronomy aficionados from all around the world to take in the wonders of space.

Additionally, professional training and skill development opportunities are provided by this effort.
In an effort to strengthen local economies, the program also provides possibilities for skill development and professional training for locals.

Moreover, it will support the protection of the dark sky by cultivating a network of ambassadors committed to advancing dark sky preservation initiatives throughout Uttarakhand. This entails creating a strategy for the preservation of the black sky and putting it into effect all year-round across the area. To ensure that these efforts are implemented successfully, the Starscapes team will actively interact with homestay communities, travel and tourist partners, and local communities. Training and continuous assistance will be provided.

Uttarakhand is in a fortunate position to be the preferred destination for astronomy tourism.
Sachin Kurve, the secretary of tourism for Uttarakhand, commented on this project. “Uttarakhand has the potential to be the premier location for any travel-related or astronomy-related activity.

Because of its extensive forest cover, natural tourism, convenient access to all major towns, and well-established hotel industry, which includes home stays, Uttarakhand is well positioned to be the destination of choice for astronomers. This campaign, which is coming up, is another move in that direction. The goal of India’s first-ever Astro Tourism campaign, Nakshatra Sabha, is to introduce travelers from all over the world to Uttarakhand’s distinctive history while inviting them to explore the wonders of the cosmos. We’re excited to host a lot more initiatives like this one in the future to help Uttarakhand become known worldwide for astrotourism.

The campaign was designed with two objectives in mind.
“Over the last several years, we have been closely working with the Uttarakhand Tourism Development Board, hosting several astronomy-related camps in addition to promoting the same through our chain of experience centers and observatories in the state,” said Ramashish Ray, the founder of Starscapes. After receiving such a positive reaction to all of our previous events, we made the decision to organize an annual Astro tourism campaign that can be carried out on a much larger scale. This served as “Nakshatra Sabha’s” origin. The campaign has been designed with two objectives in mind: first, to establish Uttarakhand as the premier location for astrotourism, and second, to institutionalize this notion by developing grassroots capacities and communities that are invested in it.

The Nakshatra Sabha’s main attractions include stargazing using specialist equipment: A vast range of specialist equipment and knowledgeable experts will be available to participants, offering unmatched chances for astronomy and cosmic observation.

Expert Talks on Astrotourism: Renowned figures in academia and the tourist industry will facilitate lively discussions, imparting wisdom about the glories of the cosmos.

Astrophotography Contest: With fantastic prizes up for grabs, this thrilling competition will test competitors’ abilities to capture the mesmerizing majesty of the night sky.

Special Solar Observations: Nakshatra Sabha will have special solar telescopes in line with the sun’s maximum activity and the ongoing Aditya mission, providing participants with exceptional chances for observation and exploration.

Dark Sky Policy: Astrotourism helps local communities both financially and environmentally by protecting their night sky. In addition to raising awareness, the initiative will train, develop, and produce volunteers and Dark Sky ambassadors.