Nakshatra Sabha, India’s first Astro tourism campaign In Dehradun

In order to boost tourism in the state, the Uttarakhand government organised a first-of-its-kind Astro-tourism named ‘ Nakshatra Sabha’ in Mussoorie. The first astro-tourism event was held at Mussoorie City, also famous as the Queen of the Hills, on 1 and 2 June 2024. The event was held at the George Everest Peak, which is popular amongst tourists as it offers spectacular views of the Doon Valley and the snow-clad Himalayan mountains.

The state tourism ministry plans to organise a series of Nakshatra Sabhas at popular tourist destinations in the hilly state.

The goal of the Astro Tourism 

The Uttarakhand government wants to promote Uttarakhand as a multidimensional tourist spot in the country . At present the state is known for its spiritual tourism. The state is host to the popular Hindu pilgrimage sites like Kedarnath , Badrinath, Gangotri, Yamunotri etc which  attracts lakh of pilgrims  from the country annually .

Uttarakhand is a Himalayan state blessed with  scenic mountains, a cleaner and green environment that can attract lakhs of tourists .

To  realise such a  goal the state government has started astro tourism . It aims to attract astronomy enthusiasts, adventurers, and travelers to marvel at the wonders of the universe while enjoying the natural beauty of Uttarakhand.

Astro tourism will not only offer skill development opportunities for local residents interested in astronomy and tourism but will also boost local economies.

The state government in order to boost astro tourism in the state plans to create a dedicated dark sky conservationist throughout the state to implement a region-wide dark sky preservation policy.

Read about- India’s first Southeast Asia’s first and First Night Sky Sanctuary

Organiser of the Nakshatra Sabha and its place

India’s first astro- tourism campaign has been organised by the Uttarakhand Tourism Development Board in association with the leading private astro- tourism company, Starscapes.

After the successful conclusion of the Mussorie event, the government plans to organise such astro tourism in other places of the state, such as - Harsil-Jadung, Benital, Rishikesh, Jageshwar and Ramnagar.

Activities performed at the Astro Tourism 

During the Astro tourism event, the tourists were introduced to star gazing by the experts through special types of equipment, solar observation through solar glasses and H-Alpha filter, and learning astrophotography from experts.

Discussion and talks were organised on astro tourism, and astrophotography. Various competitions and astronomical demonstrations were organised by the organizers to involve the tourists.