In the Moon-like landscape of Hanle, the jet-black skies reveal otherworldly starry skies that lure travellers from far and wide. But can locals preserve the natural darkness?

I’m walking downhill as evening gives way to night, transfixed by what is unfolding above. As though someone is slowly rolling a screen in a shadow puppet show, an inky blue canvas emerges, where stars pop left and right. Mouth agape, I realise that the hazy band of light stretching above me is the Milky Way.

A howl from a dog perched on a rock ledge brings me back to terra firma. I’m on Mount Digpa Ratsa Ri in the village of Hanle, where the Earth and cosmos are in close communion. Situated at 5,290m above sea level in the barren, Moon-like landscape of northern India’s Ladakh region, Hanle rates “one” (the darkest) on the Bortle dark sky scale, with 270 clear nights a year. Here, locals routinely switch off the lights after sunset to reveal the nightly eye-popping displays of stars. 

Over the last few years, travellers have been drawn to Hanle not just for the jet-black skies but also for the chance to experience astronomy intimately, guided by locals who are now making the cosmos their livelihood. Since 2022, when the Hanle Dark Sky Reserve (HDSR) was founded here – spanning 1,074 sq km, six villages, a monastery and 10 stationary telescopes – a network of homestays has flourished. Local-led stargazing expeditions unfold on rooftops, courtyards and below the dome-shaped Indian Astronomical Observatory, which houses one of the world’s highest optical telescopes.

Another stellar event is Hanle’s annual Star Party, held each September at the end of the brief four-month window when the village is accessible to outsiders before the harsh winter sets in. The nocturnal festival draws serious stargazers and astrophotographers from across India, who come armed with telescopes and specialised cameras for deep sky observations.