[category]
[title]
Maharashtra is known for many things – mangoes, Mumbai, misal pav, among others. But stars? Not particularly.
However, in a bid to develop tourism in the state, the state government has plans to expand Maharashtra into an astrotourism hub. Eleven spots around the state have been marked as key development areas for curated astro-tourism experiences, such as stargazing sessions, meteor shower viewings, and night sky photography workshops.
Why astrotourism?
Maharashtra already has many ‘dark-sky areas’, untouched by light pollution and ideal for spotting stars, meteors and more. Tackling light pollution from cities and dark-sky conservation is an identified sub-policy under the Maharashtra government’s 2024 Tourism policy. It’s part of a major tourism project initiative known as Vikasit Maharashtra 2047, a bid to make the state an economic powerhouse by 2047.
What are the 11 assigned sites?
Among isolated areas in the Sahyadri ranges, forest belts and remote hinterlands, some of the 11 marked sites include;
- Pench Tiger Reserve
- Lonar Crater Lake
- Harihareshwar in Raigad
- Tadoba-Andhari Tiger Reserve
- Toranmal Hill Station, Nandurbar
- Bhandardara dam, Ahilyanagar
- Udmal Tribal Village, Nashik
- Bhimashankar, Pune District
- Melghat, Amravati
- Yawal East Range, Jalgaon
What can we expect?
Once development is complete, astro-tourism infrastructure in the mentioned sites will include:
- Observatories
- Eco-friendly stay and accommodation
- Telescope viewing stations
- Astronomy interpretation centres
There isn't an official update on when these sites are going to be fully developed, although the Maharashtra Tourism Development Corporation hosted a stargazing festival at Lonar Crater, Harihareshwar recently.