Hidden high in the Himalayas, THIS tiny village attracts travellers from across the world for an incredible phenomenon that unfolds only after the sun goes down
High in Ladakh’s Changthang region, where the mountains seem to blur into infinity, there is a tiny village that has become a tourist attraction. But nobody’s coming for the scenic beauty, monasteries, or trekking trails. They’re coming for what happens after the sun sets in this Himalayan village.
Enter Hanle, the village known for its nights
(Pic courtesy: Instagram/ @the_prabster)
If your ideal date night involves somewhere far away from the bustling city, where you can hear your own breathing, lie on a sheet spread across the grass, and watch the night sky while you talk your heart out, this is it. No noise pollution, light pollution, or interruptions. Just two people, the Milky Way above, and conversations that wouldn’t happen anywhere else. The darkness here doesn’t feel empty. It feels full.That’s Hanle, a tiny village in the Himalayas that sits at 4,500 metres above sea level, in a landscape so barren and isolated it resembles the Moon. With minimal light pollution, you can see some of Earth’s most pristine starry skies. This village receives around 270 crystal-clear nights annually, and these otherworldly skies are what lure tourists from across the globe. From the Hanle Dark Sky Reserve (HDSR), situated at Mount Digpa Ratsa Ri (aka Mount Saraswati), you can see the Milky Way with the naked eye. The sky is so jet-black that the village rates ‘one’, the darkest, on the Bortle Dark-Sky Scale, putting it on a par with some of the world’s premier observatory sites. The locals want to preserve these magical views, so they switch off lights after sunset. HDSR was notified by the Government of Ladakh in December 2022, becoming India’s first International Dark Sky Reserve, spanning 1,074 sq km, six villages, a monastery, and 10 stationary telescopes. Over the past few years, travellers from across the globe have flown in to experience the wild beauty of the sky. The village has also become a favourite destination for astrophotographers and astronomers for the cosmic experience it delivers.Astronomy has always been central to Hanle. The Indian Astronomical Observatory, operated by the Indian Institute of Astrophysics, is located here as one of the highest research facilities in the world. For decades, it remained a place known mainly to researchers and the occasional adventurer who stumbled upon it. But that changed almost overnight. Since the reserve’s creation, tourism has surged, with visitor numbers climbing sharply over recent years. Instagram has done the rest. Images of the Milky Way stretching across impossibly dark skies, taken from Hanle’s rooftops and courtyards, have circulated widely enough for the village to feature on every serious stargazer’s bucket list. Homestays around the reserve are flourishing. You will also find local stargazing expeditions that take place on rooftops, in courtyards, and near the dome-shaped Indian Astronomical Observatory.If you are planning to visit, don’t miss Hanle’s annual Star Party, held every September. This stellar event draws serious stargazers and astrophotographers from across the country.
Linked to ancient traditions
Hanle’s connection to the sky goes beyond its scientific aspects. The locals of Hanle are Changpa herders, Tibetan Buddhists who have practised pastoralism for centuries across these high plateaus. Before electricity came to the village, the Changpa used the stars to navigate. The Pole Star guided them down mountainsides at night. Celestial events like eclipses held spiritual significance within the community and were considered auspicious moments for offerings. Even local folk music weaves the cosmos into its fabric. A traditional wedding song called Namlangs Say Karchen references Venus rising at dawn.So when light pollution threatened to wash out these skies in the early 2020s, for the people of Hanle it was more than just a scientific concern—it was their heritage that was at risk. Their cultural and spiritual traditions were at stake. Astrotourism here is therefore centred around local communities. A growing network of homestays run by families has received basic astronomy training and small telescopes to introduce guests to the night sky. Young people trained as ‘astronomy ambassadors’ lead stargazing sessions that combine scientific insight with Ladakhi folklore. The reserve was not imposed out of the blue but emerged from conversations between the Indian Institute of Astrophysics and the village community. The result is a tourism model built around preservation rather than extraction.
How to get there
Hanle isn’t really a weekend trip. Consider it one of the few longer holidays you take in a year. Fly from Delhi to Leh. From Leh, buses run to Hanle; shared taxis offer more flexibility but cost more. Either way, it’s a gruelling 10-hour drive across high mountain passes. Before you go, apply for permits, all visitors need them, and processing takes time. The best time to visit Hanle is around September.
