Hanle: The young women guiding tourists through India’s night sky

Visitor numbers have surged, fuelled partly by social media posts about Hanle’s night skies and its location on the route to Umling La, which is among the world’s highest motorable mountain passes. But more tourists also mean more traffic, construction and artificial light – all threats to the darkness they come to see.

Sonam Jorphail, a senior engineer and head of outreach at the IAO, says tourism is creating jobs and driving development in Hanle, but growth must be managed to protect its dark skies.

“They bridge the gap between the science community and common people – locals and visitors,” Jorphail adds.

But longtime residents say Hanle’s night sky is already changing. Padma’s father, Dhuntup Chamchot, in his 70s, remembers when the skies were even darker.

“Back then, when the weather was good, people would often sleep outdoors under the open sky,” he says.

The young women often take their families stargazing too.

“We frequently show the night sky to our families through the telescope. They enjoy looking at it now,” says Yangdol, one of the astro-ambassadors. “If one of us takes even a single day off, the families ask why the telescope was not set up,” she jokes.

The women say they have no desire to leave Hanle or its dark skies. They hope for advanced training and better telescopes and eyepieces to enhance visitors’ experience.

Four years ago, the equipment was unfamiliar; now, they are building a future around the stars.