In April 2022 the Phyang monastery in Ladakh will welcome stargazers. Monks here suggested promoting the site as an astro hub after visiting Astrostays, a homestay on the banks of Pangong Tso.
The homestay is an initiative of the Global Himalayan Expedition (GHE), which is facilitating solar energy projects in remote Himalayan villages. “The monastery felt that a stargazing experience from the Buddhist cosmology point of view would generate interest. We are working towards setting up an observatory at the monastery by March,” says Sonal Asgotraa, founder of Astrostays.