CARL SAGAN ONCE SAID HUMANS are like butterflies; they flutter for a day and think it's a lifetime.
The space-time continuum collapsed in the two days I spent at the Benital AstroCamp-my Miller's planet from "Interstellar"-where my wristwatch and the clock at home no longer synchronised.
Time doesn't feel quite the same once you've attended the mourning of a Nebula under the sky, laid prostrate under an ocean of stars in a valley flanked by the Himalayas, contemplating the finitude of our existence.
Inclement weather threatened to disrupt expectations from the trip, and yet, through difficulties, I was the man who reached the stars.
My trip to Benital in Uttarakhand's Chamoli district was organised by Starscapes Experiences, an astrotourism company founded by amateur astronomers Ramashish Ray and Paul Savio. "Some of these galaxies are 30 to 100 million light years away from us. That's the time it has taken for this light to reach your eyes," said Ray when we first met. "When you come on one of our trips, all you need is curiosity; we provide you with state-of-the-art telescopes and astro-modified cameras for a glimpse into another magical dimension."
Ray's interest in the cosmos started as a hobby, a niche interest in dark sky preservation, which he wanted to share with city folks, blinded by bright lights and digital devices ablaze with blue light. Astronomy tours, stargazing in observatories, astrophotography, workshops on astrophysics and space exploration are organised by Starscapes.
•••
ãã®èšäºã¯ Outlook Traveller ã® August - September 2023 çã«æ²èŒãããŠããŸãã
7 æ¥éã® Magzter GOLD ç¡æãã©ã€ã¢ã«ãéå§ããŠãäœåãã®å³éžããããã¬ãã¢ã ã¹ããŒãªãŒã9,000 以äžã®éèªãæ°èã«ã¢ã¯ã»ã¹ããŠãã ããã
ãã§ã«è³Œèªè ã§ã ?  ãµã€ã³ã€ã³
ãã®èšäºã¯ Outlook Traveller ã® August - September 2023 çã«æ²èŒãããŠããŸãã
7 æ¥éã® Magzter GOLD ç¡æãã©ã€ã¢ã«ãéå§ããŠãäœåãã®å³éžããããã¬ãã¢ã ã¹ããŒãªãŒã9,000 以äžã®éèªãæ°èã«ã¢ã¯ã»ã¹ããŠãã ããã
ãã§ã«è³Œèªè ã§ã? ãµã€ã³ã€ã³
Can The Himalayas Outlast Tourism?
Love The Himalayas, But Worried About Its Future? Hear From Three Experts On The Future Of The Region And How It Can Be Protected
EATING MINDFULLY
SUNITA NARAIN FROM THE CENTRE FOR SCIENCE AND ENVIRONMENT DISCUSSES HER NEW BOOK WHICH COMBINES THE JOYS OF EATING WITH CARE FOR THE LAND AND THE PEOPLE WHO TILL THEM
The Jewels Of Costa Rica
A Long-time Birdwatcher Describes His Travels To The Lush Rainforests Of Costa Rica
WINGED WONDERS
The story of migrating birds is the story of a promise to return, flying thousands of miles beset with dangers.
THE LOOMINARIES
THE ROLE OF THE GREAT REVIVALISTS WHO GAVE INDIA'S TEXTILES A NEW LEASE ON LIFE CANNOT BE STATED ENOUGH. WE TRACE THEIR CELEBRATED LEGACY
KEEPERS OF THE CRAFT
FROM REVIVING TRADITIONAL WEAVES TO CONTEMPORISING THEM WITH MODERN SILHOUETTES, THESE DESIGNERS ARE COMMITTED TO KEEPING THE LOOM TURNING WITH A FRESH TAKE ON HERITAGE TEXTILES
SONGS OF THE SOIL
WITH INDIGENOUS TEXTILES FACING THE WRATH OF FAST FASHION AND CLIMATE CHANGE, INDIAN DESIGNERS ARE RALLYING TO REVIVE AND PRESERVE THESE PRECIOUS WEAVES
CRAFT CRUSADER
THROUGH HER TEXTILE EXPLORATIONS ACROSS INDIA, DR PRITHA DASMAHAPATRA HAS BEEN PRESERVING ANCIENT CRAFTS, EMPOWERING ARTISANS, AND INSPIRING TRAVELLERS TO DISCOVER THE BEAUTY OF HYPERLOCAL EXPERIENCES
ON THE GRID
THE VIBRANT MADRAS CHECKS, NATIVE TO SOUTHEASTERN INDIA, HAS NOT JUST TRANSCENDED BORDERS BUT ALSO TRADITIONS AND STYLES
GOLDEN SILK
THE PROPERTIES THAT MAKE MUGA SILK UNIQUE COULD SEE IT BEING USED IN THE BIOFUELS AND MEDICINES OF THE FUTURE