- The ‘Astro Village’ project taking shape in six villages of the state,
- selected villages of Dhar, Chhindwara, Baitul, Narmadapuram, Damoh and Umaria will become new hubs of astro-tourism.
Astro-tourism is also being promoted along with developing new dimensions of tourism in Madhya Pradesh. The implementation of ‘Astro Village Development Project’ has been started from May 2026 under Tribal Tourism Project by Madhya Pradesh Tourism Board. The objective of the project is to develop the naturally dark (dark sky) areas of the state as a new tourist attraction and provide the tourists with a unique experience of star, planet and galaxy viewing.
- Development work started in selected villages of six districts
In the first phase of the project, one village each from the six districts of Dhar, Chhindwara, Baitul, Narmadapuram, Damoh and Umaria has been selected. The work of developing these villages as astronomical tourism centers has already started. Facilities and infrastructure related to astro-tourism are being developed in Gyanapura in Dhar district, Dhusavani in Chhindwara, Bancha in Baitul, Dhaba in Narmadapuram, Richhkudi in Damoh and Ranchha village in Umaria district.
- Tourists will soon be able to enjoy Astro Village tourism
Madhya Pradesh Tourism Board Director Dr. Ilayaraja T. said that Astro Village in Madhya Pradesh is being developed as a unique confluence of tourism, science and nature. Tourists in these areas away from light pollution will be able to observe the stars, planets and galaxy in the clear night sky. He said that this initiative will promote astro-tourism and also create new tourism and employment opportunities for the local communities. Local people will be economically linked to the project by ensuring direct participation in tourism activities.
- Astro Village will be developed with modern equipments and facilities
Modern infrastructure is being developed in selected villages for safe, clear and excellent viewing of stars, planets and other celestial bodies by tourists. Under this, modern telescopes, binoculars and astro-photography cameras will be made available. Star gazing platforms and observation areas will be developed for tourists. Along with this, an interpretation center will be created to explain astronomical events and information related to space in a simple and interesting manner. These facilities will give the tourists an opportunity to observe the night sky and also understand the celestial phenomena.
- Local youth will become ‘Astro Guides’
A major objective of the Astro Village project is to economically empower rural communities. For this 90 days intensive training will be given to local youth of selected villages. After training, they will be trained as skilled ‘astro guides’. Astro guides will guide tourists in activities like star gazing along with providing information about the night sky, constellations and various celestial phenomena. This will create new employment and self-employment opportunities for the local youth and increase the participation of local residents in the economic activities generated by tourism.
- Madhya Pradesh will emerge as India’s premier astro-tourism destination
The Astro Village project is an important initiative towards promoting niche tourism activities like star gazing and astro tourism in the region. A new sector of tourism is being developed in Madhya Pradesh by connecting the naturally dark areas with tourism. This project will play an important role in establishing Madhya Pradesh as a leading and leading astro-tourism destination of India along with providing a unique experience of night sky observation to the tourists from home and abroad.