Hanle

Hanle is a small village marked by one of the highest observatories in the world. It is an area not suitable for habitation. This region is popular for walking, star gazing, and photography. If the skies remain clear, you can get a clear view of the milky way galaxy from here for which photography enthusiasts come here in large numbers. Hanle is now the India’s first Dark Sky Reserve , which means that no loud source of light/light pollution is allowed in the region and you get clear dark skies at night. Fun for astronomy enthusiasts. There are no tourist points here unless you want to go bird watching or the Chumathang Wildlife Sanctuary. It is mostly skipped by the tourists. To lear more, read our suggestions post.

Indian Astronomical Observatory

This is the 10th highest astronomical observatory in the world. Housing the Himalayan Chandra Telescope, HAGAR, the observatory works with Infra red, Gamma rays and optical telescope. We were fortunate to get a chance to enter the Indian Astronomical Observatory. The huge telescope was visible from inside. We learnt how the roof opens to clear the field of view of the telescope and how the telescope captures images to reproduce on the computer screens. It is all very fascinating. It seemed quite a lonely place to have a job though.

Changthang Wildlife Sanctuary

Hanle lies in the Changthang region which has the Changthang wildlife sanctuary. It is a poular site for bird watching. Many foreign birds migrate to these areas. In Hanle, you will find many Tibetan Wild Ass and Black Necked Crane. The wild asses were grazing in big numbers but the black necked crane were a rare sight. There were many Tibetan Yak also with the herders.

Hanle Monastery

Located on top of a hill, this monastery is a small monastery of the Drukpa lineage. The monastery is not very noticeable but the it provides panoramic views of Hanle.