In the small tribal town of Udmal in Nashik, Maharashtra, the night sky comes alive like a thousand diamonds scattered across a dark canvas. To preserve and celebrate this breathtaking celestial beauty, the village is set to become India’s first Dark Sky Community, certified by Darksky International, and reportedly the first of its kind in Maharashtra.
The Udhamal Gram Sabha has passed a resolution under the Panchayats Act to protect the Udmal’s pristine night skies while promoting responsible outdoor lighting. The initiative aims to curb light pollution by encouraging safe, energy-efficient and environmentally friendly lighting practices. As per reports, the district administration has sanctioned an amount of INR 42.1 lakhs for the project which would also help develop the state’s astro tourism.
The main aim of this project is to reduce light pollution, promote astronomy tourism and create sustainable livelihood opportunities for the local tribal community.
It is a place where residents, local authorities and businesses work together to minimise light pollution and preserve the natural beauty of the night sky. This aims at reducing excessive outdoor lighting, using shielded fixtures and following guidelines that prevent artificial light from obscuring the stars. The basic theory of this stands upon reducing light pollution and letting the sky breathe in its natural self. Areas which qualify for this brings about a spectacular view to life.
The night sky comes alive with shimmering stars, while the Milky Way stretches visibly across the darkness, often clear enough to be seen with the naked eye. Beyond its breathtaking beauty, preserving dark skies also matters for human well-being, as exposure to excessive artificial light at night can disrupt natural sleep cycles.
Some of the other places where the sky lights up into an impeccable show in India includes: Hanle Dark Sky Reserve in Ladakh, Spiti Valley in Himachal Pradesh, Rann of Kutch in Gujarat, and Uttarakhand Hill Hamlets.
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