Benital - India's first Astro Village

Benital - one of it's kind village in Uttarakhand is marking its presence in the field of Astro tourism very rapidly. In the past, in December 2021 an Astro Park was set up in Benital which lies in Chamoli district of Uttarakhand , situated at a height of 2500 m or 8500 feet for a variety of activities. 

As per officials, due to minimal human intervention, Benital offers a unique view of night sky which is an ideal site for watching  celestial bodies. From here the idea of Astro tourism also popped up which is one of its kind. 

The paradise of nature

In fact this place can be a Paradise for nature lovers. Amidst heart taking natural beauty and negligible pollution, visitors are engaged here in a variety of activities like star gazing, identifying planets constellation finding ,sky observation and learning astrophotography.

As per one of the visitor" I was feeling as if we are being covered with the blanket of stars and moon here. We are feeling as if we are revitalized by coming here. We are unable to observe such a clear sky in the city due to pollution. I wish that it should we night forever and no day break should be there. It's simply mesmerizing. "

A new trend in Tourism

Paul Savio, Co founder and Chief executive officer of the company Starscapes, finds this place to be ideal for this event. With increasing pollution, people are continuously searching for more peaceful and new places which can provide them off beat experience and Benital can prove to be a milestone in the field of Astro tourism which is an entirely new concept. The Astro party was organized by the Chamoli district administration in collaboration with Gurgaon based company Starscapes experiences pvt Ltd. 

The live Experience

The visitors spent two nights observing stars, planets and constellations, then they were taken to a nearby village where they were explained the construction and launching of a rocket. It was a great experience to see Jupiter in the night sky as per observers. For visitors help, there were 8 experts available throughout the night on the spot. There was no entry fee for the event. In all it was an enriching and wonderful experience. Apart from Star hunting and night sky gazing events like tracking, bird watching and cycling we also arranged to give a wholesome experience to the visitors. 

No doubt this new trend is going to stay for long and it will soon fetch the hearts of people. Benital is going to become the next travel destination surely and will mark it's presence as India's first Astro village.

The Unsung Uttarakhand

 Uttarakhand - the glory unexposed

Do you know for what Uttarakhand is famous for? For it's national parks, tourist places, Pilgrim places or it's specific culture? The state known for its rich biodiversity and specific landscape is in limelight due to production of aromatic organic coal.

The story behind

Whenever we think of coal, the picture which first clicks in our mind is of carbon emission, black soot, suspended polluting particles and emission of greenhouse gases. However contrary to this, the scientists of G B Pant Institute under Himalayan studies mission were able to produce pollution free, organic, aromatic coal successfully. The coal is being made from lantana grass which is termed as enemy of forest and leaves of pine tree also called pirul in local language. This coal not only relieves cold but will also produce fragrance in houses. Under the guidance of Dr Vinay Kumar Sharma, scientist IIT Roorkee, the project of making organic coal was undertaken. For this project Nainital and Almora were chosen. Specialists from Universal Petroleum and Energy Studies Dehradun also helped out in the project of making coal.

For preparing organic coal, pine leaves are collected from forest. Apart from Pine leaves, lemongrass and eucalyptus leaves are also collected. After mixing all of them, they are put together in a crusher which is operated through a 12 volt battery. If the battery discharges the crusher can be operated by a paddle also. A fine powder is obtained through pressure which is mixed with water and put in a mold at a specific pressure. Following this process, round and rectangular shaped coal is obtained. On burning it will spread specific Aroma also.

 The success story

So far fifteen units have been established and more than hundred villagers are trained in making coal. They have gained expertise in making organic coal. The forest department has also preserved about 1000 quintals of lantana and pine leaves stock for future use. Professor Kirit Kumar, the Nodal Officer of this project has told that the coal has antifungal and anti mosquito properties as well.

Haldwani pollinator park

This little state is again in the eye of everyone with the construction of newly inaugurated pollinator park in Haldwani, located in Nainital district. The park is one of its kind in the country which is spread in an area of 4 acres of land. The park aims to create awareness in general public about pollinators, their habitats and to move a step ahead for their conservation. The park contains about 40 pollinator species of various types of organisms like birds, insects, butterflies, beetles, honeybees, moths, small mammals and wasps.

Why pollinators are needed?

Large number of species of plants require pollinators to reproduce further. Without them, the population of these plant species would not survive. In this way, pollinators affect about 35% of agricultural land worldwide and support 87 of the top food crops in the world. The poor species are getting extinct due to loss of habitats, excessive use of fertilizers and pesticides, climatic changes and diseases.

 Construction of park

The park contains several mini habitats for these pollinators hence supporting them for breeding and reproducing. For birds butterflies and moths, plants like rose, jasmine and hibiscus are planted. Plants like curry leaf and many citrus fruit plants are planted to support shelter for eggs, larvae and pupa of the various pollinator species. Bird feeders and nests have also been placed at different positions to attract butterflies and various Birds. Artificial water sources have also been constructed for them to provide favorable conditions for their survival.

Hats off to the forest department of Haldwani and government of Uttarakhand who have gifted to the country the first pollinator Park !