The First Ladakh Astro Festival 2025 officially commenced on June 27 with a grand inaugural ceremony at the District Panchayat Resource Centre, Agling, Leh. The two-day festival is a collaborative initiative of the Tourism Department of UT Leh and the Indian Institute of Astrophysics (IIA), aimed at fostering interest in astronomy, promoting scientific temperament among youth, and advancing sustainable astro-tourism in the region.

The inaugural event was graced by Tsering Angchok, Deputy Chairman, LAHDC Leh, as the Chief Guest, and Romil Singh Donk (IAS), Deputy Commissioner Leh, along with Gulam Mohd (JKAS), Additional Deputy Commissioner Leh, as Guests of Honour.

Students from Government School Skalzangling participated enthusiastically, reflecting the festival’s strong educational focus. The ceremony opened with welcome addresses by Padma Angmo, Assistant Director, Tourism, Leh, and Dorje Angchuk, Engineer-in-Charge, Indian Astronomical Observatory, IIA.

A major highlight of the inaugural session was an expert talk by Dr. V. Girish, Deputy Director, Science Program Office, ISRO. His presentation, “Moon – An Enigma, and India’s Lunar Missions”, captivated the audience with fascinating insights into lunar science, mythical associations, and India’s achievements through Chandrayaan 1, 2, and 3, along with future mission plans. The talk concluded with an engaging Q&A session.

In his address, Chief Guest Tsering Angchok expressed pride that Leh was selected as the host of this pioneering event. He emphasized the importance of encouraging youth to explore science and astronomy, noting the lower enrollment in these fields compared to humanities and social sciences. He also highlighted the festival’s potential to promote sustainable tourism in Ladakh and extended gratitude to the Department of Tourism for conceptualizing and organizing the initiative.

The inaugural session concluded with a vote of thanks delivered by Stanzin Chondol, Assistant Tourism Officer.

The afternoon session featured a public talk by Dorje Angchuk, who shared his personal journey and passion for astrophotography, inspiring attendees with his unique visual and scientific perspective.

The day culminated with an open Star Gazing session held at the University of Ladakh’s Leh campus in Taru from 7:30 PM to 10:30 PM, offering attendees—including students—a first-hand view of Ladakh’s pristine night skies.

The festival hold series of public talks by noted experts including Phunchok Dorjey from TIFR, Tsewang Stanzin from the Indian Astronomical Observatory (IIA), and Prof. Manzoor Malik from the Physics Department, Kashmir University.