Spiti Astro FestivalThe real sky over Rangrik at 21:30 on the festival’s first night. It turns as the Earth turns.
Spiti’s first ever
Where the mountains meet the cosmos.
8–10 October · Rangrik, Kaza
Free entry
Organised by AstroMonks · Powered by Pie Matrix
stars you can see from Rangrik that night,
after in the dark
That’s the festival: three nights where nothing gets between you and the sky.
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Day 1 · 17:15 and 21:30
A guided night-sky observation on the first night, after a telescope talk with Pie Matrix.
Day 1 · Day 2 · Day 3
An astrophotography workshop with plenty of seats, a field session after dark with a meteor watch, and the Spiti Astro Photo Challenge, open to everyone.
Day 2 · 16:30
Look at our own star through solar filters, and see its sunspots.
Day 1 · Day 2 · Day 3
An opening expert talk and a talk on India’s future in space. Local students of Spiti get a young astronomers session of their own.
Day 2 · Fri 9 Oct · 16:30
Our own star, up close. Too bright to look at on its own; through a solar filter it becomes an orange disc with sunspots on it, some of them bigger than the whole Earth.
Solar filters are provided
The organisers bring the filtered telescopes. Just turn up.
Never look at the Sun without one
Not with your eyes, a camera, binoculars or a telescope. Sunglasses are not solar filters.
The Sun on 22 September 2026, photographed by NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory. Colour added.
Without a filter: too bright to look at. Tap to put one on.
Come for one day or all three. All sessions are at AstroMonks, Rangrik. Times are IST.
Day 1 · Thu 08 Oct
Also on the day: Opening and monastery blessing · Sky School Level 1 · Telescope sessions · Fireside folk music
Dark from 19:15, with no moon in the evening
Day 2 · Fri 09 Oct
Also on the day: Filtered solar telescopes · Astrophotography basics · Culture Bazaar · Astronomy documentary · Deep-sky observation
Dark from 19:14, with no moon in the evening
Day 3 · Sat 10 Oct
Also on the day: Star charts · Deep-sky objects · Kids’ STEM activities · Astronomy quiz · Cultural performances
Dark from 19:12, with no moon in the evening
High, dry, and far from city lights. Drag across the sky: a city on the left, Spiti on the right.
Real phone photos from this spring, in the order they were taken.
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A bright moon lights up the clouds. People look anyway.
Lights below, a streak above.
Rocks, a ridge, and more stars than you can count.
Two streaks crossed the frame.
A minute later, another one.
No moon. The Milky Way stands up over the dome.
Someone’s torch, scribbling in the glass house.
The laser tour. Nobody skips this part.
One green light, one galaxy.
The nights are the festival. The days are yours: Langza, Key, Hikkim, all a short drive from Kaza.
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Langza
The Buddha statue above Spiti’s “fossil village”, under Chau Chau Kang Nilda.
Photo: Photoholic7517, CC0, Wikimedia Commons, resized
Key Monastery
Spiti’s largest monastery, 4,166 m up, about 12 km from Kaza.
Photo: Notsuperman333, CC BY 4.0, Wikimedia Commons, resized
Langza village
Whitewashed houses and fields, the Buddha on the ridge above.
Photo: Sumita Roy Dutta, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons, resized
Hikkim
One of the highest post offices in the world, at 4,400 m. Send a postcard home.
Photo: Shrey.ashi, CC BY 4.0, Wikimedia Commons, resized
Chandratal
The moon lake, across Kunzum La on the Manali side. A detour if you come that way.
Photo: Poojilsharma07, CC0, Wikimedia Commons, resized
Spiti Astro Festival is Spiti’s first ever astro festival: three nights of telescopes, night-sky photography, talks and local culture at AstroMonks in Rangrik, near Kaza, at 3,650 m.
AstroMonks runs the observatory and cottages where the festival happens. Pie Matrix powers it. It is held in collaboration with the Spiti Administration and Himachal Tourism, with The Culture Trails as travel partner.
Entry is free and open to all. Registering takes half a minute and tells the organisers how many people to expect.
AstroMonks
The festival, and stays
The Culture Trails
Travel to Spiti
How to reach Rangrik, where to sleep, and what to put in the bag.
From Manali · 183 km
Over Kunzum La (4,590 m). Seasonal, so check the road status first.
From Shimla through Kinnaur · 427 km
Longer, but open all year.
Kaza to Rangrik
AstroMonks is a short drive from Kaza.
The Culture Trails can arrange the trip for you.
Book your travelThe Culture Trails on WhatsApp · +91 95929 43575
AstroMonks books the stays. You can also say you need a bed when you register.
Book your stayAstroMonks on WhatsApp · +91 78072 24924
No telescope needed. The organisers bring those.
Yes. Entry is free. Registering takes half a minute and tells the organisers how many people to expect.
Yes. You pick your days when you register.
Right at the festival: AstroMonks has its own cottages. Local homestays and the social courtyard are other options. Need a bed? Say so after you register, and the organisers may message you on WhatsApp.
No. The telescopes are there, and the night-sky observation on the first night is guided.
No. No telescope, no degree, no constellations memorised. A little curiosity is enough — the festival is free and open to all.
Yes. Day 3 has kids’ STEM activities, and there’s an astronomy quiz, sky-sketching and creative contests across the festival.
Yes. The Spiti Astro Photo Challenge is open to everyone. The final showcase is on Day 3 at 15:30.
Yes, there are plenty of seats.
Local students of Spiti. Everything else is open to all.
No. The organisers provide the solar filters. Never look at the Sun without one; sunglasses are not enough.
The Manali road crosses Kunzum La and is seasonal, so check the road status before you set out. The Shimla road through Kinnaur is longer but open all year.
Organised by AstroMonks, powered by Pie Matrix, in collaboration with Spiti Administration and Himachal Tourism.
WhatsApp AstroMonks on +91 78072 24924 — they answer every enquiry there. For travel, WhatsApp The Culture Trails on +91 95929 43575. Instagram: @astro.monks.
Milte hain Spiti mein.
See you in Spiti, 8–10 October.
Join us for three nights under one of the world’s clearest skies.
Entry is free. Register so the organisers know you’re coming, and send it to whoever you’re travelling with.
AstroMonks
Your hosts. Observatory & cottages in Rangrik — the festival is at their place.
Pie Matrix
Powers the festival. They lead the telescope talk on day one.
The Culture Trails
Travel partner. They can sort your trip to Spiti: +91 95929 43575.
Himachal Tourism
In collaboration with the state's tourism department.
District Administration, Lahaul & Spiti
With the Spiti Administration and Himachal Tourism.
