Astronomy Guide Training
Astro Guide Training at Madhya Pradesh with Madhya Pradesh Tourism Board
September 1, 2026
🌌 Astro Guide Training Programme – Madhya Pradesh StarGazing India, in association with Madhya Pradesh Tourism Board, is launching a 3-year Astro Guide Training Programme across selected Astro Villages of Madhya Pradesh. With 90 days of structured active training (60 + 15 + 15) followed by continuous field monitoring and professional development, the programme aims to empower local youth as skilled Astro Guides, capable of creating engaging, safe and scientifically meaningful night-sky experiences for visitors. From local youth to professional Astro Guides — bringing Madhya Pradesh closer to the stars.
🌌 Astro-Tourism in Madhya Pradesh
StarGazing India has been working closely with the Madhya Pradesh Tourism Board (MPTB) since 2021, beginning with a pilot Astro-Tourism project at Pachmarhi. Following the successful implementation and encouraging outcomes of the pilot, the initiative was subsequently extended to three more locations—Chhedka, Dobha and Tala, & Khajuraho.
The success of these initial projects demonstrated the potential of astronomy-based tourism as a new experiential and community-oriented tourism opportunity in Madhya Pradesh. Building on this experience, MPTB planned the development of 15 additional Astro Villages with dedicated astronomy infrastructure and advanced equipment facilities.
As part of this next phase, a new Astro Guide Training Programme has been initiated across six additional villages, with the objective of developing trained local youth who can deliver professional, safe and engaging astronomy experiences to visitors.
Training Locations
StarGazing India
- Bancha – Betul District
- Dhaba – Narmadapuram District
- Dhusawani – Chhindwara District
- Ranchha – Umaria District
Ankur Hobby Center
- Gyanpura – Dhar District
- Richhkudi – Damoh District
This initiative represents the continued evolution of Madhya Pradesh's Astro-Tourism journey—from a successful pilot to a larger community-driven network of Astro Villages, supported by professional training, astronomy infrastructure and local participation.