Away from big-city lights, the skies over Honavar's beaches, river islands and Western Ghats hills are dark enough to show thousands of stars. On a clear moonless night you can pick out the constellations and the bright planets. From a dark spot you may even see the band of the Milky Way.
HONTARA is a rural space education centre and observatory taking shape in Honavar. It is being built by the Honavar Foundation, a registered public charitable trust, to bring hands-on astronomy to students from government and aided schools, first-generation learners, teachers and the wider community. Plans include guided sky watching with telescopes, weekend and holiday science camps, teacher workshops and public observing evenings.
The foundation stone was laid on 22 February 2026 and the ground floor is complete up to the slab. A rooftop observatory with a motorised dome, a 12-inch Dobsonian telescope and learning spaces are still to come. Around 800 people joined its community astronomy evening in March 2026.
HONTARA is closed during the monsoon (June to September). The centre is still under construction and not yet open to regular visitors, so check with the Honavar Foundation for public observing events before you plan a visit.
Help build the observatory
The dome, the remaining building work, the telescopes and the learning spaces still need support. Donations go to the Honavar Foundation, an 80G registered trust and are processed securely by Razorpay.
Photos: HONTARA, Honavar Foundation (hontara.com). The picture at the top and the elevation drawing show the planned observatory.
Tips
- Skip the monsoon (June to September), when the sky is mostly cloudy.
- Give your eyes 20 minutes to adjust to the dark and use a red torch.
