Unveiling Hanle: Stargazing Heaven

In this episode of our Ladakh Series, we will take you to “Rezang La Memorial” and “Hanle: Where the Stars Come to Earth”.
During the fateful night of November 18, 1962, the Chinese Army attacked with an overwhelming force of 5000 to 6000 soldiers intending to occupy Chusul. A small battalion of 120 soldiers under the leadership of Major Shaitan Singh was deployed at the Rezang La front.
Just imagine the situation: in the year 1962, Ladakh was fully covered in snow with no roads or modern facilities like we have today.
The earliest possible help from the Indian army would take two days. They had no choice but to defend the nation on their own for two days against the massive Chinese army of 6000 men.
• The Indian platoons fought back fiercely. No. 9 Platoon fired until the Chinese were a mere 90 meters away.
• When frontal attacks failed, the Chinese struck from the rear. No. 8 Platoon faced 400 Chinese men with medium machine guns.
• Major Shaitan Singh moved tirelessly between posts, reorganizing defences, and boosting morale. His voice echoed through the chaos “Fight till last man, last bullet.
• Despite grievous wounds, he refused to yield. His men fought alongside him, inflicting heavy casualties on the enemy.
• What keeps a soldier going in the battle? Food and weapons! They lacked both and yet they fought. When the bullets were emptied, they engaged in hand-to-hand combat.
• Major Shaitan Singh’s body bore the scars of battle, but his spirit blazed. He knew it was a fight he might lose, yet he pressed on.
• The ridge turned crimson. A mere 120 soldiers held the battleground for two days. Over 1,300 Chinese soldiers fell, but so did Major Singh and 120 of his brave comrades.
• Indeed, every crag and peak in Rezang La stands as a silent sentinel-a witness to the indomitable courage of Major Shaitan Singh and his band of heroes.
Hanle:
At the heart of Hanle stands the 17th-century Hanle Monastery (gompa).
Its walls have witnessed prayers, chants, and the footsteps of monks who sought enlightenment.
The Drukpa Kagyu branch of Tibetan Buddhism thrives here. Monks in maroon robes move silently, their eyes reflecting the vastness of the sky.
But Hanle isn’t just about earthly matters. It gazes upward too. Hanle Observatory (ISO - Indian Astronomical Observatory)-a celestial beacon-sits here.
It’s the tenth-highest optical telescope in the world, peering into the cosmos from this remote corner.
Hanle in Ladakh stands out to be a place with the clearest skies as there is very little moisture in the air due to the absence of clouds and rain. As a result, you can enjoy a clear view of the Milky Way galaxy on almost 270 nights annually.
The moment the sun vanished below the horizon, a vast galaxy of stars twinkled in the sky. The stars completely covered the sky in the shape of an umbrella.
The stars appeared so close that we felt like standing on the hilltop and plucking them. When everyone was looking at the sky, a star fell from the sky. After a very long time, I witnessed a star fall with my naked eyes.
After dinner, around 8:30 pm, we gathered in an open place outside Padma Guest House to stargaze with a telescope.
The Indian Astronomical Observatory distributed 22 telescopes to the hotels and guest houses in Hanle to help them generate income and educate travellers about Ladakh and the stars.
complete information on Rezang la and Hanle, read this: letsdiscoverin...
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