Rangapur Village or Chukkapuripatnam
Hyderabad is an interesting capital city of Telangana as there are a lot of scenic places you can visit. You have beautiful parks, museums, forts and markets to see on your visit to this city.There are some must-visit places in and around Hyderabad too - famous villages such as the model village Ankapur and yes, Rangapur village, just 50 kms. from Hyderabad.
Rangapur village is situated near Hyderabad in Ranga Reddy district (Manchal Mandal) of Telangana. There are around 600 households in Rangapur village.
This village, 50 kms. from Hyderabad, is well known for its observatory. This is a hub for students and astronomers alike where they visit for research of galaxy of stars!
The Osmania and Nizamiya Observatories of the Osmania University are situated in Rangapur. Do you know that there is a 48 inches telescope kept here. This Observatory is the second largest Observatory in whole of Asia.Japal-Rangapur Observatory or Chukkapuripatnam!
For the local villagers, Rangapur village is also known as 'Chukkapuripatnam' signifying the observatory in this village. People also call it Japal-Rangapur Observatory (JRO). Research on astronomy is done in the observatory located in Rangapur village.If you visit Hyderabad during winters, you can also attend the exhibition which is organized during winters here. During the exhibition, visitors too can observe the galaxy environment through the telescope here.
Astronomer's Paradise in Rangapur Village
Scientists, students and astronomers come to Rangapur village for studying solar and lunar eclipses. They come from all over the globe including countries such as China, USA, Germany and India. They study diverse formations, changes and placements taking place in the galaxy.Asia's largest telescope is in 'Kawali' in Bangalore and is 90 inches in size. Advanced research is carried out here in optical astronomy and research work is published in reputed Indian and foreign journals.
Environment Conservation in Rangapur
Rangapur is located in the middle of Manchal Mandal and is surrounded with dense forests all around. These forests comprise of many beneficial trees and herbs.
Here, social forestry has been encouraged with good co-operation of villagers from neighbouring village Japala. The trees are protected due to environmental awareness of the people. This has resulted in lot of greenery all around the Observatory.
Workshops and seminars are organized from time to time for those interested in astronomy - tourists, students and visitors. The 48-inch reflector is being modernized through the computer controlled operations for better astronomical research.