Travelogue on Chilika

Hey people,

First things first, wishing you a very happy and prosperous New Year! This is my first blog of 2020, so, it is a bit long, bear with me 🤭! I visited Chilika lake finally and here is how I feel about it! Before digging in, click here to follow me on Instagram & here to read my previous blog.

Now, let’s get started.

Exploring the hidden gem of Odisha : Chilika

If you ask me to describe this place in one word then undoubtedly, I would say surreal. Chilika is one of the hidden gems of Odisha and less explored by others states and countries. Recently, I got an opportunity to discover this beauty with my family.

Let’s talk about Chilika in details :

Chilika is famous for its lush green island and numerous migratory birds. Chilika is overflowing with tranquility, anxiety-free and peace. One can just seat and forget all the anxiety just by being there. As it goes without saying that Chilika is not a place for adventures seekers.

How to reach?

The Queen of natural Beauty, Chilika, is located 104 km away from Jagannath Puri and you can reach Barkul by either train, Bus or private taxi. The best time to travel to Chilika is during end of November to beginning of Feburary.

Odisha tourism development cooperation (OTDC) bus is the best and cheapest way to reach Chilika. Although, me and my family went in a private taxi from Cuttack which is about 126 km and took around 3 hours 30 mins to reach the destination.

The road is quite scenic and if you like road trips then definitely you should visit the lagoon during winters with your friends and family. Try to leave house as early as 5.30 am in the morning and you will reach around 9am near the Barkul Panthanibas.

What to do in Chilika?

After you reach the destination, it is adviced to first freshen-up by paying Rs 5-10/- in the public washroom and go for breakfast in the nearby small tea-stalls surrounding the lake area. Eat something light and buckle up for your water journey. By 10am book your tickets through the private or government organisations.

We didn’t like the government facilities and prices compared to the private ones.

Private boats were for Rs 3000 /- and will take you to three destinations:

1. Kalijai island & temple,

2. Chadhei ghua island and

3. bird sanctuary ( bird gazing)

whereas the same package was for Rs 5000/- if you hire a government boat.

If you simply want to visit the Kalijai island then government boats are better as the rates are as cheap as Rs 108 per person. So, we did hire a private boat and we were 5 people therefore, we asked another family to join us, so that we can divide the price and enjoy the three destinations at an affordable rate. Because, let’s be honest, who doesn’t want to save some extra penny?

PS- All the boats will provide life jackets and oarsman who will double-up your tourist guide.

Now, let’s know about the lake a little more.

Chilika is a huge lagoon of brackish water lake stretched in an area of 1100 sq km. It is indeed the largest costal lagoon in India and 2nd largest in the world. Chilika touches three districts of Odisha namely; Puri, Khurda, Ganjam on the east coast of India and joins the Bay of Bengal through narrow mouth, of Daya river. Chilika is home to a rich variety of aquatic fauna & flora. It is an integral part of the local culture and economy; more than 1.5 people live in the 132 villages settled near its shores and depend on its waters for their livelihood. The lagoon is also a favourite of migratory birds with nearly 225 species flocking to it during the winters, some covering as much as 12000 km to reach here.

Chilika is famous for it’s migratory birds, and this year over 11 lakhs birds have visited by 5th January 2020. The winged guests usually start arriving around end of November as it is a comparatively hospitable alternate habitat compared to the extreme freezing conditions in their natural habitats in Siberia, China, Japan and other countries in the northern hemisphere.

The boat journey is calm and enjoyable, you will be mesmerised to see the beautiful hills enclosing the lake. The cool breeze will touch your face and the tiny droplets of salty water will time and again calm your stress through out the 3 hours water journey.

Chadhei ghua pahadha –

Our first destination was the Chadhei ghua pahadha which literally means the hill which is nested by birds. The hill isn’t that interesting like how I had imagined, but it was a nice spot to click pictures and sit for a while.

Bird gazing –

Then the boat will take you the most beautiful destination of wetland where from a distance you can see the thousands of migratory birds who would be playing around in the lake. Bird gazing is a serene experience. You cannot see anything except the blue water and birds when you reach the middle point. The experience of Chilika lake is a once in a lifetime moment which no one can forget.

Kalijai island–

After the bird gazing, you will be taken to the famous Kalijai island. According to the Odia folktales, Kalijai meet with an accident in that route when she was going to her husband’s house after marriage with her father and after that day, it is belived that she guides that place and resides in the island; no one has met with an accident since then.

Maa Kalijai temple is the biggest attraction of the Chilika wetlands. You will find thousands of devotees praying for the goodwill of their family in the temple. The place is maintained well by government, unlike the water area, Kalijai island is clean. You can seat there and enjoy the beautiful lake view.

Although, we were really hungry, so we didn’t wait till sunset but people do specifically go to the island to view the breathtaking sunset and also sunrise.

Where to eat ?

After the darshan, we straight headed to the famous dhaba called the Chilika dhaba, located near the lake view area itself. The dhabha is quite crowded and pricy compared to other places. But nevertheless, food was nice.

What to eat?

If you visit to Chilika, then you must try the seafood items. We had crab masala which was ₹500 per plate and Prawn meal which came with two dishes of Prawn and rice and was priced at ₹ 150/-. You can have veg thali for Rs 100/- as well. Dhaba had a wide range of non-vegetarian and vegetarian dishes to choose from. Don’t expect a fabulous ambiance and service. Overall, you will get a value for money taste.

Watersports and side seeing –

Now after eating never go for watersports like we did. Caution – one can have tendency to throw up ! Anyhow we had no options left, as we had to return home by 7pm so we couldn’t afford to spend time seating and enjoying the beautiful park near the lake. But if you got some free time then do spend in the park which is beautifully maintained. We did go for speed motor boat ride which was for Rs 400/- per person. It was a nice but really short experience.

Where are the Dolphins?

Sorry to say, Dolphins are actually 50-60kms ahead of Barkul. And, It was almost sunset and we had to return back to Cuttack. We did plan go to Satapada for dolphins and Narayani for the moutain treking but had no time left in hand.

If you plan to visit Chilika and explore places nearby then do plan in advance and book a room at the guest House or Panthanibas Brakul. Then you can visit Satapada and other nearby places for an overall sucessful Chilika experience.

All’s well that ends well:

At the last, we ended our amazing Chilika journey by drinking roadside steaming cup of tea from outskirts of Chilika. Overall, we were satisfy and happy with our one day trip. If you people happen to visit Chilika, do share your experience in the comments below!

Thank you for reading!

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