Chilika-A bird’s view

Do you ever feel the need to be just lost in a vast expanse , to sit and just retrospect about your own place in the huge universe? If yes, then Chilika lake is one such place whose limitless water will make you feel insignificant and little in the oscillating world of sorrow and happiness .

Chilika boathouse 

Nestled between the districts of Puri, Khurda and Ganjam districts of Odisha this lake boasts of being the largest coastal lagoon of India and second only to The New Caledonian Barrier Reef in the world. It is also the largest wintering ground for more than 16- species of migratory birds on the Indian sub-continent.

This January I marked my calendar for a trip to Bhubaneshwar and Chilika with my parents. I  regret to say that this was my first visit to this beautiful place even though I am a resident of Odisha for the last 24 years and one of my best friend’s native town is Chilika.

There are several routes to reach Chilika. Several trains run from both Bhubaneshwar and Puri to Chilika. We took a morning train to Chilika from Bhubaneshwar and reached Balugaon by 10 am, booked a local auto  and headed to the boat house at Chilika lake.

It is a 1-1.5 hour boat ride across the Chilka lake to Kalijai Mandir. And there are several boats to take you across. The boats usually stay at the mandir for around 20 mins which is enough time to explore the temple and have a darshan.

There are a great many fables, folklores and mysteries surrounding this temple but I am sharing the one that I read in an odia poem by Godavarish Mishra in my school days. Goddess Kalijai is actually Mata Kali. As the folkore goes, JAI was a young girl who was being taken by her father on a boat to her in-law’s house after marriage which was across the Chilka lake. Their boat capsized due to a strong whirlpool in the lake and they drowned. But even after this mishap, the voice of JAI could be heard and the local people started believing that JAI had reincarnated into Goddess Kali and started worshipping her. Other accounts suggest that the temple was built in 1717 by King Jagannath Mansingh of the kingdom of Bankud, present day Banapur.

The ride to the temple is relaxing and soul-enriching. The freshness of the air and the scenic beauty engulfs you into a frenzy of delightful calmness. The boat ride is as good a place as any to sharpen your photography skills. We were hoping to see some famous Irawaddy dolphins but we were of no luck. Travel tip:- Travel to Satapada lake from Puri if you want to see dolphins. As you start getting near to the temple, you can see beautiful migratory birds swarming around the temple. Birds like flamingos , sea eagles etc will grace your eyes and their effortless glide into the sunshine will mesmerize your soul.

Approaching Kaljai temple

Life in the lake

After reaching the temple, we finished a quick darshan and captured some amazing clicks of the beautifully serene sights beholding us. Do drop in a coin in the temple’s wish box for any unfulfilled desires.

The burden of a barrage of prayers-Kalijai temple

Wish box-Kalijai temple

The ride back to the shore was equally pleasant. We headed straight for lunch to the famous Chilika Dhaba. I was pining for some tasty crabs and tiger prawns since these are extensively exported from Chilika. Due to unavailability of tiger prawns, we ordered crab and prawns curry which were lip-smackingly delicious. The service staff of this dhaba are courteous although there is much to be desired in the ambience.

Sea-food love – Chilika Dhaba

We caught the late afternoon train back to Bhubaneswar the same day. And thus, came an end to a glorious day spent admiring nature at its best and treating our taste buds. This place has a lot of potential for development on the tourism front and hopefully the government capitalizes its potential and makes this place wondrous and more tourist friendly while at the same time taking measures to safeguard the avi-fauna and wildlife which reside in the lake.