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 .
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| 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.
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.
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| Approaching Kaljai temple |
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| Life in the lake |
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The burden of a barrage of prayers-Kalijai temple
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Wish box-Kalijai temple
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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.
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| 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.
