The
Chilka Lake in Orissa is Asia's largest inland salt-water
lagoon. Studded with small islands- including the picturesquely-named
Honeymoon Island and Breakfast Island- the lake is separated
from the Bay of Bengal by a sandy ridge. The pear-shaped
lake spreads across 1,100 sq km, and has a unique ecosystem
with a range of aquatic flora and fauna found in and
around its brackish waters. An impressive array of bird
life, both native and migrant, makes Chilka one of the
best places in India for a bit of satisfying bird-watching.
White bellied sea eagles, greylag geese, purple moorhen,
jacana, herons and flamingos are among the many species
which make the lake a bird watcher's delight: Chilka,
in fact, is home to one of the world's largest breeding
colonies of flamingos.
Other than the birds, Chilka's shores are home to blackbuck,
spotted deer, golden jackals and hyenas, and the lake
is rich in aquatic life- its waters harbour around 160
species of fish, crustaceans and other marine creatures,
including the famous Chilka dolphin. Prawn, crab and
mackerel fishing are an important source of livelihood
for the local people, and hundreds of small fishing
boats set sail each morning to bring in the day's catch
from the lake. he Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve harbours
India’s second largest pachyderm population, and
the chances of seeing elephant herds is pretty high,
especially during the dry season.
Access
Chilka is approximately 120 km from Bhubaneshwar, the
nearest airport; state transport, OTDC tour buses and
private operators ply the roads between Chilka, Puri,
Behrampore, Bhubaneshwar and Cuttack. The nearest railway
stations are at Rambha and Balugaon, both of which have
train connections to cities as distant as Kolkata, Puri,
Hyderabad and Chennai. From both Balugaon and Rambha
buses are available to the lake.
Local
transport is basically limited to three wheel rickshaws
and auto rickshaws, bicycles and cars are sole modes
of private transport. The services of local boatmen
and the OTDC's motorboats are available for access to
the islands though outboard motors are not allowed near
the bird sanctuary. OTDC boats can be hired at Barkul,
and cost between Rs 410 (for a 7-seater boat) to Rs
790 (for a 34-seater boat) per hour. A special tour
is operated by the OTDC between Barkul and Kalijai,
and costs Rs 40 per head.
Best
time to visit
The weather remains moderately warm the whole year round,
so come any time of the year except during the rainy
season from June to September. The best time, however,
is from October to March, when the lake is crowded with
migrating birds, usually at least 50-70 species. Pilgrims
flock here in January during Makar Mela (at the time
of Makar Sankranti) to pay obeisance to the Goddess
Kalijai, whose temple is situated on Kalijai island
in Chilka Lake.
Accommodation
There are a few hotels on the banks of the lake including
an OTDC run hotel and two tourist bungalows (the `Panthnivas'
at Rambha and Barkul) that have stunning views and a
relaxed vacation ambience.
A number of state-run as well as privately-operated
resthouses and tourist lodges also dot the shores of
the lake, and tariffs vary considerably, depending upon
the facilities offered.
|
