Set at an easy distance from Bhubaneswar, the capital city of Orissa, Lake Chilika makes an enchanting day trip
Covering an area of over 1,100 square kilometres and flowing into the Bay of Bengal, Lake Chilika is considered to be the largest coastal lagoon in India and the second largest in the world. In 1981, the brackish water lake, fed by a whopping 52 streams, was designated the first Indian wetland of international importance under the Ramsar Convention for its rich biodiversity.
An atmospheric brackish lagoon, often rendered even more so by a filigree of mist, Lake Chilika is alive with flora and fauna. The mist makes ghostly silhouettes of the trees along the banks, and there are little islands just off the shore. Villagers raise their hands in prayer in the lake, bathe, congregate and farm prawns in little squared-off areas.
It’s got dolphins!
Lake Chilika is home to Irrawaddy dolphins. In fact, it is said to be just one of two lagoons in the world where you will find dolphins; the other is Songkhla Lake in Thailand. The dolphins at Lake Chilika are both easy and difficult to spot; they pop up in your peripheral vision, and disappear under when you turn to see them better. They’re also more playful when the water gets warmer. They’re curious looking animals, with melon heads and a wide mouth rather than the beak one usually associated with dolphins. Locals aver that the dolphins help them with fishing; the fishermen use sounds to call the dolphins, who drive fish into the nets and are rewarded with fish for their work. Unfortunately, the dolphins sometimes also get caught in the nets, requiring them to be classified as vulnerable. The lagoon also hosts over 30 species of amphibians and reptiles, and other endangered animals like dugongs and green sea turtles.
It’s a bird lover’s paradise
A few hours spent on Lake Chilika will warm a bird lover’s heart. Visiting in the peak migratory season is particularly rewarding since the lagoon hosts over 160 avian species, coming in from places as far as Lake Baikal and the Kirghiz steppes of Mongolia.
It’s easy to get to
It’s just 100 kilometres from Bhubaneswar to Satapada, the entry point to Lake Chilika.
Main photo: wklzzz/123RF