Chilka Lake Best Tourist Place Of Odisha–Chilka Lake is the most famous tourist place of Odisha. This place is popular in all over world. Chilka Lake water is brackish lagoon and this is spread to the east cost of India. This place much more popular for birds coming from other countries. Mostly this place is also popular because of this is an Asia’s largest salt water lagoon and it is separated from Bay of Bengal by sandy ridge. The lake is fully spread upon 1100 square km in a unique Eco system with flora and fauna in around the brakcish water. The loagoon is host over more than 160 species of birds in the migratory season. In the year 1981 the lake was designated first wetland of international importance under the ramsar convention. The lake is also popular for 226 species of fish and the dolphin.

Chilka Lake Best Tourist Place Of Odisha-The chilika is also popular for getting much more popularity for her natural beauty. If you are really interested to getting the real natural beauty then you must visit this place to get the benefits of real natural beauty. Also this place getting many tourist every year each month.

Chilka Lake Best Tourist Place Of Odisha Details

Chilka Lake Best Tourist Place Of Odisha-The larger lake separated by shallow channels and including parikud, Nuapara, nalana, phulbari and Tampara. so you can also enjoy with this things, so if you are interested to getting the real beauty of this place you need to visit this place to finding the real natural beauty. Mostly you can visit chilika lake by road ways, railway ways and other ways because all traveling ways are available for visiting this place.

Photos Of Chilika Lake

About Chilika

Chilka Lake Best Tourist Place Of Odisha-At a distance of 44 km from Puri, Chilika Lake is Asia’s biggest inland saltwater lagoon situated near Satapada in Odisha. Located at the mouth of the Daya River, Chilika Lake is the largest coastal lagoon in India and also the second largest saltwater lagoon in the world after the New Caledonian barrier reef in New Caledonia.

Tourist Places To Visit In Chilika Lake

Chilka Lake Best Tourist Place Of Odisha-Planning A Trip To Chilika Lake? Here’s our list of top tourist places to visit in Chilika Lake

Chilka Lake Best Tourist Place

Chilka Lake Best Tourist Place Of Odisha-A pear-shaped salt water lake situated south of the Puri district in Orissa is one of the state’s most spectacular highlights – the famous Chilika Lake. Apart from being home to hundreds of migratory and resident species of avian life, Chilika Lake accommodates vast ecosystems that consist of a wide assortment of flora and fauna. In fact, Chilika Lake is well known for being home to one of the largest colonies of flamingoes.

Chilka Lake Best Tourist Place Of Odisha-There are also numerous small islands dotted around the water body; spending a day boating across these islands will prove to be an experience worth cherishing for a long time to come. If this looks like the perfect place for a weekend trip to you, here is a list of some of the best places to visit around Chilika Lake.

Bird’s Island

Chilka Lake Best Tourist Place Of Odisha-As the name suggests, Bird’s Island is known for the spectacular varieties of bird species that visit this island during the migratory season. It stands out from other islands in the region for its display of massive hanging rocks that are actually remnants of the Eastern Ghats. The rocks tend to appear white, caused by folic acid in the immense amount of bird droppings that cover these rocks.  

Breakfast Island

Photograph by https://www.justdial.com/

Chilka Lake Best Tourist Place Of Odisha-Also known as Sankuda Island, this pear shaped island is situated between Somolo Island and Badakuda. Its main highlight is a bungalow that, although now in ruins, is a historical structure constructed by the King of Kalikote. 

Kalijai Temple

Photograph by https://bestinodisha.com/

Chilka Lake Best Tourist Place Of Odisha-The Kalijai Temple is located on an island in Chilika Lake and is dedicated to the goddess Kalijai, who is a highly revered deity among the locals. Approachable through a boat ride from Chilika Lake, the temple witnesses a huge celebration in the form of Makar Sakranti during the month of January every year.

The deity worshipped here was apparently once a girl named Kalijai who was going to her in-laws through a boat on this lake, and was killed in an accident after a heavy storm capsized the boat. The temple was built on the site where the boat sank; the locals, fishermen, sailors and even some tourists visit the temple to pray for a safe journey to the lake.

Mangalajodi

Photograph by https://lakshmisharath.com/

v-Another area famous for the influx of migratory birds each year, Mangalajodi is one of the oldest villages in the Chilika region that was once also popular as a fishing village. The vast wetlands of Mangalajodi have been declared as an International Bird Conservation Area. The village also has a number of temples that make it a significantly religious spot for the local Hindus. Festivals like Danda Yatrais and Paika Akhada are some ritual celebrations that are an important part of the village’s traditions.  

Sea Mouth Island

Photograph by https://www.tripadvisor.com.au/

Chilka Lake Best Tourist Place Of Odisha-A boat ride away from the town of Satapada, the Sea Mouth Island is located where Chilika Lake meets the Bay of Bengal, and has the unique feature of remaining submerged under water during high tide, and emerges only during low tide. One part of the island boasts a beach so pristine the water appears to sparkle like diamonds under the sun. This part of the island remains unknown to majority of the tourists, and is mostly unmarred by human interference.  

Chilka Lake Best Tourist Place Of Odisha-The lake is studded with small islands including the most charming Honeymoon Island and the Breakfast Island. Spreads across 1,100 sq. km, the pear-shaped lake extends from Bhusandpur in Puri district in the North to Rambha-Malud in Ganjam district in the South, separated from the Bay of Bengal by a 60 km long narrow strip of marshy islands and sand flats. The lake is an ecosystem with large fishery resources. It sustains more than 150,000 fisher folk living in 132 villages on the shore and Islands. In 1981, Chilika Lake was designated the first Indian wetland of international importance under the Ramsar Convention.

Chilka Lake Best Tourist Place Of Odisha-The lake also acts as one of the most supportive ecosystems in the name of Chilika Lake Sanctuary. It is the largest wintering ground for migratory birds on the Indian sub continent. Birds from the Caspian Sea, Lake Baikal, Aral Sea and other remote parts of Russia, Kirghiz steppes of Mongolia, Central and Southeast Asia, Ladakh and Himalayas come here. White bellied sea eagles, Graylag Geese, Purple Moorhen, Jacana, Herons and Flamingos are among the many species which make the lake a bird watcher’s delight. Chilika in fact, is home to one of the world’s largest breeding colonies of Flamingos.

Chilka Lake Best Tourist

Chilka Lake Best Tourist Place Of Odisha-Being richly famous for the presence of aquatic wildlife, Chilika Lake sanctuary also houses Irrawaddy dolphins which are different from the other dolphins as their color and dorsal fin being less prominent. Apart from the avifaunal species, the region also highlights varied wild animals such as Blackbuck, Golden Jackals, Spotted Deer and Hyenas. Chilika Lake Sanctuary is favorably known for its dynamic sunrise and sunset views. One of the most famous tourist attractions near Chilika Wildlife Sanctuary is Kalijai Temple, devoted to Goddess Kalijai. Makar Sankranti is celebrated with great pomp and cheer at the temple that attracts numerous travelers & devotees.

Chilka Lake Best Tourist Place Of Odisha-Chilika Lake is the most popular destination for eco-tourism in Orissa. Apart from having the presence of exotic wildlife in the area, the lake and its vicinity hold a rich floral system with abundance of aquatic as well as non aquatic plants. The recent environmental survey revealed the presence of more than 710 species of plants in and around Chilika Lake. Such a huge variety of Flora and Fauna including numerous rare and endangered species of all forms has been the main reason for considering Chilika Lake as Ramsar site.

Chilka Lake Best Tourist Place Of Odisha-Boating at Chilika is one of the most popular activities. Chilika Lake can be visited year round however the time from November to February is the best time to visit Chilika Lake. Especially, it is the season for migratory birds and hence it is even more exciting to explore this lake during these months.

Top Attractions in Chilika

Nalaban

Chilka Lake Best Tourist Place Of Odisha-Situated in the heart of Chilika, Nalabana Island deserves a special mention since it is a prime refuge point for thousands of resident and migratory birds. It got the status of a sanctuary in 1987 and specially acts as a treat for the bird-watchers during winter season. One can look out for birds like Spoon billed Sandpiper, Black tailed Godwit, White Bellied Sea Eagle and get delighted by watching them hopping on the water.

Kalijai Temple

Chilka Lake Best Tourist Place Of Odisha-Island of Goddess Kalijai is the most frequent spot for tourists. The island is famous as a center of religious worship due to the temple of Kalijai. There is a story behind the place which is centered around an innocent girl called “Kalijai” who got married and was going by boat along with here in-laws through this lake. In between, heavy storms came and everybody including Kalijai died in that storm. Local Tourists, Sailors and Fishermen pray Goddess Kalijai everyday for their safe journey in the lake.

Satapada

Chilka Lake Best Tourist Place Of Odisha-Satapada is the ultimate place to watch Irrawaddy dolphins. If you’re lucky then you will able to see dolphins during your boat ride in Satapada. Since last few years this spot is a major tourist attraction because of the development of Dolphin sanctuary.

Honeymoon Island

Chilka Lake Best Tourist Place Of Odisha-It is situated in the Rambha Bay near Sankuda Island. This land is also called as Barkuda Island. Britishers used this land for picnic purposes. The waters around the island are very clear and the ambiance is perfect to enjoy your day here.

Beacon Island

Chilka Lake Best Tourist Place Of Odisha-This island is an architectural marvel with a conical pillar and a small room constructed on the submerged mass of rock in the Rambha bay near Ghantasila hill. The pillar was constructed to put a light on the top. The water spread around the Beacon Island is very charming, surrounded by the Eastern Ghat.

Birds’ Island

Chilka Lake Best Tourist Place Of Odisha-This is a hillock with huge exposed hanging rocks. The island is covered with Herbs, Shrubs, Trees and Creepers. The granite rocks are remnants of Eastern Ghats. Some of the huge rocks are painted white because of the folic acid from the droppings of the birds. During winter, the migratory birds are coming to this land in a large proportion.

Breakfast Island

Chilka Lake Best Tourist Place Of Odisha-This is a hillock with huge exposed hanging rocks. The island is covered with Herbs, Shrubs, Trees and Creepers. The granite rocks are remnants of Eastern Ghats. Some of the huge rocks are painted white because of the folic acid from the droppings of the birds. During winter, the migratory birds are coming to this land in a large proportion.

Mangalajodi

Chilka Lake Best Tourist Place Of Odisha-This is another bird’s paradise which has been attracting a lot of Tourists over the years. If you are a photographer who loves clicking varied wildlife in pristine locations, then do spend some time in Mangalajodi where you can get some wonderful pictures of birds. Every year during winters, the place is inhabited by nearly hundreds of species of migratory birds along with the residential ones and the sight of them together is truly captivating!

How to reach Chilika

By Air

Bhubaneswar is the nearest Airport to Chilika. As there are no direct flights to Chilika, one must arrive at Bhubaneswar before boarding a Taxi or Bus to Chilika.

By Rail

Balugaon and Puri are the nearest Railway Stations to reach Chilika Lake. You can also come to Bhubaneswar through Rail and come by Cab or Bus to Chilika.

By Road

In NH-5, there are a lot of Buses from other major cities of India that are going along the route that helps one for their Chilika trip by Bus or by Cab, Taxi and solving the puzzle of how to go to Chilika.