Standing in a sunbathed balcony overlooking the enchanting blue-green lagoon and gorgeous emerald hills, we sipped on our early dose of Darjeeling contentedly. This was when we witnessed a sudden change of scenery. The clouds, along with a gush of howling winds, rushed in as if out of nowhere to extinguish the soft light of day. And down came dancing on the windowpanes, kissing our faces, millions of tiny droplets, transforming the clear morning into a misty, sleepy, romantic one.

We had long anticipated indulging in a vacation that would integrate the beauty and tranquility of nature with the comforts of an exotic stay. Yet, before embarking on our journey, how could we have anticipated that this relatively undiscovered travel destination would turn out to be a geographic wonderland? In search of that perfect vacation, on an early monsoon morning, Team WHEELS had headed for the bold and the beautiful Chilika, about 554 km from Kolkata.

Route
To reach Chilika, start from Vidyasagar Setu and enter Kona Expressway. At the end of the Kona Expressway take the slip road on the left to follow the left bend and meet NH-16 (NH-6). Continue straight on NH-16 towards Kolaghat followed by Kharagpur. Just before Kharagpur (trip 111 km), follow the highway straight and take the left turn through an underpass towards Odisha.

Hereafter, enjoy the drive through the smooth concreted highways with guardrails on both sides. Continue to drive on NH-16 (NH-6) and pass through Belda, Jaleswar and Balasore.

We stopped at a restaurant called Odianee, at about 1:30 pm for lunch, just before the Panikoili Toll Tax near Bhadrak. We had an amazing experience here. Food served is authentic Odiya meals comprising rice, dal and fish / chicken and a large plate of 30 different preparations of vegetables. This is the most popular restaurant in the area and guarantees fresh food and quick service.

Post lunch, we continued to drive along NH-16 (NH-6) and passed Bhadrak, went over Mahanadi Bridge, followed by Cuttack to reach Bhuvaneswar. After Bhuvaneswar the scenery changes dramatically. The Eastern Ghats, the lush green terrain, the smooth roads with relatively low traffic makes the drive a real pleasure.

We continued to drive straight to pass Khurda, Badaraghunathpur, Chandpur, Balugaon, Barkul (with Chilika along your left) and reached Langaleswar. We took a left turn from Kalijai Morh at Langaleswar and drove for about 6 km to reach Swosti Chilika Resort in the evening.

It is worth a mention that we had to stop at nearly 8 toll plazas each way and shell out about `1200 on toll taxes enroute.

Chilika Lake
Driving down more than 550 km, as we approached Chilika, we were astounded to see the vastness of the expanse of the water body. It appeared more like a sea than a lake. We realised that we were looking at the largest lagoon in India that is spread across 1,100 sq km touching Khurda, Ganjam and Puri districts of Odisha.

The enormous water-body with a backdrop of grey-green hills is an astonishing sight. The unique ecosystem it fosters comprises varied flora and fauna. On any given day you can hear an impressive array of birds chirping and tweeting. There is little human intervention and the waters remain relatively undisturbed.

Between November and February, birdlovers will probably be able to spot many of the 160 spectacular species of colorful avian charms in a thousand different hues – white bellied sea eagles, ospreys, golden plovers, sandpipers, flamingos, pelicans, shovelers, gulls, including migratory ones flying great distances from Iran, Central Asia and Siberia along with dolphins.

Chilika Lake can be reached through a number of different entry points – the towns of Barkul, Rambha, Balugaon and Satapada. Team WHEELS, however, reached it from Swosti Chilika Resort located at an entirely different place called Odia Alapur near Langaleswar, which is midway between Rambha and Barkul.

What could be more relaxing than flirting with the warm water of the inky blue pool after a ten-hour-long drive? And nothing can beat the cool deliciousness of the drinks that were offered to us on arrival. Wanting to take it easy for the evening, we decided to have an early dinner.

Dinner was a grand affair with 50-60 lip-smacking delicacies served in a buffet. It had everything from pan-Indian dishes, Chinese, Continental to a wide range of salads and desserts – and each dish cooked to perfection. So tempting was the spread that we went on a binge. We took a stroll around the beautifully cobbled walkway of the property and finally called it a day at around 10 pm.

Back at our rooms we marvelled at the exquisite décor, were comforted by the modern amenities. The balconies attached to the rooms afforded a wonderful view of the lake while the bathrooms were sheer luxury.

Waking up to a clear sunny morning, we planned out our day over breakfast. A hearty meal ensued from a buffet array offering fruit juices to a wide variety of loaves and croissants, sausages and eggs, cereals with generous helpings of fruits and nuts and a whole lot of desserts.

Whether exploring islands that have been left untouched by time or spotting rare species in a particular location, the places to visit around Chilika have a bit of paradise to offer every kind of visitor. Our sojourn on the mighty lake began with a speed-boat ride from the private jetty of Swosti.

On seeing the colourful, inflatable, floating, walkable jetty of Swosti, which swayed with the gentle tidal waves of the water, we felt a surge of excitement. We tiptoed our way over the jetty and boarded the speed boat assisted by the helpers, who welcomed us onboard with packets of goodies. And as we put on our life jackets and took our seats, the Yamaha engine roared to life, ready to tear through the waters.

Soon, the sun was obscured by grey clouds - the sombre hue reflected in the water. We laughed at the spray of water on our faces. Bumping through the soft tidal waves and admiring the beautiful country boats at the far end, we cruised through the lake and reached the Kalijai Temple Island in about 15 minutes.

Kalijai Temple Island
The beautiful island on which the Kalijai Temple is built gives a panoramic view of the lake and therefore serves as a major attraction of Chilika. The island has been recently renovated and paved with pink Kota stone. Whether a devotee or a tourist you are bound to enjoy the open vistas of the island. 

The deity of Goddess Kalijai is deeply revered among the locals. The temple can be reached via boats (row-boats, launches or speed boats) from various entry points of the Chilika Lake. Devotees can offer pujas with puja materials available at the shops on the temple island.

The island also houses quarters for the priests and other staff members. You may spend some time relaxing at the temple premises with refreshments available in the stalls around the temple. It is a good idea to visit the temple during Makar Sankranti, which is celebrated with great pomp and cheer by a large number of visitors. We spent about half an hour offering puja and trekking around the island.

Nalabana Island Bird Sanctuary
Another island worth a visit houses the Nalabana Bird Sanctuary, a prime refuge point for thousands of resident and migratory birds. Watching birds like the spoon-billed sandpiper, black-tailed godwit, white bellied sea eagle is sheer delight. We found exploring this island difficult as the ideal time to visit the sanctuary is from October to March and the sanctuary is largely submerged by water during monsoons.
 

Another island worth a visit houses the Nalabana Bird Sanctuary, a prime refuge point for thousands of resident and migratory birds. Watching birds like the spoon-billed sandpiper, black-tailed godwit, white bellied sea eagle is sheer delight. We found exploring this island difficult as the ideal time to visit the sanctuary is from October to March and the sanctuary is largely submerged by water during monsoons.

Other Islands
Bravehearts may try their luck exploring a few other islands in the great lake - Breakfast Island, Honeymoon Island, Rajhans Island and Birds’ Island. While the Breakfast Island has a dilapidated bungalow of the King of Khalikote, the Honeymoon Island flaunts its luxuriant bed of red and green macroalgae. As the name suggests, the Birds’ Island is a perfect destination for ornithologists and the Rajhans Island lures tourists who hope to spot dolphins.

Mangalajodi
If you are passionate about wildlife photography, you must spend some time in Mangalajodi – 50 km from Swosti. Here too, a spectacular show is staged by hundreds of species of migratory as well as residential birds during the winters.

Since we had other plans awaiting us, we cut short on our exploration of the lake and returned to our resort for lunch. Post lunch we left for a couple of other attractions in Chilika, which called for some driving around Langaleswar.

Narayani Temple
A 6 km drive from Langaleswar along a concrete road flanked by hills and greenery will take you to the Narayani temple. The temple of Goddess Narayani is set in a beautiful valley with a murmuring stream behind. Said to be built in the 12th century AD, the walls of the temple are decorated with ancient art and carvings.

We climbed a few steps in a light downpour to reach the holy shrine of Narayani. Other small temples have cropped up around the main temple. The numerous tall trees surrounding the temple house families of monkeys. These teased the visitors and robbed them of their goodies but also provided great entertainment.

Salia Dam
We experienced another enchanting hideout – the Salia Dam, about 22 km from Swosti Resort. Vast trees lined the Ghat-section on either side of the road. We greedily gulped in volumes of fresh air, so rare .

Built on River Salia, this dam is located amidst stunning locales of an immense water-body, lush green trees, and neverending roads promising magical journeys. For all visitors to Chilika, the dam is a must-see.

Back at our resort, we relaxed over a game of snooker and then table tennis before we joined the other guests for a scrumptious dinner.

The following morning, after another sumptuous breakfast, we left for an all new drive destination, which will be covered in our next issue.

Rambha and Barkul
As mentioned earlier, Rambha and Barkul are the two major entry points to Chilika. Anyone planning a visit to Chilika can easily avail the OTDC Panthaniwas cottages present at these two places, which provide decent lodging with food.

Accommodation: Swosti Chilika Resort
If you prize privacy for relaxing in undisturbed quiet on the banks of the pristine Chilika, you cannot make a better choice than the five star property of the Swosti Chilika Resort. Nestled in a secluded nook, the 9-acre sprawling property is an embodiment of contemporary design inspired from natural surroundings.

While you drink in the sight of the picturesque lake, the luxurious cottages, squeaky clean beds and impeccable service standards of Swosti whisper to you in tones normally reserved for only the privileged higher echelons!

Swosti Chilika Resort houses four categories of rooms – standard luxury rooms, modern luxury villas, pool villas  and a Presidential suite. Swosti also has parks, restaurants, coffee-shop, bar, swimming pool, and several banquets. With a warm and prompt service Swosti may be the overriding reason why we would visit Chilika again.

‘Phoren travel’ seems to have become the mantra of the masses – copiously and painstakingly documented in toothbrushed detail for your 1001 facebook ‘friends’. You assume you will be deemed worthy only if seen in exotic locales pouting at the camera with a couple of pinker or yellower skin colours posed to convince in the background.

But, my dear friends, let me assure you, hand on heart, nothing can beat the supercilious twist of the upper lip of our very own brand of mustachioed darwan for exclusive emotiveness. No backdrop can be mightier than the exotic Chilikas of our land. No food can be tastier than the ‘Continental saab’ spiced to curried perfection by our innovative bawarchis. And no smile anywhere on earth can be wider or warmer than that of the desi breed.

So let us write our very own ‘ Indian Tales of a 1001 Nights’, let us find swosti and adventure in this land of 3214 km south to north while the boundaries remain ours to roam forever.