Chilika Lake

Take a country boat out from Satapada at dawn and Chilika opens up around you – a shining expanse of shallow water where fishermen cast their nets, islands float on the horizon, and, if you are lucky, the rounded grey backs of Irrawaddy dolphins break the surface nearby. Chilika is Asia's largest brackish-water lagoon, separated from the Bay of Bengal by a narrow strip of sand and connected to the sea by a mouth that lets salt water mix with the rivers flowing in.

A winter home for birds

Every winter, hundreds of thousands of migratory birds arrive from as far away as Siberia, Central Asia and the Himalaya. The Nalabana Bird Sanctuary, an island in the middle of the lagoon, becomes a carpet of ducks, geese, flamingos, herons and waders. For birdwatchers, December to February is the season to visit.

People and places

Chilika supports a large community of traditional fishers, and its prawns, crabs and fish are famous across Odisha. Visitors explore Kalijai Island with its temple to the goddess Kalijai, the dolphin-watching waters near Satapada, and Rambha at the southern end with its scenic bays. In 1981 Chilika became India's first wetland of international importance under the Ramsar Convention, and its restoration after the mouth was reopened in 2000 is often cited as a conservation success.

Planning a visit

Chilika lies close to Puri and Bhubaneswar. Satapada (for dolphins), Barkul and Rambha (for boating) and Mangalajodi on the northern edge (for birdwatching) are the main access points. Boat trips are run by the Odisha tourism department and local cooperatives.