On 24th December 2021, we took the delivery of our car – the first in the family, in fact – in Bhubaneswar, and after offering our prayers, took off on our first ever road-trip in our own car, to the Chilika Lake, which is the largest brackish lagoon in the world. Chilika lake, in a distant past, was an important centre for trade and commerce and served as a shelter for ships sailing to South-East Asia.
Today, the islands on the lake with their temples and natural beauty attract visitors, as also does its status as a ‘wetland of international status’ under the Ramsar convention. The lake serves as the largest wintering ground for migratory birds on the Indian sub-continent, with it hosting over 160 species of birds in the peak migratory season. At least two areas have been declared as bird sanctuaries – the Nalaban islands and the wetlands near Magalajodi village.
To celebrate the arrival of the new car in the family, we went to two different places in the Chilika lake area on consecutive days – Mangalajodi Bird Sanctuary and Satapada.
25th December 2021: Managalajodi
Tired from the car delivery process from the previous day, we started rather late, around 11 AM, and following lunch near Jatani, proceeded by the NH 16 till Tangi where we took a left turn, and pushed towards the coast. Crossing Mangalajodi village, as we entered the wetlands, we had to drive carefully on a meandering paved road built on an embankment that protruded into the wetlands on the periphery of the lake. Reaching the end of the road, we took a boat ride on the wetlands along with a guide who showed us numerous bird species, including, various types of egrets, ducks, cormorants, jacanas, swamphens and kingfishers.
26th December 2021: Satapada
The next day, we started again from Bhubaneswar towards Satapada via Puri. Since we again started late, we were able to reach Satapada only around 4 PM. Satapada, name derived from a group of seven (sata) villages (pada), lies at the south-east cape of the Chilika Lake, very close to the place where the lake meets the Bay of Bengal, 50 km away from Puri. At Satapada, we took a boat ride of the lake proper, and managed to spot the Irrawady dolphins which abound in Chilika lake. The sunset was something to behold as well. Satapada also is heaven for pescetarians, especially for those interested in eating crabs.
The Timber Trawler 