Vacation postcards 1 - a trip to Chilka

Usually around this time of the year, H and I plan our annual vacation - at least a 2-week getaway from claustrophobic cubicles, in which one is confined the whole day long, pecking away at a keyboard. We couldn't really manage a long trip this year round - bro dear has finally decided to tie the knot, and one has to save all of one's leaves for the event of the year. So, a short trip was planned to Orissa early this October. The plan was to make Bhubaneswar the base and travel to Chilka, Puri and Konark.

Chilka Lake is said to be Asia's largest salt water lagoon, located to the south of the mouth of the Mahanadi. It is about 100km from Bhubaneswar, and the drive to the place is surprisingly very scenic, with green fields and old and colourful temples dotting the highway. We drove down to Satpada, a tiny village island on the eastern side of the lake. It is one of the base points for tourists visiting various small islands scattered on the lagoon, such as Rajhans, Arkhakuda and Krishnaprasad Garh. OTDC has a guest house in this village with some rather neat and decent rooms. Offseason, an A/C room could cost about Rs 600 to 700. The rooms have a huge balcony overlooking the lake, and it makes for a magnificent view (picture left). The quiet surroundings complement the leisurely lifestyle of the residents of the village, mostly fishermen.

The entire village of Satpada covers less than half a kilometer. While it has all the facilities required for a modern day living, it still seems to be caught in a time warp. If you are not used to quiet and solitude, the place can actually get on your nerves. Night arrives early at Satpada, and it stays ever so silent that you can actually hear a pin drop. I took a walk across the harbour, which offers a panoramic view of the lagoon encircled by hills, the colour of the water changing with the passing clouds and shifting sun. And then we went and sat by the jetty - it was a full moon night, and we could actually see the moon rays slowly casting their magic on the lake waters.

Early next morning we hired a boat to get to the heart of the lake where one could spot dolphins and many migratory birds in the islands around the lake. The destination usually is the island of Rajhans, located at the mouth of the lake, about an hour and half hours away by boat. Rajhans is a small strip of land which has the lagoon on one side and the Bay of Bengal on the other. A trek across the vast stretch of the beach that separates the lake from the sea is an experience in itself, and will take you to Gopalpur-on-sea. Our boat driver told us that the government was planning to make the Rajhans island a tourist resort. He said plans were being made to add a few cottages to the place. This mangrove-island was like a hillock and had a natural beauty that I was sure would be lost if these plans became reality. Already one could see signs of human life trespassing this world. And if people were allowed to come here and stay, you can well imagine what that would mean.

There is one aspect of Orissa that is sure to take any tourist by surprise - the place abounds with bovines - cows and buffaloes - and dogs. Sometimes you tend to wonder if these animals in fact outnumber people themselves. You see them everywhere - in cities, in towns, on highways, in villages, even in godforsaken islands such as Rajhans. Our friends informed us that these creatures belong to all people in the state, that usually people do take care of them. And by people, it does not mean that the animals actually are owned by one or two persons/families; these are let loose on the streets and random people feed them and look after them. While I am not really sure as to the reason behind this, I could see that these animals are probably much more revered in this state than anywhere else in the country.

On our way back from Rajhans island I ran into three fishermen, busy at work. I stood next to them for about 10 mins watching them cast their nets wide into the lake, wait for a bait and drag the nets in. This was done repeatedly and rhythmically. I got talking to one of them - thankfully, he was a migrant from Andhra Pradesh and I knew the language. He told me that a whole day's work would result in earnings of about Rs. 300 to Rs. 500. These fishermen come from various adjoining villages every day. He also mentioned that like him a lot of people had in fact migrated from other states some generations ago, especially from Vizianagaram and Srikakulam districts of AP.

It is said that a lake is landscape's most beautiful and expressive feature. One visit to Chilka and you are likely to come back believing it. The serene and undisturbed atmosphere amidst the blue expanse of water on one side and hills on the other is likely to stay with you long after you leave the tranquility behind and head towards the hubbub of everyday city life.