A day on Chilika

Jan 11th 2014

The train to Calcutta chugs past the vast Chilika lagoon, and it has always been my wish to stop there one day.  So vast is it, that the train seems to take forever to go past it, not that I mind.

So it was that we finally visited Chilika lagoon, alighting at Balugaon in Orissa, a sleepy little side station, the train running late as usual.

We phut phutted our way to the Orissa Tourism lodgings on the waterfront at Barkul, riding in autorickshaws which had seen better days, but with drivers who were cheerful and helpful.  We paid some ridiculously low amount - Rs 80 I think - far far below Madras rates and took over an entire wing of the motel/hotel.  It was dark, and I was all excited that the next morning we would see the lake.

When we awoke the next morning, I was bemused to find a huge children's play area and other such stuff outside our window.  The lovely lagoon beach had been taken over for people's amusement it seems.

A short walk down to the boat jetty and we were off on the lake in a motorboat.  The cyclone Phailin had just been through these coaastal areas, and we were warned that it had affected the bird life and bird arrivals.

8 am - It was a gloomy day and the sun was up but visibility was still poor because of the morning mist.  This is the southern part of the lagoon

Chilika is a huge brackish lagoon - more than 1,000 sq kms, and a provider of fishing livelihoods to fishermen like these.  Waist deep in many areas, when in the middle of it, it was like being stranded at sea, with no land in sight.

The egrets waited patiently for the fishermen's nets to be raised

The mud flats had patches of reed growing on it, and the light reflected off it beautifully.  A school of dolphins slid noiselessly by, but they were gone in a flash.  I was heartened that they were alive and well.

Nalaban island, seen in the distance was where we were kind of headed.  It is east, closer to the mouth near Naupada.  But it is a long boat ride away, and the fumes from the outboard motor filled me with a kind of guilt and remorse.  This is not what I had in mind when I signed up for this trip.  The birds were in plenty - coots, pintails, egrets.....

We saw a bunch of flamingoes on the island, two harriers attempted bombing raids on the birds below, unsuccessfully as long as we were there, a bunch of barheaded geese had flown in, and brown-headed gulls bobbed in the water.  This is the watchtower on the island, but we didnt go there.

5 pm -and it was time to return. 

He was croaking away that night, missing in our cities.

This argiope seemed to be missing a leg?  (I can only count 7!)

In hindsight, to visit Chilika, I wonder if it makes more sense to come in via the northern borders, to Satpada, from Puri?  I wouldnt reccomend the Balugaon route, as Barkul is also the jetty for pilgrims going off to the Kali temple in the lake.

When we were departing from Balugaon, it was on Sankranti, and the station put the wildebeest migrations of Africa to shame.  Train upon train arrived and disgorged loads of pilgrims who would move across the tracks, platform and station as a dark, murmuring shadow, emptying and leaving a quiet vaccuum behind, only to be filled by the next train!

Mangalajodi, the swamps to the west of the lake, were more enjoyable, and also resulted in a smaller carbon footprint.