Chilika Lake

Chilika Lake is a lagoon in Odisha on India's eastern coast, stretching across more than 1,165 square kilometers (450 square miles) during monsoon season and connected to the Bay of Bengal through a narrow opening near Motto Village. The water is interspersed with low sandy islands and marshy strips of alluvial land where grasses grow and scattered palms stand.

The lagoon served as a major route for seafarers traveling along the eastern coast in ancient times. Archaeologists discovered evidence of human settlement from the Neolithic period through the Iron Age at Golabai Sasan.

Fishermen from surrounding villages set out each morning in simple wooden boats using handwoven nets passed down through generations. Island communities speak local dialects and maintain small shrines along the shore where they pray before heading onto the water.

Access is through road connections from Bhubaneswar and Puri, with several guesthouses near the shore. Boat trips to the islands typically depart in the early morning when the water is calmer and dolphin sightings are more likely.

Around 150 Irrawaddy dolphins live in the brackish water near Satpada Island, forming the largest known population of this species in any lagoon. On some winter days more than 100,000 migratory birds gather along the shore, resting on shallow sandbanks.