Chilika Lake, Lagoon in Odisha, India

Chilika Lake is a brackish lagoon in Odisha on India's eastern coast, covering over 1,100 square kilometres and linked to the Bay of Bengal by a 32 km narrow outer channel. Its water area shifts between about 906 sq km in summer and 1,165 sq km in the monsoon, and a 60 km sandbar called Rajhans separates the shallow lagoon from the sea. The lake receives water from the Daya and Bhargavi rivers.

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.

The lagoon lies at the mouth of the Daya River, reachable by road from Bhubaneswar and Puri. A 32 km narrow outer channel connects it to the Bay of Bengal, and the Chilika Development Authority has built a new channel. Boats are the main way to reach the islands and dolphin areas.

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.