The
Chilka Lake in Orissa is Asia's largest inland salt-water lagoon.
Studded with small islands- including the picturesquely-named Honeymoon
Island and Breakfast Island- the lake is separated from the Bay of
Bengal by a sandy ridge.
The
pear-shaped lake spreads across 1,100 sq km, and has a unique ecosystem
with a range of aquatic flora and fauna found in and around its brackish
waters. An impressive array of bird life, both native and migrant, makes
Chilka one of the best places in India for a bit of satisfying
bird-watching. White bellied sea eagles, greylag geese, purple moorhen,
jacana, herons and flamingos are among the many species which make the
lake a bird watcher's delight: Chilka, in fact, is home to one of the
world's largest breeding colonies of flamingos.
Other than the
birds, Chilka's shores are home to blackbuck, spotted deer, golden
jackals and hyenas, and the lake is rich in aquatic life- its waters
harbour around 160 species of fish, crustaceans and other marine
creatures, including the famous Chilka dolphin. Prawn, crab and mackerel
fishing are an important source of livelihood for the local people, and
hundreds of small fishing boats set sail each morning to bring in the
day's catch from the lake. he Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve harbours India’s
second largest pachyderm population, and the chances of seeing elephant
herds is pretty high, especially during the dry season.
Major
Attractions
