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A relaxing boat ride with dolphins for company!

The Chilika Lake is over 1,000 sq km in area and is studded with many small islands. Among these are the Parikud, Phulbari, Berahpura, Nuapara, Nalbana, and Tampara islands. Some have more romantic names such as Honeymoon Island and Breakfast Island. The Kalijai island is home to the temple of Goddess Kalijai. Tourists flock to the temple in January during Makar Sankranti for the Makar Mela.

The brackish waters of the Chilika supports an enormous aquatic life as well. There are more than 200 species of fish and it is also home to the Irrawaddy dolphin. Prawn, crab and mackerel fishing is the main source of livelihood for the locals and one can sample the local fish at the dhabas and OTDC restaurants around the lake.

On the morning we set out, the lake was calm. We could see right through to the bed in the shallow areas. The lake floor was covered in underwater foliage dappled in the sunlight and swaying ever so gently to the rocking of our boat. Only the roar of the engine of our motorboat marred the serenity of the scene. We requested our boatman to shut off the engine and then we relaxed on the bobbing water for an hour, watching the birds fly past, or the fish swim beneath us. Once in a while, we spied a dolphin flash by in the distance. The boatman shared some legends and myths surrounding the Chilika Lake with us as we let our fingers trail through the water, and felt the feathery touch of the plants below.

Also see: The allure of the Andamans

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Have you been to Chilika? Where did you have the best meal? Do you have a hotel to recommend? Please post the information on the message board below so other readers can benefit from your advice. Remember to add information on what was special about the restaurant, hotel or sight you visited, along with relevant telephone numbers and addresses.