CHILIKA LAKECHILIKA - AT A GLANCE
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Chilika
Lake, popularly known as Chilka, the queen of Natural scenery in Odisha, also known
as the Swiss-lake in the continent. Nestling in the heart of coastal Odisha, Chilika
is India's biggest inland lake. Spread over 1165 square kilometres during the monsoon
season and 906 square kilometres during dry season, it runs along the borders of
three districts of Puri
, Khurda and Ganjam and finally joins the Bay of Bengal through a narrow mouth,
forming an enormous lagoon of brackish water. Chilika is the largest brackish water
lagoon of Asia situated on east coast of India. It is situated between 19028'
and 19054' North latitude and 85005' and 5038'
East longitude. Due to its high productive ecosystem, rich biodiversity and socio-economic
importance, Chilika was designated as a
Ramsarsite in October 1981, under the convention
of wetlands of international importance.
In winter Chilika lagoon flutters with thousands of migratory birds and water-fowls from as far as the Siberia, Caspian sea, Lake Baikal, Aral sea, remote parts of Russia, Kirghiz steppes of Mangolia, central and south east Asia, Ladakh and the Himalayas for feeding, resting and roosting. Every year the birds start coming to the lake around the second and third week of October and stay up to March. They start their homeward journey at commencement of summer.
The lake is famous for bareheaded geese and common geese,etc. chilika is home to a rich variety of aquatic flora and fauna. Chilika is veritable wonder of nature. Containing a large variety of fish the lake privides livelihood to thousands of fishermen. Hundreds of boats sail out daily on the lake's blue expanse in search of mackerel, prawn and crabs, this sight providing an insight into the pageant of rural India at its colourful best.
| Best Time to Visit Chilika | |
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Enriched by picturesque hills all along its arched shape, its colour changing in Kalidoscopic glory with passing clouds and the moving Sun, its body rolling in languid abandon, excited by the gentle breeze wafted from the Bay of Bengal. It is said that any visit to Puri remains incomplete without a visit to Chilika Lake. Chilika provides an opportunity to visit nature and natural beauties through its vast coverage of bluish water, small green mountains and islands in it and the clean bluish sky with floating clouds. That is why Chilika has attracted many poets, nature lovers, bird watchers and even the general public and tourists every year.
Tourists can get more informations and also find the visitor rules about Chilika at the information banners provided by CDA (Chilika Development Authority) near chilika lake. Please find some of those banners below.
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| Location | 19028' 19054' North Latitude 85005' 85038' East Longitude |
| Boundaries | East - Bay of Bengal West - Rocky hills of Easternghats North - Alluvial plain Mahanadi Delta South - Rocky hills of Eastern Ghats |
| District coverage | Puri, Khurda and Ganjam |
| Length and breadth | Maximum length - 64.30 km Maximum breadth - 18.00 km Minimum breadth - 5.00 km |
| Water Spread area | Maximum - 1165 square km Minimum - 740 square km |
| No. of rivers and rivulets (running water flowing on or under the earth) draining into it | 35 |
| Total area of island | 223 square km |
| Annual rainfall | 1160 mm |
| Lagoon mouth | One (near Moto village, previously near Arakhakuda) |
| Fishermen village | 132 |
| Depth | 0.38m - 4.2m |
| Declared as Ramsar site | 01 October, 1981 |