Chandipur Tour Guide
This was our first trip and obviously its memories bring along some kind of inexplicable joy.
My son was barely five years of age and we were planning our first sojourn. As is expected, we wanted it to be a short trip, not very far [less journey time] so that it came easy to the child. One of my colleagues suggested “Chandipur.” According to her the low waves of this Odisha (then Orissa) beach would be just perfect for my kid to explore and also gave us the name of the hotel where we could put up since she had already been there.
FACTS ABOUT CHANDIPUR
Closest Railway station – Balasore (Baleswar)
Chandipur is just 16 km away from this station and can be reached in autos, taxis and buses therefrom.
You can travel to Balasore by bus from nearby cities.
Closest Airport is Bhubaneswar (Biju Patnaik Airport) which is approximately 180km from Balasore
Now for the preparations – At that point of time Internet rather “Google” was not a very common phrase amongst the ordinary folk in this part of India. So, we all depended on the book “Bhraman Sangi” and accounts of people who had already visited those shores.
Soon the train tickets were booked and arrangement for putting up at “Shantinivas” made. Though we did not get the booking of the rooms we had yearned for as those were the closest to the shore, yet the room we booked had a common balcony wherefrom the sea would be visible. That was good enough for us.
The best parts I love about travel – planning, making the bookings and definitely packing. As you put those small things in place there is a sense of déjà vu – it gives you the indications of the thrills and ecstasy that is to come your way soon.
THE D-DAY
After coming back from office, we had an early dinner and started for the station biding our parents goodbye. It was the month of March and back then, it wouldn’t be too hot in March. Soon we were aboard and the train was chugging out of Howrah station, much to the delight of my son.
Balasore
It was initially a commercial town where factories had been built by the British, Danish and French. A port had also been built by the British
Well, lots have difficulty sleeping in trains with umpteen apprehensions, but not me. To me sleeping in trains gives me the same feel as if in a rocking cradle. Soon we dozed off, but it was cut short as we had to get down at Balasore station early.
It was still dark as the train entered the sparkling clean platform and so we decided to wait till dawn. Then we hired an auto and it took us nearly 45 minutes to reach “Santinibas.” The moment we entered through its huge gates we fell in love with it. Huge coconut trees lined the path from the entrance and it looked awesome.
It is actually not a hotel to speak of; rather it’s a property with scattered buildings amidst trees – some single storeyed, one double storeyed and a few thatched cottages. The single-storeyed building with two rooms was the closest to the sea. The ambience was superb. It had its own gateway to the sea beach.
The property had lots of trees of all kinds. There was a pond with a few geese. It was just perfect for my son as he enjoyed the sight of the geese swimming in the pond or lazing in the sun.
Our booking was in one of the corner rooms on the first floor of the double storeyed building. Just after unpacking and placing our breakfast order at the kitchen, we ventured into the sea.
The Chandipur sea is unique – one of its kind. It is serene, no huge waves but just perfect for people who love the peace and tranquility. The sea retreats almost 5 km at low tide and you can follow it in just feet-deep water, collecting shells of different kinds. If biodiversity is what you are looking for, this beach is a must-visit.
When we reached the shore, it was low tide and the sea was far away and we gradually started walking towards it. There were lots of shells and most of these were quite intact. This is because as the sea is very gentle here the shells hardly get broken. The sea shore is lined by casuarina trees. But we had to return soon as the hotel staff warned us not to venture too far as the sea would soon come closer with the high tide at noon.
We came back for our breakfast. The kitchen of Shantinivas needs special mention. The aloo paranthas were just awesome. Also the other dishes of typical Bengali cuisine need special mention. One thing is for sure – no guest shall have any complaints as far as food is concerned.
After breakfast, we found the sea approaching the shore at a very slow pace. We had moved towards the sea and then started retreating as the sea came closer. It was almost 1 pm when it was full tide. Then also you could hardly spot any huge waves and it was fantastic as my kid could explore the sea in its entirety without any fear and we were less anxious too.
After enjoying at the sea we returned to our room and freshened up and went on to have lunch. This definitely needs mention. The dal, aloo posto and fish curry were just too good. The only thing is that you have to place your orders early for the hotel staff to procure and prepare as they serve fresh food only.
After our afternoon siesta, we met the Manager to chalk out our plan for the next day when we were to go for sightseeing. He advised us to do the same in their auto. We were to start our day trip the next day at 7 am.
In the evening we strolled out of Shantinibas and moved around the streets of Chandipur. We went along the road towards the Odisha Panthanivas [OTDC]. The sea is visible from there too. You can get the exact timings of daily ebb-tide in the boards of Panthanivas. The roads of Chandipur are very clean and we came to know that there is a missile launching centre in the Cantonment area – the Indian Strategic Forces Command’s Integrated Test Range (ITR) at Abdul Kalam Island. This island was previously known as the Wheeler Island. Many Indian missiles have been tested from here like Prithvi, Shaurya, Agni, Barak 8 and Akash.
Once we returned to our hotel, we found that the pujari was offering evening prayer at the small temple within the hotel compound. We joined him and were offered prasad. Then we had our dinner and wound off early so that we could wake up well in time for our day-long trip the next day.
We heard a few test firings at night but woke up to the chirping of the birds. The hotel compound has innumerable trees and it is only natural that you will be able to enjoy your morning tea amidst nature in its full glory, watching the sun rising from the sea amidst the sound of the birds. Then it was time for us to get ready to start the trip. We packed our breakfast to have on our way and planned to have a late lunch and told our hotel staff the same.
PANCHALINGESHWAR AND OTHER NEARBY PLACES
Our first destination was Panchalingeshwar, situated 45 km from Chandipur and it took us one and a half hours to reach there. The forest there is really dense in the Nilgiri hills. We got to know that lots of animals, even bears and elephants can be seen in these forests. The blue of the forest faded into the blue of the sky at the horizon making the place ethereal. We explored the forest a little and though we did not spot any wild animals, the ambience and the thrill of moving through the forest with the birds singing was really exciting. Many people trek in this forest and if you wish to spend a couple of nights, you can do so as there are a few hotels including the OTDC, Panthashala.
Then we started climbing up the hill. There were innumerable steps (almost 200) and at times it was becoming a little strenuous for my son. So we had to stop a couple of times before we reached the top – the abode of Panchalingeshwar – Lord Shiva. There was no conventional temple. Spring water was cascading down creating enchanting ripple sound and forming a stream and in one small cavern one had to immerse their hand in this water to feel the five lingas and offer puja. There were lots of stalls selling amenities for puja. My wife offered puja and once done we climbed down and boarded the auto for moving towards Sajanagarh, Nilgiri.
Sajanagarh is a small village in Nilgiri and is situated 45 km from Chandipur. It is rich archaeologically with the ruins. It is also a seat of Shakti cult. The shrine of Bhudara Chandi is located about 5 km from Nilagiri. But we were running short of time and had to be content with the ruins and could not visit Bhudara Chandi. Also the locals said that the temple would be closed in the afternoon hours [12 noon – 2 pm].
Then we moved towards Remuna to visit the famed Khirchora Gopinath temple. It is a centre of Vaishnavite culture throughout centuries. The most delicious offering of this temple is Khira – a kind of milk preparation. The Kadamba and Champak trees fill the air with sweet fragrance.
According to locals, Gopinath, an incarnate of Lord Krishna, used to reside here 800 years ago. But the temple is just 150 years old. The walls of the temple feature the various tales from the life of Lord Krishna and we went about viewing these beautiful pictures. The setting is tranquil and you feel at peace and ease here. Your faith and belief is restored and it should be a must-visit.
Our last destination was the mouth of the Buribalam river where it meets the sea. It is here that freedom fighter, Jatindranath or more famously, Baghajatin, was waiting with four others to collect weapons from the Germans. But Charles Tegart attacked them with his army and the revolutionaries had to fight against the British army. The revolutionaries – Nirendra, Monoranjan, Jyotish, Chittopriyo and Jatindranath lost this uneven battle but after giving a good fight. Injured Jatindranath had been moved to Balasore Hospital
Finally we started back for our hotel. On reaching, we had a late lunch and retired to our room to wake up in the afternoon for our stroll on the beach. The sea was quite far and the shore was home for small, red crabs – running hither and thither. They entered their holes as soon as we approached them and it was a delight and play for my son. We viewed the moon rising and it sure was a spectacular sight.
With evening, we started chatting with the Manager and the other staff, some of them being residential. They talked about their daily lives, the conditions of Odisha – economic, political and more. It was an evening worth spent as no tour is complete without knowing the lives of the common folk residing there.
Next day was the last day. We were to board our train from Balasore. So an early morning sunrise and walk along the sea shore and we started packing for our return. We had an early lunch and bid adieu to Chandipur.
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