GENERAL INFORMATION:

Temperature

Winter  = 17°C
Summer = 31 °C
Rainfall  = 135.23 Cms.

Language 

Oriya, Hindi and English

Clothing

Light cotton in summer and light woolen in winter.

Eat :: enjoy items of fish, prawn and crab:

= Chilka Dhaba -near Barkul Panthanivas
= Chilka Hotel -Balugaon Main Road
= Sagar fastfood and restaurant -Balugaon Main Road.

Drink

Drinks are available but if any one is particular about brands and such things, it is safer to carry one's own.

Buy

Fish, prawn and the famous crab from Balugaon market

EDIFYING INFORMATION:

Chilika was one of the outlets maritime trade through which the traders of Orissa used to sail  for South-east Asian countries like Java, Sumatra and Bali. Manikpatna happened to be the port for quite some time.

Chilika is the largest lagoon along the east coast of India, situated between latitude 19⁰ 28’ and 19⁰ 54’ N and longitude 85⁰ 05’ and 85⁰ 38’ E. The lagoon is a unique assemblage of marine, brackish and fresh water eco-system with estuarine characters. It is one of the hotspots of biodiversity and shelters a  number of endangered species listed in the IUCN red list of threatened species, and also is a designated Ramsar site. It is an avian grandeur and the wintering ground for more than one million migratory birds. The highly productive lagoon eco-system with its rich fishery resources sustains the livelihood of more than 0.15 million-fisher folk who live in and around the Lagoon. The water spread area of the Lagoon varies between 1165 to 906 sq.km during the monsoon and summer respectively. A 32 km long, narrow, outer channel connects the lagoon to the Bay of Bengal, near the village Motto, recently a new mouth was opened by CDA which has brought a new lease of life to the lagoon.

The total number of fish species are reported to be 225 (Dean and Saaltink, 1991). Along with a variety of phytoplankton, algae and aquatic plants, the Lagoon region also supports over 720 species of non-aquatic plants (CDA). A survey of the fauna of Chilika carried out by the Zoological Survey of India in 1985-87 recorded over 800 species in and around the lagoon. This list includes a number of rare, threatened and endangered species, including the Barakudia limbless skink. The Lagoon is a highly productive ecosystem and with it’s rich fishery resources sustains the livelihood of more than 1,50,000 fisher folk who live in and around the lagoon.

Ramsar Site:

= Over a million migratory waterfowl and shorebirds winter here.
= Over 400 vertebrate species have been recorded.
= As an estuarine lagoon, it supports a unique assemblage of marine, brackish and freshwater species.
= Several rare and endangered species are found in the region.
= Supports fisheries that are the lifeline of the community.
= The lagoon is of great value in preserving genetic ecological variety.