Described often as 'the land of hidden treasures', Chandipur-on-Sea is one of the finest beaches on the eastern coastline of India. Also referred to as Chandipur, this unique beach is located 16 kilometers from Balasore in Orissa.
Studded with casuarina trees and shining in gleaming waters, Chandipur-on-Sea is a popular sea-side resort. The uniqueness of the beach lies in the fact that during a low tide the waters recede up to five kilometers into the sea exposing the golden sands of the beach. This feature is a tourist's delight and even jeep rides can be taken on the beach during this time. This place is also the location of the Indian Army's Integrated Test Range (ITR) and a number of successful missiles like - Akash, Agni and Prithvi - have been launched from here.
Places to visit
While the beach itself offers breathtaking views of the seascapes there is more sightseeing that can be done at Chandipur-on-sea.
Panchalingeswar
Panchalingeswar, located 45 kilometers from Chandipur, is famous for the temple of Lord Shiva. You have to lie flat on the rock parallel to the stream to touch and worship the Shiva lingams inside the temple. If you are lucky, you can spot elephants moving in herds up and down the hill.
Panchalingeswar is enveloped by the Nilagiri Hills and offers panoramic views.
Nilagiri
Nilagiri is situated 40 kilometers from Chandipur and is popular for the Jagannath Temple. Don't miss out the 400 year old king's palace that is set amidst green hills.
Remuna
Around 8 kilometers from Balasore lies Remuna, which houses the famous Khirachora Gopinath temple. This place has also been the seat of Vaishnavite culture for many centuries. Madhavendrapuri, Sri Chaitanya and Jeevaswami Goswami are believed to have visited the shrine and worshipped the lord. A delicious offering called Khira (a special milk dish) is served inside the temple.
Simlipal
Around 100 kilometers from Chandipur is Simlipal, which offers dense greenery and waterfalls. The wildlife sanctuary has one of the few tiger reserves in India. This national park is also home to hundreds of species of birds, leopards, elephants, deer, crocodiles and reptiles.
Deokund is an enchanting place with a series of waterfalls. It has a Shakti shrine and is in the outer periphery of Simlipal.
Indian Army's Integrated Test Range (ITR)
Apart from being the hotspot for launching missiles, ITR has abundant floriculture and offers great views of the beach. ITR also has an artificial bird sanctuary called Nisarg that has a wide variety of aquatic fauna and doubles up as a winter resort for thousands of migratory birds, some from as far as Siberia. There is also a Deer Park within ITR.
How to get here
The nearest airports are Calcutta and Bhubaneshwar. Tourists can either travel by train or road to Balasore from Calcutta and Bhubaneshwar. Balasore is the nearest railway station and is located around 16 kilometers from Chandipur. Tourists can either rent a car or travel by bus from Balasore to Chandipur.
Where to stay
Being the district headquarters of the region, Balasore has many good hotels. Tourists can also find accommodation in various Panthasalas at Aradi, Panchalingeswar and Chandaneswar.
Info for you!
- Tourists can hire cars for sightseeing in and around Chandipur.
- The actual missile site at the ITR is out of reach for the tourists. To avoid any inconvenience, you may want to check out in advance if there is going to be a test firing.
- The annual dance festival organized on the beach includes folk dances from Punjab, Rajasthan and Bihar. Artists from all over the country and Chandipur perform here during the festival.
- Collect sea shells and driftwood when the water recedes away from the beach.
- Visitors can also go into the sea with the local fishermen to fish for seafood when the water recedes from the beach.
