Chandipur, an Ideal Weekend destination

· by · in Photography, Travel. ·

The hustle and bustle of the city life take a toll on us. The body, as well as the mind, aspire for frequent breaks. An extended weekend is most welcome as it provides the chance for a short trip. There are places in and around Kolkata which are not yet crowded enough to make you feel like a claustrophobic. A three-day-weekend often becomes the reason for a mad debate on what should be the ideal destination. If you want to enjoy the serenity of nature along with the bustling sea waves, you can be zeroed down to Chandipur, Odisha.

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Chandipur or Chandipur-on-Sea is a small sea resort that is unique in its own way.
It is only 16 km from Baleswar or Balasore and is one of the many beaches in Odisha on the coastline of Bay of Bengal. Chandipur has the usual beauty and attractions of a sea beach, but a rarity has made it one of its kind. In any other beach, the waves come and go relentlessly, the continuous sound of the waves always keeps you aware of their mighty presence, but here the waves “vanish” at times and, come back again dancing to the rhythm of their own music. The ‘vanishing’ or ‘receding’ sea is the star attraction of Chandipur.

Yes, here the sea ‘vanishes’ during the ebb tide! Wondering? Actually, at Chandipur beach the sea recedes up to 5 km during the low tide. It’s a great spectacle as the sea surges or retreats.

The sea during ebb tide

The sea during ebb tide

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Surrounded by tall Casuarina trees swaying their heads in the breeze, with some temporary shops here and there, the beach is still very much pollution free and peaceful. One can feel the essence of nature here.

This wonder of nature also gives the tourists the pleasure of walking through the sea literally when it’s ebb tide. Even you can take a jeep ride if you like. The sea surges back at regular intervals, so there is no risk involved. Millions of red crabs and their holes are to be seen on the beach. The crabs are of different types according to the locals.  Perhaps the uniqueness of the sea has given rise to the biodiversity of nature.

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Sand Art

Sand Art

Sight-Seeing From Chandipur

 You can visit a few adjoining places in and around Chandipur. The car service is available and can be arranged easily either by yourself or by the hotel. It’ll be convenient and saves the time if you leave the matter to the hotel authority.

We stayed at the OTDC Panthanibas resort, a decent place with wonderful room-service. We visited the Panchalingeswar Temple which is about 45km from Chandipur.

The serenity of the temple, nestled between the verdant Nilgiri Hills, will rejuvenate your mind. The five ‘lingams’ symbolising Lord Shiva are to be found at the top over which runs a perennial waterfall. You’ve to go barefoot to reach the top climbing a flight of stairs.

Don’t forget to have a glimpse of the Nilagiri which is famous for the Jagannath Temple. If you’ve some more time, you can also trek up to the temple. The various shades of green all the way will make you awestruck. Nilagiri is about 30km from Chandipur.

5km from Nilagiri lies Sajanagarh, a quaint village famous for the temple of Goddess ‘Bhudhar Chandi’. The intricate stone-works on the walls of the temple are astonishingly beautiful.

Remuna, 25km from Chandipur, is the site of the temple of “Khirachora Gopinath” that is, Lord Krishna. The ambience of this temple will make you feel the divine presence of the Lord.

Chandipur is thus a great family destination. It’ll also be the best if you want to spend a couple of days alone or with friends. The pristine beauty and silence of Chandipur will surely rejuvenate your body and mind.

How to Reach: A number of trains are available from Kolkata/Howrah. After reaching the nearest railway station, Balasore or Baleswar, hire a car/auto to reach Chandipur beach in about 40/45 minutes. Direct bus services are also available from Kolkata (Esplanade). It takes about 5 hours to reach Balasore City Centre by bus.
NH5 passes through the Balasore town.

Where to Stay: OTDC Panthanibas is the best place to stay in Chandipur. Besides that, there are other reputed hotels like Arpita Beach Resort, Hotel Muktangan etc. It’s better to book prior your trip especially if you have elders and kids with you.

Way to Panchalingeswar

Way to Panchalingeswar

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Here is a very short glimpse of the sea during the high tide.

OTDC Panthanibas booking details are here

75 responses to “Chandipur, an Ideal Weekend destination”

  2. That is sea in the video how come it has muddy water?… looks like the temple surround by nature had its charms as well…especially the water falls and hills… You have seen a lot more ofcourse, Puri and places I was a photo in another blog page. When did you go there summer time?… there is some turtle hatching in a place in Orrissa, I think Chatrapur beach or something… reading about that only got to know something about Orissa, surprised it has so many beaches. I hear these places in Andhra always affected due to cyclones, anyway.

    Liked by 1 person

    • The water was increasing at that time…it was the sand mixing with water that gave it the color… 🙂

      Yes, Chatrapur is a beach in the Baleswar distrcit, near Gopalpur.

      You know much about the state..:-) Thanks so much for commenting, dear… 🙂

      Like

  11. Hmm! what a beautiful place. The serene surrounding makes it an ideal place to get away from the hustle and bustle of the city life. Nice post Maniparna.

    Like

  22. Beautiful pictures..and looks like an interesting place. I particularly am intrigued about panchlingeshwar. Is it a natural formation? Is the pict in the post?

    Liked by 1 person

    • Thanks Lata ..:-)

      Yes, it’s a natural formation. Actually, you’ve to lie down to touch the lingams under the water. We visited during the monsoons and the waterfall was running with full strength. So we didn’t get the chance to touch it. If the main attraction is Panchalingeswar, I suggest you to visit during the winter. Summer is extremely hot and climbing those stairs might take a toll.

      Liked by 1 person

  27. Now that looks like a serene getaway Mani ! Loved the images specially the one with scattered shells on the sand .. you have used in one of your prompts too na !
    I was made aware of the vanishing sea while answering the quiz for Amrita .. so today I was glad to see a post I know something about beforehand .. he he 🙂

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  31. naaiceyy!! That looks like quite a trip Maniparna :).. I have been wanting to go to Orissa from such a long time. The coast looks amazing, and the natural landscape too. I love it for their art too. Would love to check some of their tribal art forms. I had met one of the tribal artists in Mysore when he was here to perform. Amazing stuff!

    Liked by 1 person

    • True, the art and artifacts of Odisha are really praiseworthy. Also, the architectural splendour of temples. Chandipur is a peaceful beach and one can enjoy the serenity of the nature.

      Hope you get the chance of visiting the state soon… 🙂

      Like

  32. Well it’s a pleasure to debate over a place for a weekend getaway. Probably the best heated argument 😀

    Orissa is a much lesser known/heard state for me. This was a good look through Orissa. How far is it from your place?

    Those rocks and the sea in the video can make for a good landscape shot provided there is not that much crowd there, and if you have the right kit 😀

    Liked by 1 person

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