Forest Division :	Chilika (Wildlife) Division
District :	Khurda,Puri & Ganjam
Date of Notification :	17-12-1987
Notified Area :	15.53sq.kms

Chilika Sanctuary

Chilika Lake in Orissa is Asia's biggest internal brackish water lake studded with few tiny islands. This pear shaped lake, separated from the Bay of Bengal also imbibes one of the most supportive ecosystem in the name of Chilka Wildlife Sanctuary in the region. It is also popularly known as Nalabana Bird Sanctuary. The large Nalabana Island covering 15.53 sq km in the lagoon area was declared a bird sanctuary in 1987. The core area of about 6 sq km attracts around 400,000 waterfowls of different species.

Quick Facts

• Nalaban island is completely submerged in the monsoon months.
• This tiny island supports congregation of about 60% of total migratory birds visiting Chilika lagoon each year.
• Tourism is not allowed in the Sanctuay at present as per prescription of management plan. However tourists visiting Kalijai temple and having boat ride in Chilika can have a glimpse of the sanctuary from the sanctuary boundary.

How to reach

 By Road : Two hours journey from Bhubaneswar. From there, From there, sanctuary is approachable with one hour boat journey

 By Rail : The tourists can find the nearest rail stations at Balugaon, on the Howrah-Chennai track From Balugaon

 By Air : Bhubaneswar is the nearest airport located at 120 km away.

Facilities available

• Boat ride to Chilika is available at Balugaon, Rambha.
• Staying facilities available at Panthanivas, Barkul run by Odisha Tourism Development Corporation.
• Many private hotels are also available at Balugaon area.

Salient Detail

 Disclaimer : The information contained herein are provided solely for informational purposes only.The content is dynamic and may undergo change from time to time. The snapshot of the content at a particular time is not to be referred as a legally binding document.