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Orissa offers its mountain-lovers, some exotic treks of the height of around 1600 meter tall. Some of these beautiful treks are the Mahendragiri Trek, Gandhamardan Trek, and Nilagiri Trek, where on a good day, one can have a sight of the elephants, spotted deer, and even leopards. Wildlife abounds in their bounteous undergrowth.
The two main places for the dare-devils of the water are Barkul and Dhabaleswar. Barkul, Rambha, Balugaon and Satpada are the bases for visiting Chilika, where boats can be hired. The dynamic topographical variations of Orissa offer the more intrepid visitors an excellent opportunity to enjoy their diversity, and there by take hack stimulating memories of a great vacation.
Trekking
Gandhamardhan Trek
The Gandhamardhan Hill enshrines the Nrusimhanath shrine on its northern slope and the Harishankar shrine on its southern slope. To walk over the hill-top from Harishankar to Nrusimhanath and back, a distance of 16 km, through the glories of nature and culture (it is said to be the seat of a Buddhist University called Po-lo-mo-lo-ki-li by the Chinese traveller Huien Tsang) is an experience by itself.
Mahendragiri Trek
The
beautiful 1525 meter tall Mahendragiri Hill, is around 125 km from
Berhampur. It is the destination of numerous trekkers who can, on a good
day, sight elephants, spotted deer and even leopards. The Mahendra Tanaya
rivulet wends its way through the forest which abounds in peacocks, flying
squirrels, and even talking mynahs. Nilagiri Trek
Situated in the district of Balasore, the Nilagiri Hill in the Kuldiha jungle is a trekker's delight with its silvery streams and immense beauty. Wildlife abounds in their bounteous undergrowth. Trekkers can camp at three camping outlets located here.
Water Sports
Barkul Water Sports
South of Puri, the sea mixes in with Chilika Lake to create the largest brackish water lake in Asia, and a spot of enchanting beauty. These shallow waters enclose an immense area of marshes, lowlands, and islands.
A number of islands dot the expanse of the lake. The large fishing community adds flavour to the lake with their traditional colourful sail boats bobbing expertly across the water, reminiscent of the ancient maritime heritage of Orissa. In fact, the fisher folk can be persuaded to take visitors on their boats.
While Chilika is worth visiting the year round, the winter months, when the
air reverberates with the din of the birds, are the nicest times. Barkul,
Rambha, Balugaon and Satpada are the bases for visiting Chilika, where boats
can be hired. At Barkul, the Orissa Tourism Development Corporation Ltd.
(OTDC) has organized a Water Sports Complex where facilities for canoeing,
kayaking, and boating are available. The complex also has water scooters. Dhabaleswar Water Sports
Tucked in the bosom of the river Mahanadi is a idyllic island called Dhabaleswar. So called because of its presiding deity, Lord Dhabaleswar, an incarnation of Lord Shiva, the island is a place of great religious significance. Sculptures dating back to the 10th century AD stand testimony to the antiquity of the temple.
While Dhabaleswar attracts pilgrims round the year, thousands of people throng the place on special occasions like Shivaratri. Located far from the madding crowd, and surrounded by the Mahanadi, Dhabaleswar provides a magnificent ambience for visitors.
The island is located 4 kms from Cuttack by river, and 12 kms from Cuttack by road. With a view to promoting water sports, the Tourism Department has provided two Water Scooters and two boats at the island.
