SUNDAY POST- JAN-4- 10
S MADHUSUDHANA RAO
Bhitarkanika is fondly called mini-Amazon of India. Since I have not seen the rain forests and mangroves of Amazon except on Discovery and NG channels, I can’t vouchsafe for the veracity of the statement. However, what can be surely said is Bhitarkanika is a world of its own. Its charm is not confined to mangroves, crocodiles, birds and reptiles alone. It is much more than all of these put together. Its tranquility is so mesmerizing that time stands still. If you have never experienced what it feels like, a boat trip to Bhitarkanika is worth taking.
Bhitarkanika in its totality is a national park, wildlife sanctuary, and a habitat for a wide variety of birds. If you are a nature lover, Bhitarkanika does not disappoint you. In fact, it offers you more than you have imagined. For, you can see the pristine beauty of nature, in its raw form, unspoiled by man’s greed.
Bhitarkanika is mostly promoted as a wildlife sanctuary and a bird lover’s paradise, which, of course, is true. But, if you go with the expectation of seeing wild elephants, tigers, lions and other ferocious carnivores, you will be sorely disappointed. However, you can find some herbivores like spotted deer and reptiles and other animals in their most natural habitat.
An area of 145 sq km has been designated as wild life sanctuary in over 672 sq km Bhitarkanika National Park. Nearby are Gahirmatha Beach, made world famous by endangered Olive Ridley turtles for their nesting, and a marine sanctuary. These are separated by miles and miles of mangroves. So, if you want to see turtle nesting grounds, you have to go to Gahirmath. That means different trips and you can’t make it in one go. A trip to Bhitarkanika takes you to the world of crocs and other animals through mangroves and rivers and backwaters of Bay of Bengal crisscrossing a vast area.
The mode of transport is motor boat. Only those boats that are permitted by the Forest Department and the Orissa Tourism Development Corporation (OTDC) ply through specific routes to show visitors around. The boats will stop only at one or two designated points and are not allowed to stop anywhere in between and let visitors venture into the mangroves. The reasons are both simple and precautionary: Any adventurous attempt by tourists is fraught with danger. The waters are infested with crocs and the mangroves with snakes and reptiles and are so dense that at some places even sunlight can’t penetrate. Any one venturing into the wild will be risking his life.
The dangers lurking in the waters and in the bush should be understood by visitors. Though there is no case of any tourist, overcome by the spirit of adventure and overawed by the surrounding beauty jumping into the waters to feel closer to the nature, its lure is too much to resist.
However, except at landing points where the Forest Department has put up boards warning visitors not to go near water bodies, there is no other warning sign.
Although tourists can visit the national park from different boarding points – Khoula checkpost, Rajnagar, Dangmal and Chandbali –the last one seems to be a better option. For, the boat journey gives you a panoramic view of Baitarni River and its confluence with two other rivers Brahmani and Dhamra. The expanse of water is breathtaking as you move towards the mouth of the wildlife park. The vastness of water gives us how small we are. You will miss the awesomeness of water all around if one boards the boat at any other jetty.
But be warned that it will take at least two hours to reach the mangroves area from Chandbali jetty. Once inside the National Park, it’s a different world, dotted by creeks, river systems and canals. As the motor boat manoeuvres its way through unending waterways surrounded by mangroves and other vegetation, you can’t miss crocodiles and gharials of different colours and sizes lazing on the mudflats. If you go in the morning, you can see dozens of them basking in the sun. Their scattered presence indicates that they don’t move in groups. While baby crocs lay sprawled like abandoned plastic mock-ups on the shores, their adults, some are giants, present the same visage. But they get attentive once you make noise and swiftly slither into the waters.
Besides crocodiles, you can also watch plenty of deer grazing and varieties of birds. But the best season to watch migratory birds, I am told by my guide Prabhat Nayak is from August to October when lakhs of them literally descend on Bhitarkanika. But at that time, crocs, Nayak says, are hardly visible. That means if you want to watch birds and crocs, you have to visit the National Park at two different periods. Winter is the best season and morning is the best time to watch the crocs when they come out of the water for basking in the sun for warmth. As the day progresses, either they move into the cool shade of mangroves or into the water. Nevertheless, one should be ‘lucky’ to sight them, as the boatman says, adding, there were occasions when visitors could not spot a single reptile.
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Checklist
1. The road distance between Bhubaneswar and Chandabali is about 160km. Normally, it shouldn’t take more than two-three hours. But the road that goes through Kendrapara will test the tourists’ physical strength. At some stretches, the road is being widened. But, overall, it is narrow and pot-holed. As usual, motorists can’t find any road directions. If anybody wants to travel on own, well, they have to depend either on google maps or seek directions from roadside shops or passersby. Night driving can be risky and hazardous. There is another route from Bhadrak side. But I have been told that is worse.
2. I find OTDC’s Panth Nivas in Chandabali ideal for stay. Overlooking Baitarni, OTDC has its own jetty and its guest house has both A-C and non-A-C rooms. They are functional without frills but their maintenance is much to be desired. For travelers, it is convenient because the jetty is just across the road. If you take a package tour of Bhitakanika, OTDC provides accommodation, boat trip with guide and food. The staff is a caring lot. However, there are other private operators.
3. Bhitarkanika is a veritable treasure trove of nature’s wonders. But, it needs good road connectivity and proper directions. But care also should be taken not to disturb the natural habitats of dozens of species. More tourists mean adding more air and sound pollution to the mostly unspoilt nature. The National Park should not be turned into a picnic place because it is ecologically sensitive and a pride possession of Orissa.