Monsoon Holidays: Chandipur Beach - Orissa

Grey skies, lush greenery and furious cascading waterfalls - the main hallmarks associated with the magic of monsoon can be felt at Deokund (110 km from Balasore) - an enchanting place with its series of waterfalls located in the outer periphery of the Similipal National Park; Panchalingeswar (85 km from Baripada and 30 km from Balasore) is the site of an ancient Shiva temple where the five lingams of Lord Shiva are regularly washed by a natural spring that flows over them. This place located in the midst of the verdant Devgiri mountain range is also known for its lush green foliage and beautiful scenery; Talasri (90 km from Balasore & 5 km from Chandaneswar) and Choumukh (64 km from Balasore) are beautiful unexplored beaches yet to capture the imagination of the traveller; Nilagiri (40 km from Chandipur) is a quite charming place in the lap of nature, an ideal base for trekking the Nilagiri hills and to explore the Kuldiha Elephant Sanctuary.

Other places within the periphery include Sajanagarh - the seat of Shakti cult and an area rich in archaeological find; Remuna - the seat of Vaishnavite culture famous for its 19th century temple of Khirachora Gopinath (Butter stealing Krishna); Chandaneswar - for the beach and temple of Lord Chandaneswara and Khiching- famous for its 10th century Chamunda temple and the 7th century Kichakeswari temple.

Other places of interest include the Rama Janaki Raghuveer Temple and the Sankat Mochan Hanuman Temple near the Janaki Kund; the Sati Anusuya Ashram- a 16 km meandering scenic drive through densely wooded areas will lead you to Sati Anusuya Ashram where various streams from the hills converge and form the Mandakini River and where sati Anusuya explained to Sita the grandeur and importance of satitva; the natural wonder Gupt-Godavari - two caves one narrow and the other wide through which one can barely pass and where Rama and his brother Laxman held court.

For a thunderous roar of the waterfall visit the Chachai and Keoti Falls (46 km from Rewa) on the banks of the river Bihad where you will find a beautiful spectacle of water falling in torrents from a height of 130 mts; the Mara Caves (in Singhrauli) - second only to the caves of Ajanta and Ellora in terms of sheer beauty of its paintings is another exciting place to visit. Sohagpur is popular for its beautiful Hayahaya Temple of Shiva as Virateswara.

There are a good number of hotels in and around Chandipur, where a traveller can stay. Orissa Tourism has hotels and guest houses at Chandipur, Balasore, Panchalingeswar and Chandaneswar. There are a number of private hotels in these places, which provide comfortable accommodation. Check out hotels in Chandipur.

By Air: The Nearest airports are at Bhubneshwar (294 km away) and Kolkata (206 km away).

By Rail: The nearest railway station is at Balasore (16 km away). Balasore is on Calcutta-Chennai mainline and is well connected by all major cities. From here one can hire a taxi or an auto to reach Chandipur.

By Road: Located on NH-5, Chandipur is 16 km away from Balasore which is well connected to all major cities by road. National Highway No. 5 and 6 pass through the district and run from Kolkata to Chennai. By road Balasore-Bhubneshwar is 214 km and Balasore- Kolkata is 298 km.

When to Go: Though monsoon brings a different feel to the place, however popular months to visit Chandipur is from September to March.