Photos of Kalijai Temple
About Kalijai Temple
Kalijai Temple sits on a small rocky island out in Chilika Lake. The temple is only accessible by boat which gives you the unique opportunite to start capturing the temple before you even arrive on the island. From the water the island appears as a rich green hill with the temple on top that really pops against a crisp blue sky. Once you land, the stone steps up from the jetty work give you a great spot to look back and capture the line of moored boats. The temple itself is modest, centered around a small sanctum that holds a stone image of the goddess. The island is a unique spot where fishermen stop to pray before heading out on the lake, and offerings of coconuts and flowers build up through the day. Winter (roughly October to March) brings calmer water and migratory birds on the lagoon. If you come in January there is the Makar Sankranti fair and the island fills with pilgrims, giving the island a whole different feel than the rest of the years peacefulness. The nearest town is Balugaon, on the lake's western shore. Boats leave from there and from Barkul, a short drive up the shore, Boats run through daylight hours, so plan an early start if you want the best chance of having fewer tourists and worshippers in your frames. The cost for the trip to the island varies since you agree a price at the jetty, either with a local operator or with the state tourism boats. (Balugaon, Odisha, India)