(Top: View from Light House and the Next below top: fishermen for a morning catch)
She awaits me, always. Yes, she is Gopalpur On Sea Beach in the state of Odisha (Orissa). I love her silence. So when I was invited by Kate, a friend of mine from New Jersey, USA to accompany her and her friends who wanted to visit "Taptapani" 67 kms away to take a treatment of an exotic nature's spa of hot sulpher stream for a private reason, I though surprized, immediately recommonded them to stay at Gopalpur On Sea Beach rather than Berhampur, which is a closeby major big town, 16 kms from Gopalpur On Sea.
Gopalpur On Sea is a beach resort in Ganjam district of
Orissa is now a quiet place. The din and bustle of the temple towns is totally absent and one can really enjoy the roar of the waves and the breeze bustling through the palm tress.
Gopalpur On Sea saw a slow revival and is today for the select people, one of the foremost beach resorts in India.
From an obscure little fishing village, Gopalpur became a prominent trading port during the days of British East India Company. The East India Company built large warehouses and godowns because the trade with Burma
(Myanmar) had picked up and it had become a trading point for rice from Rangoon. The British and the wealthy
Bengalis, who once made Gopalpur a vibrant, happening place, have left.
Gopalpur has reverted to being a quiet, relaxed place with a distinct charm of its own. I have always enjoyed the slice of serenity in environs that are highly conducive to me for introspection and conviviality. For me it was a true holiday beach hideout.
A winter sea beach paradise for honeymoon and to be with your love mates!
We stayed at
Swosti Palm Resort (http://www.swostihotels.com/palmresort.html), a nice quite place facing the sea. As soon as I told kate and her friends about the nearby light house built in 1965 on a hill, we hurriedly finished our evening tea and headed towards the light house to have a 360 degree view of the sea, the village, Chilika Lake and the ruins.
 |
| Light House |
And let me tell you the view from the top of the light house was, especially during sunset or sun rise awesome and unforgettable!! We waited for the sun about to set at 1730 Hrs (Time limit), climbed down, strolled on the pristine beach and finally returned to our resort. We sat there in silance enjoying our drinks. I had some serious questions to be asked regarding "Taptapani" but decided against it. Thought to ask while traveling to "Taptapani", next day.
The Oriya dinner was fabuous! Not as spicy as you get in other parts of the country. We had made special requests for delicacies such as Machha Curry, Prawn Malai Curry, Crab Kalia and Chilli Fish as non vegetarian dishes and some Okra fry, Jackfruit Masala and Daal for vegetarians.
Wow, it was though short, a memorable visit. I really enjoyed it. Kate and her friends were thrilled.
I drifted into sleep thinking about tomorrow..."Taptapani"???
HOW TO REACH:
By air - The nearest airport is at Bhubaneswar, 180 km from Gopalpur-on-sea. Bhubaneshwar is a one-hour flight from Kolkata.
By rail - The nearest railhead is Berhampur (16 km) on the Kolkata-Chennai line. Berhampur is 608 km from Howrah and 1069 km from Chennai.
By road – One can drive in to Gopalpur-on-sea from Berhampur (now renamed Brahmapur) on National Highway 5
Gopalpur-on-sea does not have a tourist office but Government of Orissa has a tourist office at Berhampur. It is near the New Bus Stand (1st Floor), Berhampur, Distt Ganjam, Telephone: +91 680 2280226.
GETTING AROUND:
Auto-rickshaws and cycle-rickshaws are available in the area to move around. Buses, minibuses and tourist taxis can be hired from Berhampur.
Since the beach faces east ward, sunrises are spectacular.Related post:
VIEW FROM LIGHT HOUSE: