Tourist places in and around Chilika Lake
Kalijai Temple
Goddess Kali is the presiding deity of Chilika. Kalijai Island is thus the abode of the Goddess. Every fisherman in Chilika prays to Kalijai before he goes fishing. For the thousands of devotees who go there and pay homage to Kalijai, boats are available at Balugaon and Barkul at reasonable rates.Narayani
7 Km from Chilika, is a picnic spot of great scenic beauty. By the side of natural springs, the temple of Goddess Narayani adorns the place and is ideal for relaxation.Nirmaljhar
35 Km From Chilika, the place is haloed with the shrine of Lord Vishnu. The perennial stream that flows at Nirmaljhar is channelised to different ponds.Nirmaljhara has earned its name as an ideal place for picnic as well as pilgrimage. A stream that emerges out from the feet of a Vishnu image enhances the importance and sanctity of the place.
Banpur
Placed 15 km from Chilika, Banpur is a centre of religious activities, and houses the shrine of Goddess Bhagwati. In addition, Banpur is also famous for its various cane furniture items.Famous for the time honoured temple of Goddess Bhagabati, Banpur has earned celebrity as a center of religious activities. Once it was the capital of Sailodvaba dynasty, responsible for the construction of the early group of temples in Bhubaneswar. The large number of Buddhist images discovered at Banpur relate the place to the Vajrayan cult of Buddhism. The temple of "Dakshya Prajapati" is a fine specimen of extraordinary artistic excellence of Orissan art. Banpur is 8 km from Balugaon, 42 km from Rambha and 104 km from Bhubaneswar.