That's Strange - The Mysterious Beach in India

It seems that strange things follow me everywhere I go. So, when I decided to take a break from the eerie experience of death tourism, the undying faith of the visa temple or the curious tales of the bullet bike deity, little did I know that I’d be up for a surprise yet again in India. My recent holiday to Orissa was witness to a new discovery - a beach for some, a mystery for travellers like me.

Have You Ever Walked Into A Beach?

Well, I did and so did most of the people there. The lesser-known Chandipur beach near Balasore village (approximately 200 kilometres from capital city Bhubaneswar) provides a unique opportunity where you can ‘literally’ walk into the beach as the sea water recedes almost 5 kilometres away from the shore line during the ebb tide (the time period between the high tide and the low tide). Now, that’s strange and mysterious too!  And you know what, the water stays behind until a high tide comes and literally ‘returns’ the water back to the shoreline. While I was walking with sheer curiosity and a lurking fear that the high tide might hit the shore at any time and take away me as well, I was amazed and relieved seeing a local who rode a bike in to the beach during this time. I suppose only locals are familiar with the timings of the tide and hence attempt to ride one at the beach.

Chandipur Beach - Not Just Another Beach!

While Chandipur beach might look like any other beach in India, the experience is quite unmatchable. I actually saw the sea water disappearing in front of my eyes and then coming back. Surprisingly, not many people were aware of this strange phenomenon of the beach, visitors included. No wonder, my casual walk on the beach proved to be a mysterious one by the end of the day. Later, one of the street hawkers explained that the water receding activity occurs twice every day during the ebb tide. However, the timings change as per the moon cycle.

On my way back, I thought to myself that India has much more to offer beyond temples. After Chandipur beach, why not discover yet another natural wonder that is found only in India. But for that, wait till my next blog...