To Travel is to Live

The world never ceases to charm us with its natural beauty, unusual wonders, and artistic creations. So, I think that without wasting these precious times, we should often embark on beautiful sojourns that will stay etched in our memory forever.

A few months ago, when the COVID curbs had just gone down, me and my family decided to take a trip to Chandipur, a beautiful destination in the Balasore district of Odisha.

We had to undergo a few checks before we boarded the train to maintain all the COVID protocols. The train journey was equally awesome. As the train traveled farther and farther, leaving the station behind, we found ourselves lost amongst the lush green trees that dotted the fields on either side of the railway tracks.

As the wild gush of wind blew through the leaves of the trees, they swayed back and forth as if humming a song that only the very best of nature’s creations were allowed to sing.

As I gorged on deep-fried snacks, ‘time- mystical time,’ flew by and we arrived at Balasore station in what seemed like an instant.

The amount of effort the Odisha Government has put into maintaining the overall cleanliness of the station and its surroundings is really commendable. We took a local autorickshaw and reached Chandipur. It was a one-hour drive, more or less. When we reached Chandipur, it was almost sunset, so we couldn’t get a glimpse of the sea. Yes, the sea was not visible and as far as the eyes could see, it was all sand because Chandipur is commonly known as “The Land of The Vanishing Sea”—another example of nature’s magic.

My sister and I were too exhausted from the long train journey, as were our other family members. Thus, without further ado, we headed straight to the hotel and blessed ourselves with a good night’s sleep. 

The next morning was a fresh start for all of us. My sleep was broken when I heard the sound of sea waves rushing towards me. All of my family members, my mom and dad, my sister, and my uncle and aunty were so excited at the sound of the waves that within an hour we left to pay a visit to the great, Almighty sea that lay ahead of us. The water was cold and crisp, just below the knees. As the cold waves came, washed over me, and went away—in that moment I found a great weight lifted off of me. It felt so serene and blissful that I felt all my work pressures, deadlines, study pressure, and anxiety wash away. The distant chirping of birds and little kids playing around made the entire experience even better.

 

After munching on seafood, we all had our most anticipated coconut water and headed back to our hotel. The evening was spent mostly chit-chatting and playing board games. The distant ramblings of the natives were being heard and it filled me with a sense of warmth.

                     

The next day, we all went for sight-seeings …

The Nilgiri Palace was at its architectural best and the concrete finery had left me spellbound. It had a courtyard and a backyard, which were also maintained pretty well. The entire palace was lemon yellow with black-tainted borders. Two lion structures sat at the entrance. The palace was just magnificent in its totality.

Our next stop was Buri Balam, where we witnessed the canons that had once served the purpose of war during pre-independence. 

The next day we left the very beautiful Chandipur behind us and returned to our safe haven with great delight in our hearts and peace in our minds. The small gateway, away from the concrete jungle and the hustle and bustle of city life, came as a respite to us and this beautiful trip will remain forever fresh in the cupboards of my mind.