Situated 3 kms east of Sun Temple in Konark in Orissa where the Chandrabhaga River joins the sea, Chandrabhaga Beach is one of the most beautiful and pollution free beaches of the country. Owing to its immaculately clean shores and crystal clear waters, the beach has been awarded with the Blue Flag Certification by the Foundation of Environmental Education (FEE)- which is a tag given to environmental friendly beaches which meet their stringent standards. Lined with tall trees and vast expanse of golden sands, the beach holds cultural and historical importance as well. Several cultural festivals and religious fairs are held here frequently which attract a lot of pilgrims and devotees to the beach.
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Mythological Importance
There are quite a few mythologies and stories attached to the Chandrabhaga Beach. One of the oldest mythologies goes on to state that the son of God Krishna- Shamba was a leper and he prayed to the Sun God at the river mouth of Chandrabhaga to get cured. The place where he prayed has now dried up and only sometimes it has shallow water. This is one of the ideal spots of religious activity at the beach.
Another story goes to say that the Sun God was charmed and attracted by Chandrabhaga, who was the beautiful daughter of a sage. The God was so enticed by her that he came down to Earth to ask for her hand in marriage. However, when Chandrabhaga refused to reciprocate, he chased her to a river. At last, she jumped into the river and sacrificed herself to save her chastity. Ever since then, on the 7th day of full-moon fortnight of Magha month, pilgrims and devotees take a dip in the holy river as a tribute to Chandrabhaga. They also pray to the Sun God. The spot has been marked as the place of Rising Sun and is remembered as a holy shrine of Chandrabhaga.
Konark International Sand Art Festival
Konark International Sand Art Festival is organized by the Orissa Tourism Development Corporation (OTDC) every year from the 1st of December to 5th of December. The competition invites several domestic and international artists from far and beyond. And every year, more than 45-50 artists take part in this amazing competition; they are alloted marked spaces and provided with barricades, water pumps and lights etc. Each of these artists come up with beautiful art works, sculptures and masterpieces using beach sand. (Source)
Every day the theme of the competition is changed and these artists are expected to change their sculptures as per the new guidelines of the day. The beach is dotted with stalls serving refreshments and snacks for the tourists and visitors who come here to be a part of the festival. After the complete 5 days competition, the winner is decided by a panel of Judges.
Best Time to Visit
Although the beach has a pleasant climate all through the year, it is best visited during December when the Konark International Sand Art Festival is held. The beach presents a most beautiful picture at this time. Besides the regular tourists and pilgrims, there is also a lot of celebrations going on at the beach which you should definitely participate in.
How to Reach
The nearest airport to the beach is in Bhubaneshwar which is 60 kms away and the nearest railway station is in Puri which is just 35 kms away. Regular buses and public vehicles ply from Puri everyday that can take you to the beach. You can also book private cabs from Puri or Konark to reach the beach.
