Chilika Bird Festival Concludes, Boosting Odisha’s Tourism Drive

Bhubaneswar, Jan 9 : The three-day Chilika Bird Festival and Boat Racing Competition concluded successfully at Mangalajodi and Barkul on the banks of the iconic Chilika Lake, marking a significant step in Odisha’s efforts to promote tourism through experiential and community-driven events.

Addressing the valedictory ceremony, Odisha Law, Works and Excise Minister Prithviraj Harichandan described Chilika Lake as one of the world’s most important tourism destinations. He said innovative initiatives such as boat racing, bird festivals and photography events are vital for enhancing Chilika’s global appeal and positioning it as a year-round attraction.

The Minister announced that the state government plans to invest around Rs.200 crore over the next three years for the development of fisheries resources, waterways, transport facilities, fish jetties and tourism infrastructure in the Chilika region. Expressing optimism, he said these initiatives would play a crucial role in attracting lakhs of tourists to Chilika in the coming years.

Harichandan also lauded the Tourism Department for proactively organizing the boat racing competition, calling it a commendable effort that not only promotes tourism but also encourages community participation.

The boat racing event witnessed enthusiastic participation from fishermen groups from across the region. Panidwar PFSC, Chilika, emerged as the winner, followed by Maa Domani Devi PFCS-2 in second place, while Bindhyagiri PFCS, Khordha, secured the third position.

As part of the 6th National Chilika Bird Festival, a photography competition was also organised, drawing an impressive response with 400 photographs submitted by 80 photographers. Of these, 35 photographs were selected for exhibition at Mangalajodi. In the Amateur category, Prabir Kumar Das bagged the first prize.

The successful conclusion of the festival underscored Chilika’s growing stature as a premier eco-tourism destination and reinforced Odisha’s commitment to sustainable tourism development.