India is a vast country and if you are a traveler, overlooking the famous tourist’s spots of India and taking note of the smaller and less familiar ones will actually let you soak in the beauty of India that is unexplored. I realized this after my short trip to Paradeep.

I was in Bhubaneswar attending a seminar. But it ended much before the scheduled time and left me with sometime to explore the beautiful town. Since I had been to Bhubaneshwar earlier, I decided to visit Paradeep.

Well, Paradeep or Paradip is 111 km from Bhubaneswar and it took me a little above 2 hours to reach there by train. And, the scenic beauty of the place had me bewildered with joy. I had made arrangements of my stay at a homestay at Paradeep, just to get a feel of the local culture here and the life of the locals. And my experience was amazing.

Paradeep is famous for its clean and crystal blue water and after seeing it, it left me wondering whether someone has poured blue ink in the sea centuries ago! I spend quite some time sunbathing on the beach admiring the pure golden sand and the lush green forests.

Being one of the largest ports of India, Paradeep is always buzzing with activities. Tourists are generally not always allowed on this port but I had lady luck with me! I got to witness a magnificently large and beautiful cargo ship docked at the port. Many other tourists along with me were in awe of the giant ship. The Paradeep port itself is simply amazing. With the green forests on one side and the Bay of Bengal on its other sides, it creates a stunning sight to behold. Having admired the beauty of the port, I left to visit the other tourist spots.

I visited the marvelous temple of Lord Baladeva called Tulasi Kshetra, and witnessed some exquisite stone work. The temple is a perfect example of ancient India’s intricate baumalia stone work which reminds of the glorious past. My hosts at the homestay had said that the bhoga prasad here is a must have and very delicious. So, I decided to have it and it was so amazing that I was craving for more. The meal consists of several different preparations. After gorging on this delicious bhoga, I left for Jhankad. Jhankad is famous for the Goddess Sarala’s temple. Goddess Sarala is the Goddess of wisdom & knowledge and you get to see evident signs of Vaishnava culture in the temple.

The next day, I explored Gahirmatha and Bhitarkanika National Park, which are the must see places in Paradeep. The Gahirmatha beach houses some spectacular sea turtle breeds & it is famous for a white crocodile, which I was lucky enough to get a view of. I also saw the deer and the colorful migratory birds. The Bhitarkanika National Park has been a crocodile sanctuary since long and here you will find some rare crocodile breeds, which are massive and fearsome. This large expanse of forest area is covered by mangroves that further added to the beauty of this place. With a train to catch that day, I returned early and was on my way back home.

This short trip to Paradeep was not only rejuvenating, but it also changed my views regarding India’s rich treasure of scenic beauty, waiting to blow off your mind.