Odisha: A Mesmerising Night on Sand Beds of An Unnamed Island

Far away from the madding chaos of politics in the country, let’s move to a saner location where nature smiles. One such place is an unnamed and uninhabited island in Odisha within the spread of Mahanadi River, where adventure, thrill and sublimity co-exist.

The Island is barely 2 kilometres from the millenium city, Cuttack, by boat.       

A little away in the middle of the river, which has no name, tranquility presages a language that very few can listen to.    

After night long rain and thunderstorms, the morning was serene, sunny with a cool breeze caressing the entire place. A little away from us was a spot where river water filtered through thick foliage, interspersed by porous sand bed patches created by uncountable red crabs, both big and small ones, as they came out from their proverbial hibernation.

The luminescent sunlight casting its great hue on the reflecting water surface and the cacophony of the cranes on some trees, was a sight to behold!

The rich growth of patchy forests on the river sides offered a backdrop that was mesmerising, making the sight a delight for nature photographers. 

As the day matured, a dip in the west-deep pond under the glorious sunshine amid the teasing wind was tempting.

To reach the spot, one has to hire a boat and row it oneself. We did that despite the fear of turbulence in the Mahanadi River.

As soon as we landed on the sandy bed, we could feel the cool breeze whispering through the trees. The gentle tides were lapping, singing lullabies, while several birds were chirping away on the trees, greeting the lovely morning.

The scene made us think that this place resembled exotic grasslands in South Africa. We engaged ourselves in spotting some fish for lunch and collected some wild berries, but refrained from eating them. What else leisure can we best expect far from the hustle and bustle of cities.

At the West end of the shore, one could notice one or two jackals trying to feast on their favourite food – the live crabs crawling around.

This is an Island where footfalls of visitors are rare and only few die-hard nature lovers occasionally make their way here.

One needs to carry make-shift tents and sleeping bags for night stay. And a few basic minimum things for preparing food during the day and night.

In the evenings, the silence is amazing. Nature does not hold a microphone but speaks through the ambience and on moonlit nights when the sand bed wears a sparkle, the magic that it creates is beyond any description.

As the night matures, an eerie silence descends, with an occasional flutter heard amid the tranquility. In the midst of all this, the humming of nocturnal insects almost serenades one.

Before we retired for the day, we gathered some dried twigs scattered around and brought those near our tent. Our mobile phone torches were the only source of illumination. Somehow by burning the firewood, we prepared our working dinner for the night.

The day-long exercise had tired us enough to get a good sleep at 11 p.m, as we had to get up early in the morning and reach the land for a cup of tea.

On the way back, a glorious sunrise with the Sun replicating a crimson ball dancing in the river water, greeted us.

The writer is a freelance journalist based in Odisha with over 40 years’ experience in the profession.