Odisha's Satkosia Gorge

Appeared in "Discover India"


Satkosia Gorge … Where Nature Abounds



It’s mid February and there’s a pleasant chill in the air in the wee hours of the morning. The giant ball has not yet appeared on the horizon and we are already on our way from Angul to Tikarpara, to picnic at Satkosia Gorge. Tikarpara is a small hamlet of Angul district, located on the left bank of the Mahanadi. It is our first trip to Orissa and needless to say we are struck by its rustic beauty. For most part the 45 minute drive up to Tikarpara is smooth and then we trundle on a few kilometers of mud roads before entering the gorge and Gharial Research & Conservation Unit.

The tedium of motoring on the mud road is barely perceptible as we are bewitched by the sylvan beauty of the surroundings. On either sides of the mud road we see picturesquely dotted village huts made from bamboo and thatch. Far ahead, as the muddy road snakes its way, we can see magnificent wooded mountains rise, perhaps, to a height of 2000 feet and above. If this sight has us in raptures, we realize that the beauty of this scene pales in comparison to what we have just come upon. We are bang on the brink of the gorge, a rare place of beauty where nature seems at its generous bountiful.

The Satkosia Ganda as the locals refer to the gorge, a good 14 miles in length, lies right in the middle of the Mahanadi river which is at its acrobatic best – tumbling, crashing and roaring as it cuts through the thickly forested Eastern Ghats. The sounds of the gushing waters is music to our ears. There is about the place a certain calm and serenity that tug at the fragile cords of our persona as we watch in stupefied silence, the antics of nature soaking in its contrasting hues.

We amble along the region and come upon the Gharial Research & Conservation Unit to watch a few caged gharials lounging, perhaps, enjoying a mid morning siesta. Unperturbed by the human species around them, they laze, unwilling to open their eyes to cast even a cursory glance at us as we click away with our cameras. The gorge here is wider and the river, as if taking cue from the gharials, lies in a state of languor, not a ripple anywhere. In the deadly silence of the environs we are overwhelmed by the blue-green of the mountainous parts of Athamallik and Angul sub divisions which lie to the south and north of the river.

Just at the entry to the Gharial Conservation unit, on a small hillock which we go up by ascending a few steps, is an ancient Shiv temple, the caretaker-cum-priest of which acts as our guide to the Satkosia region. Interspersing Hindi with his native Oriya, he tells us that the gorge actually demarcates the region into two parts which are accessible from Boudh and Nayagarh. He also tells us that Satkosia derives its name from the narrow stretch of River Mahanadi that is sat-kosh or seven miles long near Tikarpara.

Apart from the Gorge itself, we learn that the main attraction of Tikarpara is the Satkosia Gorge Sanctuary which is spread over the four districts of Angul, Boudh, Cuttack and Nayagarh, spread over an area of roughly 795 kilometers. Of course, your luck has to hold out if you are to spot the wide range of fauna the sanctuary is believed to support: leopard, tiger, sambar, gaur, sloth bear, nilgai, choushingha, variety of deer, the reptilian family including crocodiles and a range of snakes besides migratory birds.
Well, as luck would have it, all that we manage to spot are the spotted deer and a lot of crocodiles or gharials perhaps, since they are on the other side of the gorge and appear like mounds of mud from where we stand.

The sanctuary, we are told, supports sal and deciduous forests. Unfortunately, we are here at a time when some repair works are going on in the surrounding area. Hence we are unable to go boating on the river. But we learn that almost year around the gorge comes alive with adventure activities which include white water rafting, angling, trekking and game sighting.

Factfile

Reaching Satkosia: Tikarpara is 60 km from Angul and 210 km from Bhubaneshwar, both of which places can be reached by rail. While buses ply between Angul and Tikarpara, best mode of transport would be to hire a car, or better still, a four wheel drive.

Accommodation: Angul has several budget and 3-4 star hotels.
Contact: District Forest Officer (Wildlife) Angul, Satkosia may be contacted on 06764 236218.


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