Gopalpur On Sea, Orissa

One can still see the crumbling walls and pillars of the jetty, witness to its past glory of commercial activity. The pleasures of the Blue Beach and the Blue Bay of her backwaters continue to lure the water babies. Gopalpur-on-Sea is a surfer's delight and excellent for sailing.

Discovery of a Holiday Hideout

Originally, a small fishing village on the coast of Orissa, it was so named when a temple dedicated to Lord Krishna was constructed some time in the 18th century. Apart from its temple, Gopalpur was distinguished for its magnificent beach and was discovered as a perfect winter resort.

The East India Company built huge warehouses and godowns because the trade with Burma had picked up and Gopalpur had become a trading point for rice from Rangoon. In those days, there were dances and parties that continued until the early hours and wealthy Bengalis from Calcutta made it their holiday home.

Gopalpur's importance dwindled when trade with Burma abruptly ceased during the war and never revived again. When the British left India, even members of rich Bengali homes preferred to holiday in other places of the country, Gopalpur reverted to what it was originally, a fishing village.

With an increase in tourist trade in the late seventies, and the opening of luxury hotels, a slow revival began and today Gopalpur-On-Sea is one of the foremost beach resorts in India.

This is the one beach that is as yet, not exposed much to tourism and hence still unspoiled. If you are looking for a quiet holiday in the lap of nature, the beach at Gopalpur awaits you. A golden beach fringed by sand dunes and ruins of an old jetty from where, in medieval times, sailors set out to Indonesia, make this an ideal place for a relaxing holiday. A perfect beach, fairly isolated and undisturbed by the day-trippers.

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