If you make your way out of the bustling temple streets and slowly head towards the tranquil outskirts of the Puri district, you will find that the road eventually leads to a horizon that resembles a painting. This is Astaranga, a word that literally means “Color of the Sunset.”
In the middle of this gorgeous coastline, there is a place that the locals consider to be their most treasured: the shrine of Pir Jahania. It is about 70 kilometers away from the city of Puri and is hidden behind a dense green curtain of casuarina trees. This is not merely a place to lie down and enjoy the sun, but rather a place where the salt from the sea meets the deep faith of the people. Whether you refer to it as the Jahania sea beach or the Pir Jahania beach, you will be overwhelmed with a rare sense of tranquillity that is quite impossible to find anywhere else.
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ToggleIt is a story of mutual respect and harmony that surrounds the shrine of Pir Jahania. According to one legend, a Sufi saint, Hazrat Pir Jahania, came from Baghdad over several hundred years ago. After touring Bengal and various regions of Odisha, he finally decided to settle down in this serene little beach for meditation. The heart knows what the signs don’t saythat he loved the silence of the ocean. Some people believe that he was able to heal the sick simply with his touch or prayer. And the rest of the day, Hindus and Muslims come to this tiny white shrine offering them “Fatia” (rice and milk sweet dish). They don’t consider each other as strangers but as children of the same god. From the shore of Jahania beach, you can perceive the bells of a temple and the prayers from the shrine mixing with the sound of the waves. It is a simple reminder that faith can unite people as effortlessly as the tide.
Astaranga sea beach is special in terms of geography as it is one of the most unpolluted beaches along the coastline of Astaranga Odisha. The sand is very fine and has a deep golden color that turns bright orange during the “Asta” or the sunset. The water here is calm and the land is gently sloping. You can walk for miles along the Astaranga beach without seeing a single piece of plastic. To the north, the Devi River meets the ocean in a quiet dance of fresh and salt water. This area is also a famous nesting ground for Olive Ridley sea turtles. If you walk quietly at dawn, you may even see their tracks in the sand. Such a feeling is natural after seeing how in the midst of such an isolated, magnificent place, nature survives and prospers.
The cultural atmosphere of Astaranga is very organic. It is essentially a fishing village. If you go there early, around 6 AM, the Astaranga sea beach is a live market. You can watch hundreds of wooden boats returning from the deep sea, packed with silver fish. The village women stand on the shore with big baskets, haggling with the fishermen with quick gestures and smiles. They don’t hurry, they have a pace to their life. If you come as a tourist, they may offer you fresh coconut water or point to the shrine just by a simple nod. People here are guided by their feelings. They take pride in their Pir Jahania beach and often get you to stay till the sunset, for the reason that “the sky here puts on a different saree every evening.”
It takes some effort to get to this unpublicized beauty. It is about 75 kilometers from Bhubaneswar to Astaranga, which takes about 2 hours by car. If you come from the holy city, the Puri to Astaranga distance is about 70 kilometers via the winding coastal roads. What I suggest? Get a private taxi so you can make a few stops at the small villages while on the way. The season you should visit is October through March when the air is cool. Put on comfortable sandals as you will want to walk through the casuarina forest to get to the Jahania beach. Also, be sure to sample the local sea food at the small shacks near the parking area; it is fresh, spicy, and prepared over real wood fires.
