Paradise for birds

Pulicat Lake and Nelapattu Bird Sanctuary, located near Sullurpeta in SPSR Nellore district, are a virtual paradise for hundreds of species of birds.

It is a convenient breeding ground for rare and endangered species of lily grey pelicans, flamingos, painted storks, egnats, grey herons, little cormorants, open bill storks, spoonbills, white ibises and night herons.

For years, the arrival of these lovely creatures into Nellore district went unnoticed. However the sanctuary and lake, which are very close to Isro’s rocket launching centre, Shar, Sriharikota, became popular in recent years because of the initiative taken by the locals and authorities to organise a flamingo festival every year in winter.

The local villagers treat the birds with reverence believing them to be celestial creatures and accordingly protect them during their five-month stay. The sight of the magnificent flamingos as they set to flight is an experience that is overwhelming in its sheer beauty.

Villagers call them “Parrots of the Sea” or Samudrapu Ramachilakalu. Many winter migratory birds which fly in from countries such as Siberia, breed here and train the younger ones to fly so that they can return to their original habitat. Their winter home, Pulicat Lake adjacent to the Bay of Bengal, is the second largest brackish water lagoon in India spread over Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu.

The lake with a rich biodiversity and high biomass of fish, prawn, crustaceans, coelenterate and plankton, offers ideal food to the migratory birds and provides protection from predators.

Around 164 species visit the bird sanctuary during the winter.
In addition to these, members of a Hyderabad-based Birdwatchers Society spotted a rare bird, the grey-headed lapwing (vanellus cinereus) for the first time near Pulicat lake last winter. This species of birds breeds in Northeast China and Japan.

The wildlife wing of the forest department has established an environmental education centre at Nelapattu sanctuary, with a museum, library and auditorium with audiovisual equipment.

The tank bund of Nelapattu sanctuary is protected with chain links on both sides with a kind of trail for the visitors to view the birds. There are bund beaches and hideouts as well so that visitors can observe the birds at close range without disturbing them.

Binoculars are also provided to the visitors. Meanwhile, authorities of the district have planned the flamingo festival at Sullurpeta, tentatively between January 8 and 11, 2012. The annual festival attracts tourists from far and near to witness the migratory birds from close quarters, without disturbing their tranquillity.

It takes less than two hours by car to the bird sanctuary and the lake, which are 90 km away from Nellore as well as Chennai. One can reach Sullurpeta by train both from Chennai and Hyderabad. The station is between Chennai and Vijayawada.

There are also a number of buses to Sullurpeta from Nellore, as well as Chennai. There is a tourism
department guesthouse on the National Highway at Tada, 20 kmfrom Sullurpeta.

There are also some budget hotels in Sullurpeta. Restaurants all along the highway serve both vegetarian and non-vegetarian food.

Pit stop

Holy abode

Tourists visiting Pulicat Lake and Nelapattu Bird Sanctuary can also visit the historical Changala Parameswari temple at Sullurpeta. The goddess is the family deity for thousands of devotees not only in Andhra Pradesh, but also in neighbouring Tamil Nadu. The unique feature of the temple is there is no door to the sanctum sanctorum.

According to temple priests, the goddess herself instructed the temple sculptor, in his dream, not to fix any doors to her temple. It is widely believed that offering prayers at the temple will cure any kind of sickness among children. Annual Brahmotsavams are held during the Dasara festival.

Trivia

Fish delights

The most sought-after food item in the region is the White Prawn (Gaju Royyalu). All the popular non-vegetarian hotels in Sullurpeta region serve various dishes prepared with this prawn, which is available in Pulicat Lake only during winter months. The locals also love the Moyi fish, which is available in all the hotels around Sullurpeta.