Chandrabhaga Beach

Chandrabhaga Beach is a long sandy beach on the Bay of Bengal near Konark in Puri District, Odisha, about 3 km from the Konark Sun Temple. It is noted as India's first Blue Flag certified beach for cleanliness, safety and environmental management. The beach is regarded as sacred for Sun worship and hosts the annual Chandrabhaga Mela and the International Sand Art Festival.

Visitors can expect a wide, open sandy shoreline on the Bay of Bengal with views of sunrise over the sea, gentle dunes and a relatively clean, developed promenade. The beach has Blue Flag infrastructure including paved pathways, toilets, changing rooms, seating and lifeguard posts. There are food stalls and a nearby lighthouse. The area is quiet compared to Puri Beach and is often visited combined with the Konark Sun Temple, about 3 km away.

Chandrabhaga is traditionally associated with the mouth of the Chandrabhaga River and legends linked to Samba, son of Lord Krishna, who is said to have worshipped the Sun God here to cure leprosy. The beach is historically linked to the 13th-century Konark Sun Temple built by Eastern Ganga King Narasimhadeva I, where the Sun God was worshipped on the riverbank.

The beach is considered sacred for Sun worship. Every year on Magha Saptami (January-February), thousands of pilgrims gather for Chandrabhaga Mela and take a holy dip at the confluence believed to cure ailments. It is also culturally significant as the venue for the annual International Sand Art Festival organized by Odisha Tourism, attracting national and international sand artists.