Two things about Anija, a village located in the Rayagada district of Odisha take you by surprise. One, less than three hours from the humidity, dust and din of Visakhapatnam is a picture-perfect green paradise; two, its unusual topography of being sandwiched between the summer-serene River Nagavali and a lush golf course.
Anija is an abode of peace and tranquillity. Dotted with sunflower fields here and there, fluttering butterflies and humming calls of birds, walking trails, vistas of rolling hills, bobbing boats and kayaks on the River Nagavali, hidden caves and waterfalls… the place is Nature’s masterpiece.
The drive from Visakhapatnam takes you along farm fields across the towns of Bobbili and Parvathipuram till you reach Cholapadam, the last village of Andhra Pradesh, before entering Odisha. From here, a three-kilometre drive through narrow roads, peppered with mango, banana, palm trees and twist and turns across paddy and cotton fields take you to the village Anija.
