Cuttack

Cuttack is a place of historical significance and is the second largest city in Orissa. Deriving its name from the word ‘Kataka’ which means ‘The Fort’, the city of Cuttack is believed to have developed around the ancient Barabati fort. Cuttack was first ruled by the kings of the Ganga dynasty, followed by the reign of Solar dynasty and then later on by Mughal rulers.

Cuttack achieved its significance as an important trade centre in 1750 under the Marathas rule and became a business hub for trade between the Marathas of Nagpur and the English Merchants of Bengal. Under the British rule, Cuttack became the capital of Orissa in 1816 and later on came to be the administrative headquarters of Orissa when the capital was shifted to Bhubaneshwar in 1948.

Located at the apex of the Mahanadi river delta, Cuttack is surrounded by the Mahanadi and Kathojodi rivers. This city is also known as a city with ‘Babaan Bazaar, Teppan Galee’, which means a city with 52 markets and 53 streets.

A pilgrimage centre, Cuttack has many sacred temples including, the Paramahansa Nath temple, Katak Chandi temple, Bhattarika temple, Dhabaleswar temple, the Panchamukhi Hanuman temple and the Gada Chandi temple. The Dhabaleswar temple is especially very popular among tourists’ as it is located in a picturesque island in the Mahanadi River and is connected to the main land by a pillar-less hanging bridge which is a rare sight to watch and offers an exciting experience. Cuttack also has an equal numbers of churches and mosques along with the revered Sikh shrine-'The Gurudwara Daatan Sahib'.

One of the most important festivals that Cuttack hosts is the Bali Yatra. Held every year in November on the banks of the river Mahanadi, this festival celebrates the trade that Orissa enjoyed with the island of Bali long ago. People from all over Orissa still flock to this festival to display their merchandise and shop for other goods.

Cuttack is also known all over the country for its exquisite and delicate silver filigree works with wires, horn and brass products, stone works of Puri, colourful silk and cotton textiles of Maniabandha and Sambalpur and  for the appliqué works of Pipli.

With its excellent rail and road network, Cuttack is well connected to other cities and states in India. Cuttack also has a domestic airport - the Biju Patnaik Airport which is located about 28 km away.