Etymology
The name ''Cuttack'' is an anglicised form of ''Kataka'' ( Odia: କଟକ) which is derived fromHistory
The earliest written history of Cuttack may go back to the Keshari dynasty. As stated by the historian Andrew Stirling, present-day Cuttack was established as a military cantonment by king Nrupa Keshari of Keshari dynasty in 989 CE. Stirling based his opinion on theGeography
Cuttack is located at and has an average elevation of . The city is spread across an area of . The city, being aClimate
Cuttack experiences aCulture
Pilgrimage sites
Cuttack Chandi Temple
Dedicated to the GoddessDhabaleshwar Temple
Dedicated to the worship of Lord Shiva Dhabaleswar Temple is situated on an exotic island in theParamhansa Nath Temple
Paramhansa Nath Temple, Biribat built, 11th A.D. 4 km from the Cuttack - Paradeep Road. Approach from OMP square, towards Nuabazar and keep going until you see a sign board of the temple to take a right. This is situated right on banks of River Kathajodi. The other approach would be from the Panchamukhi Hanuman temple at Khapuria. Road along the river bank will lead you to the temple Another hidden Gem of Katak, and it is still standing upright 80 ft for 1000 years. This is a five-chambered rekha and pidha shrine. TheBaba Ramdev Temple
The temple is located beside the Cuttack – Bhubaneswar national highway. It is built entirely of white marble.Qadam e Rasool
Believed to be for the veneration ofJama Masjid
Built during the Mughal era. Earlier there used to be aGurdwara Guru Nanak Daatan Sahib
A holy historical Sikh shrine, the Daatan SahibBukhari Baba Dargah
Bukhari BabaDigambar Jain Mandir
There are four Jain temples in Cuttack City which were established byThe Church of Epiphany
Although there are several churches in Cuttack, the oldest among them all is the Church of Epiphany on the Cantonment Road built in the year 1865. This iconic brick structure is an example of the British era colonial architecture. Other famous temples in Cuttack are Gada Chandi Temple, Khannagar Sai Mandir, Amareswar Temple, Raghunath Jew Temple, Ramakriskna Mission, Maa Jhanjhirimangala Temple, Dolamundai Jagannath Temple, Chahata Ram Mandir, Badambadi Siddhivinayak Temple, Khannagar Kali Mandir, Kalia Boda Shani Temple, etc. Cuttack also houses many churches including Holy Rosary Church and Oriya Baptist Church.Festivals
*Cuisine
Cuttack is the ''street food'' capital of Odisha. It is famous for its Dahibara Aludam, a local delicacy made using black gram (a cousin of the mung bean) and potato curry.''Chhena poda'' and Rasgulla, ''Rasagulla'' from Salepur by Bikalananda Kar are local desserts made of unripened curd cheese made from buffalo or cow milk. Apart from Dahibara Aloodam: Chaat, Gupchup (puchuka/panipuri) and samosas rule the streets. The city has major food joints like Chandini Chowk, Bidanasi, Stadium Road, Buxi Bazar, Dolamundai, Choudhary Bazar, etc. Thunka puri is a famous delicacy available only during Baliyatra. Traditional Oriya food such as ''Pakhala, Dahi-Pakhal'' (rice soaked in water with yogurt and seasonings) is considered a body coolant, accompanied by ''Badi chura'' or ''saga'' are consumed during the months of April–June. Due to the quantity of Muslim households in the city, traditional Islamic and Mughlai cuisines like Biryani, Biriyani, Tandoori chicken, Tandoor and Sheer khurma, Sheer kurma are also popular among the denizens. Due to its close proximity to Paradip and Mahanadi catchment area, Cuttack is one of the major producer and consumer of fish. Machher Jhol, Fish curry is a popular dish among Odia households.Art and literature
Cuttack has been the home to many notable personalities who have contributed a lot towards the culture and history of modern Odisha. It is rightly called the Cultural capital.Drama and theater culture
Cuttack had been the centre of art and literature in the past. Annapurna Theatre is considered as the pioneer of Oriya theatre company. The B-Group of the Annapurna theatre, situated in Buxi Bazar is also one of the oldest theatres of Odisha. Kala Vikash Kendra in Cuttack is another premier institution for dance, drama and music in Odisha. It organizes international theatre olympiads annually where artists from different countries participate along with the local artists. Sarala Sahitya Sansad, Utkal Sahitya Samaj and Marwari Yuva Manch are some other organisations contributing to the rich culture of Odisha.Libraries, Art Galleries and Auditoriums
Cuttack has been the seat of various literary activities and many notable writers and poets lived and worked here. There are many old libraries in Cuttack including the first library of the state Kanika Library at Ravenshaw University, Biswanath Pandit Central Library, Odisha Urdu Library, Madhusudan Library, PK Padhihari Pathagara, Bakul Library, Biren Mitra Library etc. CMC Sahid Bhawan has a big art gallery for exhibitions. Town Hall, KVK, Sahid Bhawan, Satabdi Bhawan, Sarala Bhawan etc. are the prominent auditoriums in the city.Odia film industry
The Cinema of Odisha, Odia Film Industry has its base in Cuttack. The Oriya film industry is popularly known as Ollywood, the name is a portmanteau of the words Oriya and Hollywood. In 1974, the Government of Odisha declared film making and construction of cinema theatres as industry in the state, and two years later in 1976, it established the Orissa Film Development Corporation in Cuttack. One of the regional offices for Central Board of Film Certification is situated in Cuttack.Movie theatres
The city has several cinemas playing movies in Odia, Hindi and English languages. Historically, Cuttack accounted for almost half of the number of cinema halls in the state but eventually, those numbers declined. Presently, Cuttack hosts five single-screen movie theatres name Grand, Brindaban, Samrat, Nishamani and Jayashree. It also houses two multiplexes namely INOX Leisure Limited, Inox and Sangam; the former being the state's second four-screen multiplex after its Bhubaneswar branch. Odisha's First Cinema Hall marks its beginning from Cuttack. In 1926 a Mobile Cinema Hall named Chameria Cinema Company showed films. Thereafter Annapurna Theatre came into existence. In 1932 Hallmuk Cinema Hall marked its beginning at Tinkonia Bagicha. Movies like Harischandra and Odia First movie Sita Bibah screen from this cinema hall in 1934. Another cinema hall named Capital Cinema was also built in Tinkonia Bagicha in 1936. Second Odia film ''Lalita'' release from this Hall. Similarly, in 1944-45 Pravat Cinema Hall near Baropathar, in 1951 Hind Cinema was built. In 1962 United Talkies Came into existence in Saheed Bhawan. Thereafter Parvati Talkies also built in Kalyanmandap of CUTTACK Municipality. In 1969 Grand Cinema and Suraj Talkies, 1972 Jyoti Cinema which renamed as Laxmi Hall came into existence. 1979 Durga Hall, 1980 Nisamani Hall, Samrat Hall, 1982 Brundaban Hall, Sagar Sangam Hall, Devi Cinema, 1983 Rajtarangini, 1985 Jaysree Talkies Came into existence. INOX Leisure Limited, Inox Multiplex opened in 2018, as Odisha's second after Bhubaneswar Inox.Demographics
Population
According to the 2011 census of India, the population of Cuttack City in 2011 was 606,007: 331,246 male and 302,477 female. Its urban / metropolitan population was 658,986 of which 331,246 males and 327,740 are females. There were 48,585 children aged 0–6, 8.02% of total population of Cuttack City: 25,358 boys and 23,227 girls. The gender ratio of Cuttack City was 997 per 1000 males, for children 916 girls per 1000 boys.Literacy
Cuttack has an average literacy rate of 91.17% with male literacy at 97.87% and female literacy at 84.49%. The Cuttack ranks high in literacy rate among Top Cities of India.Religion
Around 89.65% of the city's population are Hindus while Muslims account for 8.23% and the rest constitute 2% of the total population. Cuttack has the largest population of Christians in the state.Languages
Odia is the primary language used in the city, besides which English and There are people who also speak Santali language, Santali, Bengali language, Bengali, Marwari language, Marwari, Telugu language, Telugu, Gujarati language, Gujarati, Punjabi language, Punjabi, Urdu, etc. English is widely used for commercial purposes. Most of the banners are written in Odia and English .Civic administration
Political and municipal administration
The City of Cuttack is administered by the Cuttack Municipal Corporation. Cuttack Municipal Corporation, CMC was established as a municipality on 4 June 1876 and was named as a corporation on 15 August 1994. This corporation covers an area of 192.5 km2. The CMC is in charge of the civic and infrastructure needs of the Metropolitan City. The Municipal Commissioner is the chief executive officer and head of the executive arm of the Municipal Corporation. All executive powers are vested on the Municipal Commissioner who is an Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer appointed by the State Government. Cuttack City is divided into three constituencies which are represented at the State Legislative Assembly viz. Barabati-Cuttack (Odisha Vidhan Sabha constituency), Barabati-Cuttack, Choudwar-Cuttack (Odisha Vidhan Sabha constituency), Choudwar-Cuttack and Cuttack Sadar (Odisha Vidhan Sabha constituency), Cuttack Sadar. Cuttack-Sadar is represented by Chandra Sarathi Behera (BJD) whereas Barabati-Cuttack is represented by Er.Mohammad Moquim (INC) while Choudwar-Cuttack is represented by Souvic Biswal (BJD).Police and judicial administration
Bhubaneswar–Cuttack Police Commissionerate, under the control of Commissioner of Police, looks after the law enforcement in Cuttack. Cuttack has 25 Police Stations in the city. The headquarters of the Odisha Police, state police are situated in Cuttack. Cuttack is the judicial capital of Odisha as the High Court is situated here. Apart from it many other courts and tribunals have their offices in the city. Cuttack also houses circle jail at Choudwar.Utilities, NGOs and charitable organisations
Electricity is supplied by the state-operated Central Electricity Supply Utility of Odisha, or CESU. Fire services are handled by the state agency Odisha Fire Service. Drinking water is sourced from the underground wells and Mahanadi river. Water supply and sewerage are handled by the Public Health Engineering Organisation. State-owned Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited, or BSNL, as well as private enterprises, among them Vodafone, Bharti Airtel, Jio, and Idea Cellular are the leading telephone, cell phone and Internet service providers in the city. Cuttack has the largest number of NGOs, charitable organisations, orphanages, old age and destitute homes than anywhere else in the state. Famous ones include Matrubhaban, Josoda Sadan, Daya Ashram, Basundhara orphanage, Odisha Children's Orphanage, Leprosy Home, Regional Institute of Mental Health, etc.Economy
Cuttack is widely known as the commercial capital ofTraditional Industries
The city is one of the largest hub for textiles in eastern India. The city's annual textile trade generates over a billion dollars of revenue. A large textile park is planned, giving a facelift to the erstwhile Orissa Textile Mills in city outskirts. Cuttack is famous for its silver filigree works and only because of these works it is also known as the silver city of India. Cuttack is also famous for its handicraft works using cow and mostly Buffaloes horn. Cuttack has only one retail store for horn items named Utkal Gaurab Madhusudhan Horn Work. It was greatly contributed by Late Kalandi Charana Behera. Generally, the horn of dead cattle is used and it is performed by licensed craftsmen only. This peculiar artefact is limited to Cuttack only and anything of such kind is found nowhere else in the world. These fine and unique handicraft works add significantly to the local economy.Industrial corridor and Special Economic Zone
There are 11 large-scale industries in and around Cuttack mostly in Choudwar and Athagad, Athagarh and many more in the pipeline. These industries include steel, power, automobile, alloys, fireclay, etc. Indian Metals & Ferro Alloys (IMFA), the country's largest producer of ferrous metal, ferrous alloys is in Choudwar, Cuttack. A mega-auto complex is in implementation stages on the city's outskirts. Cuttack occupies a very significant place in the logistics map of the country. The number of medium- and small-scale industries concentrated around Cuttack is by far the largest among the cities in the state. The industrial estates in and around Cuttack numbers around eight. Jagatpur, India, Jagatpur and Khapuria are industrial estates inside the city. A large chunk of these serve as ancillary industries for the big industrial houses inService sector
Being the former capital and now the partial capital of the state and a big business hub, many central and state government and corporate offices are in Cuttack. The service sector is quite large. The people of nearby districts are heavily depended on the city for their livelihood, contributing to the service sector and, thus, the floating population. The presence of Central Rice Research Institute (CRRI), the largest rice research institute in Asia, adds to the importance of Cuttack in the agricultural map of the country. The presence of Odisha High Court and the SCB Medical College, SCB Medical & College, the largest medical institution in the state, further nourishes the service sector. Education is a major industry due to large number of universities, colleges, schools and coaching centres and caters to the neighbouring districts. The proximity to Paradip Port comes as an added advantage. OSL Group, one of the leading stevedore firms of the country is headquartered in Cuttack. Cuttack, being the largest business hub of the state is the nodal point of trade and transport. It also has the largest wholesale commodities market of the state at Malgodown and Chhatra Bazaar catering the whole state.Media
Cuttack has a Doordarshan centre which telecasts Odia programs. The Cuttack station of All India Radio started post-independence in 1948 and broadcasts programs in AM broadcasting, AM as well as FM broadcasting, FM bandwidth catering the whole Odisha, state. At present Cuttack has List of FM radio stations in India, six local radio stations broadcasting on frequency modulation, FM, including two from AIR. The private FM stations include 91.9 Sarthak FM, BIG 92.7 FM, RED 93.5 FM and Radio Choklate 104 FM. Among several print media houses located at Cuttack, the Oriya newspapers published here includes ''The Samaja'' (founded by Utkala Mani Gopabandhu Das), ''Prajatantra'' (founded by Harekrushna Mahatab, former Chief Minister of Odisha and former Governor of Maharashtra), ''Sambad, Dharitri'' and the ''Matrubhasha'' to name a few.Healthcare
Cuttack is the healthcare hub of Odisha. Millions of people from different parts of Odisha and other states throng to the city with the hope of better medical facilities. Shri Ramachandra Bhanj Medical College, Shri Ramachandra Bhanj Medical College (SCBMCH), the largest medical college of the state is located in Cuttack. The Acharya Harihar Regional Cancer Centre (AHRCC), the only one of its kind in Eastern India, carries out high-end research and treatment in cancer. The Regional Spinal Injury Center, Regional Spinal Injury Centre (RSIC) is also situated in the S.C.B. Medical College Campus which provides rehabilitation measures to persons with disabilities especially spinal injury. Swami Vivekananda National Institute of Rehabilitation Training and Research (SVNIRTAR) is the most prestigious institution in the field of rehabilitation located at Olatpur, 30 km from Cuttack. Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel PG Institute of Paediatrics (SVPPIG), popularly known as Sishu Bhawan is an annex hospital of SCBMCH. It is the largest hospital of its kind in eastern India. Leprosy Home and Hospital near Nuabazar is over 100 years old and is still serving the people. Major hospitals in and around Cuttack are District Headquarters Hospital (City Hospital), Shanti Memorial Hospital, HCG Panda Cancer Hospital, Ashwini Hospital, Sun Hospital, Sabarmati General Hospital, Dr. Agarwal's Eye Hospital, Heritage Healthcare Hospital, Rotary Eye Hospital and Melvin Jones Lion's Eye Hospital among others.Education
Schools and colleges in Cuttack
Schools in Cuttack are either run by theUniversities and institutes of higher education and research
The ''Twin Cities'' account for around 100 engineering colleges. Cuttack is home to several technical institutions which include Institute of Management and Information Technology, Cuttack, Institute of Management and Information Technology (IMIT), Bhubananda Orissa school of Engineering(BOSE), Institute of Textile Technology (ITT), DRIEMS, Dhaneshwar Rath Institute of Engineering & Management Studies (DRIEMS), Image Institute of Technology & Management, Image Institute of Technology & Management (IITM), Ajay Binay Institute of Technology, Ajay Binay Institute of Technology (ABIT), Institute of Professional Studies and Research (IPSAR), Jagannath Institute of Engineering and Technology, Barabati Institute of Management Studies etc. Some of the other institutes include Biju Pattnaik Institute of Film and Television and the Madhusudan Law College. Madhusudan Law college has been declared to be upgraded as a university. Established in 1869 as Cuttack Normal School, converted to Cuttack Training School in 1875 and later in 1923 as Secondary Training School, later renamed as Radhanath Training School, after the eminent teacher and poet Radhanath Ray, now known as Radhanatha Institute of Advanced Studies in Education (RNIASE) offers various teaching Courses, is located adjacent to the campus wall of Ravenshaw Collegiate School and in front of Swaraja Asrama, Swaraj Asrama in Bakharabad is the oldest institute in the State. Also in 1912, Odisha's only Urdu teacher training school was established in Sheikh Bazar Which is now only the Muslim Minority Govt Elementary Teacher Education Institution in Odisha where every year 100 pupil teachers complete their elementary teacher training.National Law University Odisha (NLUO)
Cuttack is the home to the National Law University Odisha, one of the 14 NLU's in India, which was established under the National Law University Odisha Act of 2008, the National Law University Odisha, National Law University(NLU Cuttack). It is one of the institutes for legal education in India funded by the Central as well as the State government. Housed in a sprawling campus the university sees a host of legal luminaries who impart education to the students.Madhusudan Law University (MLU)
Cuttack houses Odisha's oldest law college, Madhusudan Law College. In 1869 the law course was introduced in the Ravenshaw Collegiate School, thereafter it continued in the Ravenshaw College. That time the Bachelor of Law course was under the University of Calcutta and after the foundation of Utkal University in 1943 the Madhusudan Law College was also established in the same year. This college is named after National Leader and politician Madhusudan Das. With effect from June 2020, Madhusudan Law College has been upgraded to Madhusudan Law University. As per the notification from DHE Odisha, "[a]ll the existing government and private law colleges, except the constituent law colleges of different universities of the state shall be affiliated and cease to be affiliated from their respective universities from that date and direct that the said University shall have jurisdiction, save as aforesaid, over all law colleges of the state."Ravenshaw University
Ravenshaw University is one of the oldest institutes of India and the oldest college of the state which was founded by Thomas Edward Ravenshaw in 1868 and was granted University status on 15 November 2006. Ravenshaw University came into existence on 15 November 2006. It was an up-gradation of Ravenshaw College established in 1868, one of the oldest and largest colleges in India which subsequently became an autonomous college with CPE status by UGC and 'A' grade by NAAC.Sri Sri University
Sri Sri University established by Sri Sri Ravi Shankar and Art of Living Foundation, Art of Living is situated at the far end of the city in Naraj. It came into operation in the year 2012.National Rice Research Institute (NRRI)
Asia's largest rice research institute, the Central Rice Research Institute (CRRI) is situated in Cuttack. In 1945, the Government of India decided to establish a central Institute for rice research. As a result, the Central Rice Research Institute (CRRI) was set up on 23 April 1946 at Bidhyadharpur, Cuttack, Odisha with an experimental farmland of 60 hectares provided by Government of Orissa. The CRRI is one of the Institutes of the ICAR under the Division of Crop Sciences. The institute has two research stations- Central Rainfed Upland Rice Research Station (CRURRS), Hazaribagh, in Jharkhand, and the Regional Rainfed Lowland Rice Research Station (RRLRRS), Gerua, in Assam. These research stations were established to tackle the problems of rainfed uplands, and flood-prone rainfed lowlands, respectively. Two Krishi Vigyan Kendras (KVKs) also function under the CRRI and guided by the DDG (Agril. Extension). These KVKs are located at Santhapur, Cuttack and Jainagar, Koderma.Srirama Chandra Bhanja Medical College and Hospital (SCBMCH)
Shri Ramachandra Bhanj Medical College, Shri Ramachandra Bhanj Medical College (SCB), the largest medical college of the state is located in Cuttack. The S.C.B. Medical College also has a dental wing which offers bachelor's degree in dental sciences. Acharya Harihar Regional Cancer Centre (AHRCC), the only one of its kind in Eastern India, carries out high-end research and treatment in cancer. The Regional Spinal Injury Centre (RSIC) is also situated in the S.C.B. Medical College Campus. RSIC is an autonomous organisation under the administrative and financial control of Department of Health & Family Welfare, Government of Odisha and is headed by the director of the RSIC which provides rehabilitation measures to persons with disabilities especially spinal injury.Swami Vivekananda National Institute of Rehabilitation Training and Research (SVNIRTAR)
Svnitar is an institute in the field of rehabilitation. Swami Vivekanand National Institute of Rehabilitation Training and Research (SVNIRTAR) is an Autonomous body under Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities (DIVYANGJAN), Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, Govt. of India. It provides total medical rehabilitation for the Persons with Locomotor Disabilities. It also conducts three bachelor's degree courses in Physiotherapy, Occupational Therapy, Prosthetics and Orthotics, three Postgraduate courses of Physiotherapy, Occupational Therapy and Prosthetics and Orthotics affiliated to Utkal University, Bhubaneswar. It also has an accreditation for DNB in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation of National Board of Examination (NBE), New Delhi.Sardar Vallabhbahai Patel Post Graduate Institute of Paediatrics (SVPPGIP)
SVPPGIP also known as Shishu Bhawan is the largest Paediatrics hospital in eastern India. Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel Post Graduate Institute of Paediatrics (Sishubhawan), Cuttack, Orissa is based on manifold historic backgrounds situated on the bank of river Kathjori amidst the lush greenery. This palatial building was the center of administration during Mugul, Maratha and British regime from 1568 A.D. till independence. After independence this building was known as "Rajbhawan" where Governor of Orissa used to stay.Biju Pattnaik Film and Television Institute of Odisha (BPFTIO)
The government of Odisha has established an autonomous Institute in the name and style of Biju Pattnaik Film & Television Institute of Orissa (BPFTIO) under World Bank assisted scheme to meet the emerging demand of well trained technical manpower in the field of television network and film production activities. Situated on the bank of river Mahanadi, BPFTIO occupies an independent space in the sprawling campus of Bhubanananda Orissa School of Engineering (BOSE), Cuttack the oldest Engineering School of the State. Funded by Government of Odisha, Department of Employment and Technical Education & Training, the institute offers diploma courses in 3 disciplines such as Cinematography, Sound & TV. Engineering and Film & Video Editing.Transport
Air
Cuttack has an Air Base named Charbatia Air Base for the exclusive use for light exercises and on and off training purposes of the Indian Air Force. The nearest commercial airport is the Biju Patnaik Airport, Biju Patnaik International Airport atRoad
On 28 April 2010, the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways officially published a new numbering system for the National highway network in the Gazette of the Government of India. As per the new numbering List of National Highways in India by highway number, National Highway 16 (National Highway 5 (India), former National Highway 5) runs from North to South of the city. As a part of the Golden Quadrilateral project, this highway runs from Chennai to Kolkata. List of National Highways in India by highway number, National Highway 55 (National Highway 42 (India), former National Highway 42) connects Cuttack with Sambalpur. Also Asian Highway 45 passes through the city. Feeder State Highways connect Cuttack to Jajpur, Paradeep, Talcher, Angul, Kendrapara and nearby towns in Cuttack district. Intra city transport is primarily through Auto rickshaws. Nowadays DTS city buses ply in the city to join different places in the city and the state capital. Cuttack is a major junction connecting all the major parts of the state. The bus terminus at Cuttack is located at Badambadi, and is one of the largest bus terminus in India, and thousands of private and government buses ply to hundreds of destinations every day. A new Inter-state bus terminus (ISBT) at Balikuda is under construction to relieve pressure off the Badambadi Bus Terminus. Cuttack is now more strongly connected to Bhubaneswar and Dhenkanal due to the addition of two new bridges namely Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose Setu on Kathjodi and Utkal Gourab Madhusudan Setu on Mahanadi. The former is the longest road bridge in Odisha.Rail
Cuttack railway station, Cuttack Junction is one of the stations on the Howrah-Chennai main line of the East Coast Railway and falls under the Khurda Road division. A branch line to Paradeep starts from Cuttack. It is connected to all parts of India through trains run by the Indian Railways. The Cuttack Railway station is selected to be developed as a multi-functional railway station with food courts shopping plaza, theatres to be developed . Other railway stations in the city are Barang Junction railway station, Balikuda, Matagajpur, Kandarpur, Katha Jori railway station, Katha Jori, Kendrapara Road, Kapilas Road, Manguli, Nergundi and Naraj. The Mahanadi Rail bridge is the 5th longest rail bridge in India.Mass Rapid Transit System (MRTS)
The Government of Odisha has proposed a rapid transit system for the cities of Bhubaneswar Metro, Cuttack and Bhuabneswar. On 23 August 2014, Government of Odisha's Housing and Urban Development Department signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Balaji Railroad Systems Ltd (BARSYL) for preparation of a detailed project report (DPR) for mass rapid transit system (MRTS) between Cuttack and Bhubaneswar. The Balaji Railroad Systems Ltd (BARSYL) would get Rs 25 million for preparation of DPR for approximately 30 km within a period of ten months. The government officials said it would be a testing for them to evict encroachments for expansion of roads in the twin cities. The Government of Odisha is working on introduction of Monorail service in Cuttack. The Housing and Urban Development Department has taken up the issue for exploring Monorail system in Cuttack to make it the first city in the state to have Monorail service. A study on the viability of launching the monorail over an eight to 10 km stretch in the city is expected to be carried out soon. The Engineering Projects (India) Ltd would conduct a comprehensive survey of the city's capacity to host the system as well as the traffic and congestion problems and submit a proposal. The initially proposed route of circular Ring Road has been ruled out as it was not considered feasible on traffic considerations. While Badambadi-Madhupatana Link Road stretch is the most congested with traffic density crossing 300 per minute, thoroughfares like Choudhury Bazar College Square, Mangalabag, Buxi Bazaar, Chandni Chowk, CDA Square see peak flow of over 100 vehicles per minute are more likely to be taken into consideration.Sports
Cuttack is the sports hub of Odisha. It is the host to the famous Barabati Stadium as well as many other stadium and grounds. Cuttack has a branch of Sports Authority of India (SAI) training centres, which was established on 26 March 1987 under Sports Hostel Scheme in the Barabati Sports Complex. The authority is responsible for training in Athletics, Basketball, Football, Volleyball, and Gymnastics.Barabati Sports Complex
Cuttack is the home to the Barabati Sports Complex. The Barabati Stadium is an important venue for international cricket and football matches. The Barabati Sports Complex hosts the head offices of most of the sports bodies of the state. Apart from cricket and football, the sports complex also has facilities for Lawn Tennis, Basketball, Volleyball, Swimming. The sports complex also houses an indoor hall christened as Sachin Tendulkar Indoor Hall, dedicated to legendary cricketer Sachin Tendulkar. The construction of the indoor hall was a joint venture of the Odisha Cricket Association and the Board of Control for Cricket in India which was formally inaugurated on the auspicious occasion of Odisha Day, Utkal Divas. The centrally air-conditioned 185 feet long, 65 feet wide and 44 feet high four-storied complex has been built primarily to provide practise facility to cricketers during off season. The complex is also used to stage competitions in different indoor sports including basketball, volleyball, badminton, table tennis, fencing, judo, weight-lifting and wrestling.Jawaharlal Nehru Indoor Stadium
East India's second and Odisha's only indoor arena, Jawaharlal Nehru Indoor Stadium is situated in Cuttack. The indoor arena is primarily used for Gymnastics and Martial Arts. It has hosted many international and national sporting events in the past. It is also used to host musical concerts and award shows. It hosted the 21st edition of the Commonwealth Table Tennis Championships from 17 to 21 July 2019. It will host the BWF World Tour tournament Odisha Open from 2022 Odisha Open, 2022 Onwards.Satyabrata Stadium
This is situated inside the fort area and is primarily used for athletics and soccer. It has a concrete track used for athletics and synthetic basketball courts. It is used by the locals for jogging and morning exercises too.Jagatpur Water Sports Complex
Cuttack is also the only hub in Odisha for List of water sports, Water Sports. The Rowing & Sculling Association of Odisha is situated in Cuttack at Jagatpur. The water sports events are facilitated in the River Birupa. The DRIEMS Stadium at Tangi has also hosted international cricket matches and is a regular venue for Ranji Trophy matches. Cuttack also has some very good sporting grounds like Nimpur Grounds, Bidanasi Grounds, Sunshine Grounds, Ravenshaw Grounds, SCB Medical Grounds, BOSE Grounds which are the venues for annual state cricket and football championships and some of which are often used as additional venues for Ranji Trophy and Santosh Trophy matches. Cuttack along with Mumbai has hosted the 2013 Women's Cricket World Cup. Apart from it, Cuttack has also hosted matches in 1987 Cricket World Cup and 1996 Cricket World Cup. The 18th and 24th National Games of India, National Games were held in Cuttack in 1958 and 1970 respectively.Historical places of interest
Barabati Fort and Cantonment
The Barabati Fort is a 10th-century castle built by the Somavamshi dynasty lineage ruler Maharaja Markata Keshari. The ruins of the fort still remain with its moat, gate and the earthen mound of the nine-storied palace, which evokes the memories of past days. The ruins of the fort still remain on the right bank of the Mahanadi, in the western part of the city with its moat, gate and the earthen mound of the nine-storied palace, which evokes the memories of past days.Chudangagarh Fort
Chudangagarh otherwise called Sarangagarh is located near the Barang Junction railway station and is 8 km. south-west of Cuttack city on a fair-weather road. Like Barabati Fort this fort also played a significant role in the medieval history of Orissa. Chodagandadeva of Ganga dynasty selected this site and built the fort for effective safeguard of his vast empire. Remains of fort walls, stepped wells, dilapidated temples, tanks with stone revetments, granary house, watch towers and dressed stones are abundantly noticed within the fortified area. A ruined palace containing sixteen rooms called Solapura Uasa is located inside the fort. The granary of the fort is indicated at a place called Chaula Ghara Banks. Chudangagarh is now a protected monument of the Archaeological Survey of India, New Delhi.Netaji Birthplace Museum
Cuttack takes pride in being the birthplace of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose, the prominent Indian freedom-fighter and founder of Azad Hind Fauj. The birthplace of Netaji is situated in Oriya Bazar known as Janakinath Bhawan, behind Big Bazaar. The place has now been converted into a museum named Netaji Birth Place Museum. The museum showcases the original letters written by Netaji along with other important materials used by Netaji.Madhusudan Sangrahalaya
Cuttack is the birthplace of Utkala Gaurav Madhusudan Das. His former residence and workplace Madhusmruti was converted to Sailabala Women's College in 1952. A small hall within the college premises has been preserved as Madhusudan Sangrahalaya, that contains works and memoirs of the great architect ofAnand Bhavan Museum and Learning Centre
Anand Bhavan, the ancestral house of Biju Patnaik at Tulsipur, was converted into a memorial museum in 2016. Chief Minister of Odisha Naveen Patnaik's grandfather Laxmi Narayan Patnaik had built Anand Bhavan. Biju Babu was born there on 5 March 1916. Biju Babu's iconic Dakota DC-3 aircraft used to rescue Indonesian prime minister Sutan Sjahrir, Sultan Sjahrir is scheduled to be showcased near his ancestral home.Odisha State Maritime Museum
The Odisha State Maritime Museum was inaugurated by the Odisha chief minister Shri Naveen Pattnaik on 1 April 2013. It has been set up at the erstwhile Jobra workshop on the banks of river Mahanadi near Jobra. It has 10 number of galleries and an aquarium. In 1882 the East India Irrigation Company build an anicut (Jobra Anicut) (6349 ft. long) across the river Mahanadi near jobra and the Jobra Khunti (Pillar) to serve as a lighthouse to boats and cargo vessels passing through the river and the Taladanda canal.Old Jail Complex and the Freedom Fighter's Memorial
This location was inaugurated by The Honourable, Hon. Chief Minister of Odisha Mr. Naveen Patnaik on 23 January 2010, on the occasion of Netaji Jayanti. It is situated at the Old Jail complex. The old jail complex of Cuttack near Ganga Mandir tank and Dargha Bazar was a colonia-period jail cellular jail where many notable freedom fighters were imprisoned during the Swaraj movement.Swaraj Ashram
The Swaraj Ashram at Telengabazar is synonymous with Mahatma Gandhi's relationship with Odisha, Cuttack in particular. The double-storey Ashram, located opposite the banks of theMaratha barracks
The Marhatta barracks are medieval era structures in Chauliaganj, presently used as headquarters of the 6th battalion of the Odisha State Armed police Force (OSAPF), were used as armoury both during the Marhatta and British rule. These iconic long barracks are one of the oldest surviving buildings of Odisha and are widely perceived as original remaining structures and a unique example of the synthesis of Maratha and Odishan architecture. Rajaram Pandit started the work in 1775 and it was completed by Sadasiva Rao in 1795. Spread across a vast patch of forest land on the outskirts of the city, the place was infested by tigers, panthers, snakes and other wildlife. The forest was cleared except for some ancient trees, which are still standing tall. The domed structures were solidly built with local materials. Kiln baked bricks and lime mortar was used. There were big wells in the compound and underground cells. Separate stables for their horses and elephants, magazines for storing gunpowder, living quarters etc. were made. The barracks housed the artillery, cavalry and infantry forces. The Marathas had as many as 2,000 soldiers in the barracks. There was a thick wall around with watchtowers, none of which now exist.Salt House
Britishers had built the Salt House in 1847–48 and the Collectorate was functioned from this house till new building was built. River 'Kathajodi' was the main transit source for the commercial commodities. The length of the buildings is 190' with 66 pillars. Presently the building is used as Courts of Sub Divisional Judicial Magistrates. The building had an aristocratic look with 3 guns standing as guards. Unfortunately, the architecture of the building has been completely disfigured with many brickworks and structures.Lal Bagh Palace
Situated on the bank of the Kathajodi River, Kathjodi, the Lal Bagh Palace at Cuttack has a long and colourful history. This building witnessed the rise and fall of several rulers who controlled the fortune of Odisha. It was constructed by the Mughal Subedar stationed at Cuttack. Subsequently, the property passed into the hands of the Marathas. Over the years the premises have undergone several alterations and modifications. William Burton (antiquary, died 1645), William Bruton visited Cuttack in 1633, when the Lal Bagh Palace was under construction. In 1741, Saulat Jung, the Naib Nazim, fixed his residence in the palace. The building was occupied by the Naib Nazims till 1751 and by the representatives of the Bhonsle, Bhonslas of Nagpur from 1751 to 1803. Lal Bagh came into the possession of the British in 1803 when Colonel Harcourt's men defeated the Maratha Empire, Maratha soldiers. The Lal Bagh Palace was apparently leased out but again came into the possession of Government, who sold it in January 1862, and the purchaser sold the estate along with the building to the East India Irrigation Company. In 1863, the building came into the possession of the Government when they took over the irrigation works from the company. Since 1868 the building was occupied by Commissioners and sometimes by Collectors. In 1896, Shri R.C. Dutt, the then Commissioner, who was also a well-known historian, lived in this building. In a letter to his daughter, he describes the building as "the best-situated Commissioner's house." The building which was still under the Irrigation Branch was transferred to the Buildings and Roads Branch of the Government in 1914. In 1941, Shri K.C. Gajapati Narayan Deo, Maharaja of Parlakimedi and Prime Minister of Orissa, Premier of Orissa, fixed his residence at the Lal Bagh palace for a time. On 18 July 1942, the Lal Bagh Palace became the new Government House. Sir Hawthorne Lewis was the first Governor to live in the Lal Bagh Palace. This historic building, which stood witness to countless political and social upheavals during Mughal, Maratha Empire, Maratha and British Raj, British rule in Odisha, became the center of administration. The Lal Bagh Palace continued to serve as the residence of the Governor till 1960. During the tenure of Shri Sukthankar in 1960, the Raj Bhavan (Odisha), Raj Bhavan was shifted from Cuttack to Bhubaneswar. Shri Sukthankar generously donated the building to the Indian Red Cross Society to utilize it as a children's hospital. The Government of Orissa [now, Odisha] took over this hospital in 1966 and made it an independent institute for post-graduate training and research. At present, the institute is known as Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel Post Graduate Institute of Pediatrics, and is popularly known as Shishu Bhavan.Kanika Rajbati
It is a palace built by Raja Bahadur Rajendra Narayan Bhanjdeo in Cuttack. Once a high-profile area and favourite homestay of Rajkanika rajas as well as British era guest house, this historic structure now lies in a dilapidated state.Gora Kabar Cemetery
The Gora Kabar was set up in an area of five acres by the banks of the Mahanadi on the outskirts of the city by the East India Company in 1822. The presence of the English officials and their families had become significant after the occupation of Cuttack in 1803. The site already had graves of a few Englishmen before it was walled in and designated as a graveyard. Initially it was a cemetery for all Christians, but later on it was used only by the Baptists.Shree Gopal Krishna Goshala
The antiquity of this old complex is not exactly known. Old timers of Cuttack call it the Goshala, but it was originally a Dharamshala for the pilgrims of the old Jagannath Sadak. Just 100 metres from the Nayabazar Chhak, on the far end of the city, it lay right by the side of the old road. This stretch of the Jagannath Sadak, from the Mahanadi till the Kathjori Ghat was once a 100 feet wide road. During the monsoons, when the Mahanadi was often in spate, pilgrims often had to camp for days to make the crossing; the Dharamshala was built well away from the flood plain, right between the two rivers. The place was originally set up as a Dharamshala by one ''Seth Jagannath Halan'' of Calcutta. It was a huge complex with rooms and halls for the pilgrims. There was a big tank and wells dug inside the complex and a large pond, which still exists. It was the largest Dharamshala of the old road and could house a thousand pilgrims. There was a separate accommodation block for the ''Sadhus'' and ''Mahants'' who traveled on the old road. Many of the pilgrims camped under the huge trees. In 1905, two benevolent Marwaris of Salkia in Howrah District, ''Seth Bishen Dayal'' and ''Seth Hari Dayal'', took over the abandoned Dharamshala and transformed it into a Goshala. There is a marble plaque which says that the ''Victoria Gorakhini Sabha'' opened the Goshala in the place in 1905. They made some alterations and repairs to the old building and made it into a charitable institution rendering service for old and infirm cattle.Lalitgiri
Lalitgiri also known as Naltigiri is a major Buddhist Mahavihara complex in the Indian States and union territories of India, state ofOlasuni Hill
Olasuni hill stands on the border of Cuttack and Jajpur district, adjacent to the Daitari- Paradip Express Highway. The saint Arakhita Das after travelling widely, finally chose Olasuni hill as his ''Sadhana Pitha''. There he meditated in a cave for a long period and finally attained salvation. The hill is dotted with temples, among which the temple of Goddess Olasuni, the presiding deity and the tomb of Saint Arakhit Das are famous. The sleepy Olasuni hill wakes up to the delight of the devotees, on ''Magha Ekadasi'' every year, who throng the place in large numbers to witness the nine-day Gumpha Yatra. The Yatra commemorates the death anniversary or Shradha Mahostav of the saint Arakhita Das who lived here 200 years ago. Apart from these Odisha High Court Museum, Odisha Government Press Museum, Odisha Police Museum, Mahanadi River Boating Jetty, Jobra Lovers Point or Suicide Point, etc. are some newest attractions.Parks and gardens
Ocean World water park
The city has the state's only water park named Ocean World. Due to the strategic location of the water park being situated on the midway of Cuttack and Bhubaneswar, it is a popular outing location for the people of both cities.CMC Deer park
A deer park is situated beside the Mahanadi Ring Road at Madhusudan Nagar, overseeing the Mahanadi River. The park has about 200 deer. The Park is maintained by the Cuttack Municipal Corporation, CMC.Recreational parks
The city is filled with numerous social parks. Biju Pattnaik park, Birenmitra Park, Gouri Shankar park, Kathajodi river view park, Khannagar park, Jobra park Jayprakash Narayan park are some of the prominent existing parks.Nandankanan Zoological Park and Botanical Gardens
Nandankanan is a 400-hectare (990-acre) zoo and botanical garden near Baranga between Cuttack and Bhubaneswar. Established in 1960, it was opened to the public in 1979 and became the first zoo in India to join World Association of Zoos and Aquariums (WAZA) in 2009. It also contains a botanical garden and part of it has been declared a sanctuary. Nandankanan, literally meaning ''The Garden of Heaven'', is located in the environs of the Chandaka Elephant Sanctuary, Chandaka forest, and includes the 134-acre (54 ha) Kanjia lake.Chandaka Elephant Sanctuary
Chandka Elephant Sanctuary is a wildlife reserve located in the northwestern fringe ofNaraj Peacock Valley
Situated at Talapada village a few minutes drive from Naraj bridge and hardly 15 km away from Cuttack is a forest famous for herds of peacocks. 16yrs back when super-cyclone plunked Odisha with its formidable appearance, 3 peacocks from Chandaka reserved forest popped up to this area, where a man named Panu Behera, serving as a forest range caretaker for the cashew nut forest took responsibility to feed them. Since then it has been more than one and half decade now and the flock has been raised to 48. Without any Govt support, Behera has pledged to take care all of these birds till his death thereby earning the name "Peacock man". A few local youngsters took over the charges of present-day peacock herd of 150 male and female.Mahanadi River Boating
Jetty has been constructed on Mahanadi near Jobra to facilitate tourists for river cruise ride to Dhabaleshwar or motor boating on Mahanadi. NCC has an exclusive jetty for naval cadet training.Lakes and reservoirs
Deojhar WaterFalls, Narasinghpur, Cuttack
Considered as the one & only waterfall in the entire district this waterfall is around 100 km from Cuttack's main city & can be reached Via Athagada & Badamba.Anshupa Lake
Anshupa Lake, Anshupa lake is a 141-hectare horseshoe-shaped fresh water lake on the left bank of the Mahanadi river. It is 40 km from the city and acts as a shelter for the migratory birds in the wintry weather season. This small lake holds a prominent position in the tourist map of Odisha for its natural environment and proximity to both Cuttack andJobra Barrage
Jobra Barrage (dam), Barrage or Jobra Anikut as widely called is a major source of water for the Mahanadi delta region. Taladanda canal, a major irrigation and flood canal in coastal area starts from here. Indian Oil Corporation, IOCL's Paradip Refinery has its water intake point from this barrage.Naraj and Mundali Reservoirs
Situated at the bifurcation point of Mahanadi andStone revetment on Mahanadi
Idea of Embankment and fund contribution given by Cuttack Raksaka Baimundi to Maharaja Markata Keshari to save Cuttack from Flood. The King then constructed the Historic Embankment and named as Baimundi Embankment.Notable people
The following notable people were born in, or have spent a major part of their life in, Cuttack.See also
* Cuttack (Lok Sabha constituency) * Cuttack Development AuthorityReferences
External links