Kalkata, India

Cuttack (, or officially Kataka ) in Odia is the former capital and the second largest city in the Indian state of Odisha. It is the headquarters of the Cuttack district. The name of the city is an anglicised form of ''Kataka'' which literally means ''The Fort'', a reference to the ancient Barabati Fort around which the city initially developed. Cuttack is known as the ''Millennium City'' as well as the ''Silver City'' due to its history of 1000 years and famous silver filigree works. The Orissa High Court is located there. It is the commercial capital of Odisha which hosts many trading and business houses in and around the city. Cuttack is famous for its Durga puja which is one of the most important festivals of Odisha. Cuttack is also the birthplace of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose. The city is categorised as a Tier-II city as per the ranking system used by Government of India.

The old and the most important part of the city is centred on a strip of land between the Kathajodi River and the Mahanadi River, bounded on the south-east by Old Jagannath Road. The city, being a part of the Cuttack Municipal Corporation consisting of 59 wards. Cuttack stretches from Phulnakhara across the Kathajodi in the south to Choudwar in north across the Birupa River, while in the east it begins at Kandarpur and runs west as far as Naraj. Four rivers including Mahanadi and its distributaries Kathajodi, Kuakhai, Birupa run through the city. Further Kathajodi is distributed into Devi and Biluakhai which often makes the geographical area look like fibrous roots.

Cuttack and Bhubaneswar are often referred to as the Twin-Cities of Odisha. The metropolitan area formed by the two cities has a population of 1.862 million in 2018.
Cuttack, an unplanned city, is characterized by a maze of streets, lanes and by-lanes which have given it the nickname of a city with ''Bauna Bazaar, Tepana Galee'' and i.e. 52 markets and 53 streets.

Etymology

The name ''Cuttack'' is an anglicised form of ''Kataka'' (Odia: କଟକ) which is derived from Sanskrit meaning capital, fort and military establishment or a cantonment. The city was known as Bidanasi Katak (meaning Bidanasi Military Base) during the days when Barabati Fort was in existence. Bidanasi is now one of the localities of the city.

History

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 the Madala Panji, a chronicle of the Jagannath temple of Puri. The reign of Maharaja Markata Keshari was distinguished for the stone embank built to protect the new capital from flood in 1002 CE.

Historical and archaeological evidence suggests Cuttack becoming capital of a kingdom founded by Raja Anangabhimadeva III of Ganga dynasty in 1211 CE. After the end of Ganga rule, Odisha passed to the hands of the Suryavamsi Gajapati dynasty (1434–1541 CE) under whom Cuttack continued to be the capital of Odisha. After the death of Raja Mukunda deva, the last Hindu king of Orissa, Cuttack first came under Muslim rule and later under Mughals, who made Cuttack the seat of the new Orissa Subah (imperial top-level province) under Shah Jahan.

By 1750, Cuttack came under the Maratha Empire and it grew fast as a business centre being the convenient point of contact between the Bhonsale Marathas of Nagpur and the English merchants of Bengal. The term "Attock te Cuttack" (Attock to Cuttack) was first used to describe the extent of the Maratha Empire after they conquered Cuttack in 1750 and Attock in 1758. It was occupied by the British in 1803 and later became the capital of Odisha division in 1816. From 1948 onwards, when the capital was shifted to Bhubaneswar, the city remained the administrative headquarters for the state of Odisha.

The introduction of the Sharadiya Utsav tradition in the city dates back to the visit of Saint Chaitanya in the 16th century when the consecration of the idol of Durga by using the mask pattern was conducted in his presence at Binod Behari Devi Mandap.

The remains of the old moated Barabati Fort still exist in the heart of Cuttack.

Geography

Cuttack is located at and has an average elevation of . The city is spread across an area of . The city, being a Cuttack Municipal Corporation which consists of 59 wards. The city stretches from Phulnakhara in south to Choudwar in north and Kandarpur in east to naraj in west while main city is located at the apex of the Mahanadi River delta. Apart from Mahanadi, four of its distributaries also run through the city. The distributaries include Mahanadi, Kathajodi, Kuakhai and Birupa where Kathajodi further has two distributaries; the right being Devi while the left is Biluakhai. Mahanadi runs through the city on the northern side separating the main city from the Jagatpur Industrial Area. The Kathajodi river forms a riverine island of Bayalis Mouza (42 Wards) after separating the main city from Gopalpur. The Kuakhai river separates the southern part of the city into two-halves, namely Pratap Nagri and the new township of Naranpur. The Kuakhai runs throughout the south of the city along Phulnakhara before entering Bhubaneswar. The Birupa river runs through the north of Jagatpur Industrial Area separating it from Choudwar. There are numerous ponds known as (''pokharis'') in the city that store rain water. The Mahanadi provides much of the drinking water to the city. Recent growth of the city has resulted in expansion across the Kathajodi River and a newer township towards the head of the delta formed between the tributary Kathajodi river and the main river Mahanadi has come up by the name of Markat Nagar (popularly known as CDA by the local residents) which is spread across 2000 acres. CDA has 15 sectors out of which 11 are residential & has population around . Jagatpur & Mahanadi Vihar are the other two townships in the city. Mahanadi Vihar is the first satellite city project in Odisha. Cuttack is referred to as a city with ''Baaban Bazaar, Teppan Galee'' i.e. this is the city of 52 markets and 53 streets which is told by people of Odisha for the largeness of this city. Naranpur is another satellite township coming up in Trishulia, on the other side of Kathajodi River.

Climate

Cuttack experiences a tropical wet and dry climate. The summer season is from March to June when the climate is hot and humid. The temperature around this season is 35 °C to 40 °C Thunderstorms are common at the height of the summer. The monsoon months are from July to October when the city receives most of its rainfall from the South West Monsoon. The annual rainfall is around . Temperatures are considerably lower during the rainy season, averaging around 30 °C. The winter season from November to February is characterised by mild temperatures and occasional showers. The winter months feature chilly northerly winds which bring down the temperature to around 15 °C, though the bright sunshine helps maintain the pleasant weather. Temperatures may exceed 45 °C at the height of summer and may fall below 10 °C in winter. The highest recorded temperature is recorded on 2 May 1957, and the lowest is recorded on 7 January 1986.

Due to the proximity to coast, the city is prone to cyclones from the Bay of Bengal. One such cyclone struck Cuttack in 1971, resulting in more than 10,000 deaths in the state. The Bureau of Indian Standards places the city inside seismic zone III on a scale ranging from in order of increasing susceptibility to earthquakes. The United Nations Development Programme reports that there is "very high damage risk" from winds and cyclones. The 1999 Odisha cyclone caused major damage to the city claiming many lives.

Culture

Pilgrimage sites

Cuttack Chandi Temple

Dedicated to the Goddess Chandi, the presiding deity of Cuttack. The Cuttack Chandi Temple is located in proximity to the banks of the Mahanadi River. It is famous for its annual Durga Puja and Kali Puja festivals. The Durga Puja festivities are prominent in Maa Katak Chandi temple which takes place for 16 days starting from dark fortnight of Ashwina Krishna Ashtami till Ashwina Shukla navami and Vijayadashami. The Goddess popularly called as Maa Kataka Chandi, sits and rules on the heart of the ancient city. Gada Chandi Temple situated within the premises of the Barabati Fort is one of the oldest temples in Cuttack and is believed to be the older temple of Cuttack Chandi before her shift to the present Cuttack Chandi Temple.

Dhabaleshwar Temple

Dedicated to the worship of Lord Shiva Dhabaleswar Temple is situated on an exotic island in the Mahanadi River and is embellished with stone carvings that date back to the early 10th and 11th century. The island is connected to the mainland on the other side by a suspension bridge which is the first and only of its kind in the state.

Paramhansa 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. The Vimana is of Pancharatha rekha style. The doorjambs of the vimana and the bhogomandapa portray sculptures of the navagraha and dvarapalas. The Plinth of the temple exhibits sculptures portraying war scenes, elephants and horses in procession, decorated swans. In the sanctum is a Patal-Phuta Shiva Linga. There is a wooden canopy and possibly added sometime in the mid-15th or 16th century. Other deities around the temple are Parvati, Kartikeya and Ganesh. A big bull figure and a Rama-abhisekha images are found on the northern wall of the temple. Two Vishnu images are found on the outer walls of the temple. Built by Somavanshi Dynasty.

Baba Ramdev Temple

The temple is located beside the Cuttack – Bhubaneswar national highway. It is built entirely of white marble. Ramdev Pir is a Hindu folk deity of Rajasthan in India. Ramdev is considered to be an incarnation of Krishna. He was said to have had miraculous powers, and his fame reached far and wide. Legend has it that five Pirs from Mecca came to test Ramdev's powers.

Qadam e Rasool

Believed to be for the veneration of Muhammad. It comes from the belief started early in Islam that when Muhammad stepped on a rock his footprint left an imprint. This belief was not accepted by Wahabbi influenced sub-sects of Islam. However, the idea was disseminated widely and led to the creation of many shrines around such imprints one of them being situated in Cuttack.

Jama Masjid

Built during the Mughal era. Earlier there used to be a Madrasa in this mosque. However, since a decade, the Madrasa is shifted out. The neighbourhood surrounding the Jama Masjid is inhabited predominantly by Hindus.

Gurdwara Guru Nanak Daatan Sahib

A holy historical Sikh shrine, the Daatan Sahib Gurdwara is where the first Sikh Guru, Shree Guru Nanak, halted on his way to Puri. It is believed that a tree branch planted by him after using it as a tooth cleaner still flourishes here, hence the name Daatan Sahib.

Bukhari Baba Dargah

Bukhari Baba Dargah, one of the well known dargahs in the silver city, draws a huge crowd, especially on Thursdays. People from diverse religions come here to offer prayer to get their wishes fulfilled. The ancient dargah of Sufi saint Sayeed Ali Saheed Bukhari, popularly known as Bukhari Baba's majjar, is situated near Barabati Fort in Cuttack. The structure with a white dome is an example of Mughal architecture built in 1468. It attracts devotees from across the state. Not only Muslim but even people of other religions are regular 'Murid' of the 'dargah'. Around two lakh devotees visit the sacred shrine annually.

Digambar Jain Mandir

There are four Jain temples in Cuttack City which were established by Digambar and Swetambar Jain Sects who had migrated to Cuttack from Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan. These are situated at Choudhury Bazar, Jaunliapatty, Alamchand Bazar and Kaji Bazar, Tirthankara images have been installed in these temples. Digambar Jain temple at Choudhury Bazar was constructed during the second half of the 20th century and is remarkable for its artistic design.

The 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

* Durga Puja: Cuttack is famous throughout the nation for its Durga puja celebrations. Nearly 200 earthen idols of Goddess Durga are prepared by the different Puja Committees of the city to worship Goddess Durga The speciality Cuttack Durga Puja are its Durga puja Suna Medha, in which the idols are adorned with huge amounts of gold and silver, with localities trying to outsmart each other by constructing more attractive idols. Cuttack celebrates Durga Puja with full energy on Maha Saptami, Maha Ashtami, Maha Navami and on Vijaya Dashami or Dussehra by burning an effigy of the demon Ravana. People from all of Odisha and nearby states visit Cuttack during this period observe the famous festival.
*Boita Bandana: This festival is celebrated on the last day of the holy Hindu month of Kartik. On this auspicious day people flow miniature boitas or model boats in the Mahanadi and Kathajodi rivers to pay homage to the ancient merchants of Kalinga Kingdom. This day also marks the beginning of Bali Jatra. This festival is similar to the ''Masakapam Kepesih'' festival of Bali, and to the ''Loi Krathong'' festival of Thailand, both of which involve ritualistic floating of model boats around the same time of year
*Bali Jatra: The festival which the people of Cuttack await the most is the Bali Jatra. Bali Yatra is supposedly the second largest trade festival in Asia and the largest in India. The name Bali Jatra literally means A Voyage to Bali. In olden times, merchants used to trade with South-East Asian Island Countries of Bali, Java, Sumatra, Borneo. Whatever items they brought from those places after trading Oriya goods used to be put up for sale in the capital (which was then Cuttack). People from all over the state and beyond used to come to Cuttack to buy these items. Bali Jatra is the festival of continuing this ancient tradition. It is held every year in November on the banks of the Mahanadi. Many stalls are set up selling both local and exotic goods. People from all over Odisha come to the Bali Jatra to buy items, as was the custom back in those days.
* Kali puja: This festival is dedicated to the Hindu Goddess Kali and is celebrated on the new moon day of the Hindu month of Kartik. It coincides with the pan-Indian festival of Diwali amidst the bursting of firecrackers.
* Kartikeshwar Puja: The puja in Cuttack is organized by the puja committees of Cuttack. This festival is observed to worship Kartikeya, the eldest son of Lord Shiva. Nowhere else except Sabarimala is the Kartikeswar puja carried out with so much elan.
* Bada Osha: This is unique to Dhabaleswar Temple. Special Bhoga namely Gaja and Tarana are prepared on this day for the worshippers.
* Manabasa Gurubara was unique of Cuttack Odisha later celebrated by east Odisha, west Odisha is worship to goddess Laxmi.
* Kite flying is also celebrated with much enthusiasm and energy in the city. Kite-flying culminates with the Makar Sankranti, with kite-flying competitions being held all over. Cuttack is the first city in the Eastern India to introduce kite-flying.

All the other regular Indian festivals like Ratha Yatra, Raja, Ganesh Chaturthi, Vasant Panchami, Holi, Diwali, Chhath, Eid, Good Friday, Christmas, and the numerous festivals are celebrated here.

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 ''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 '' 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 Biriyani, Tandoor and 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. 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 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 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 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, Bengali, Marwari, Telugu, Gujarati, Punjabi, Urdu

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