Cuttack (, or officially Kataka in
Odia ), is the former capital, deputy capital and the 2nd largest city of the Indian state of
Odisha
Odisha (), formerly Orissa (List of renamed places in India, the official name until 2011), is a States and union territories of India, state located in East India, Eastern India. It is the List of states and union territories of India by ar ...
. It is also the headquarters of the
Cuttack district
Cuttack district is one of the 30 districts of Odisha state in India. It is located in the coastal part of the state and its administrative headquarters are located in the city of Cuttack. As of 2011 Census, after Ganjam district, Ganjam, it is t ...
. The name of the city is an anglicised form of the
Odia and
Sanskrit
Sanskrit (; stem form ; nominal singular , ,) is a classical language belonging to the Indo-Aryan languages, Indo-Aryan branch of the Indo-European languages. It arose in northwest South Asia after its predecessor languages had Trans-cultural ...
name ''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 respectively. The
Orissa High Court and some other Odisha State Govt. offices are located there, and the city is the judiciary capital of Odisha.
It is the commercial capital of Odisha and hosts many trading and business houses in and around the city. The city is famous in Odisha for foods, such as the
Thunkapuri,
Dahibara,
Lassi
Lassi () is a Dahi (curd), yogurt–based beverage with a smoothie-like consistency. It has been called "the most popular and traditional yogurt-based drink" in India. It has also been described as the form in which yogurt "is most cherished ...
, various kinds of
Chat
Chat or chats may refer to:
Communication
* Conversation, particularly casual
* Online chat, text message communication over the Internet in real-time
* Synchronous conferencing, a formal term for online chat
* SMS chat, a form of text messagi ...
etc. Amongst all districts in Orissa, the undivided Cuttack district is famous for its tasty delicacies and sweets. Cuttack is famous for its
Durga Puja
Durga Puja (ISO 15919, ISO: , ), also known as Durgotsava or Shaaradotsava, is an annual festival originating in the Indian subcontinent which pays homage to the Hinduism, Hindu goddess Durga, and is also celebrated because of Durga's victo ...
, which is one of the most important
festivals of Odisha. Being the favourite destination of poets and artists, it is also a cultural hub of Odisha. Due to its beauty, the term ''Kataka Nagara Dhabala Tagara'' is coined for it. The city is categorised as a
Tier II city as per the ranking system used by the
Government of India
The Government of India (ISO 15919, ISO: Bhārata Sarakāra, legally the Union Government or Union of India or the Central Government) is the national authority of the Republic of India, located in South Asia, consisting of States and union t ...
.
The old and most important part of the city is centred on a strip of land between the
Kathajodi River and the
Mahanadi River
The Mahanadi River is a major river in East Central India. It drains an area of around and has a total length of . Mahanadi is also known for the Hirakud Dam which was the first major multipurpose river valley project after India's independence ...
, 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 the north across the Birupa River, while in the east it begins at Kandarpur and runs west as far as Naraj. Four rivers, including
the Mahanadi and its distributaries, the
Kathajodi,
Kuakhai and, Birupa, run through the city. Further Kathajodi is distributed into the
Devi
''Devī'' (; ) is the Sanskrit word for 'goddess'; the masculine form is Deva (Hinduism), ''deva''. ''Devi'' and ''deva'' mean 'heavenly, divine, anything of excellence', and are also gender-specific terms for a deity in Hinduism.
The concept ...
and Biluakhai, which often makes the geographical area look like fibrous roots.
Cuttack and
Bhubaneswar
Bhubaneswar () is the capital and the largest city of the States and territories of India, Indian state of Odisha. It is located in the Khordha district. The suburban region, especially the old town, was historically often depicted as ''Chakra ...
are often referred to as the Twin Cities of Odisha. The metropolitan area formed by the two cities had a population of 1.862 million in 2018.
Cuttack is characterised by a maze of streets, lanes, and by-lanes, which have given it the nickname of a city with ''Bauna Bazaar, Tepana Galee'', i.e., 52 markets and 53 streets, but some localities such as Jobra Colony, Markatnagar (C.D.A.) and Mahanadi Vihar are planned localities of the city.
Etymology
The name ''Cuttack'' is an anglicised form of ''Kataka'' (
Odia: କଟକ) which is derived from
Sanskrit
Sanskrit (; stem form ; nominal singular , ,) is a classical language belonging to the Indo-Aryan languages, Indo-Aryan branch of the Indo-European languages. It arose in northwest South Asia after its predecessor languages had Trans-cultural ...
, meaning capital, fort and military establishment, or a cantonment.
The city was known as Bidanasi Kataka (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 the Keshari dynasty in 989 CE. Stirling based his opinion on the
Madala Panji, a chronicle of the
Jagannath
Jagannath (; formerly ) is a Hindu deity worshipped in regional Hindu traditions in India as part of a triad along with (Krishna's) brother Balabhadra, and sister, Subhadra.
Jagannath, within Odia Hinduism, is the supreme god, '' Purushot ...
a temple of
Puri
Puri, also known as Jagannath Puri, () is a coastal city and a Nagar Palika, municipality in the state of Odisha in eastern India. It is the district headquarters of Puri district and is situated on the Bay of Bengal, south of the state ca ...
. The reign of Maharaja Markata Keshari was distinguished for the stone embank built to protect the new capital from flooding in 1002 CE.
Historical and archaeological evidence suggests Cuttack became the capital of a kingdom founded by Raja Anangabhimadeva III of the
Ganga dynasty in 1211 CE.
After the end of Ganga rule,
Odisha
Odisha (), formerly Orissa (List of renamed places in India, the official name until 2011), is a States and union territories of India, state located in East India, Eastern India. It is the List of states and union territories of India by ar ...
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
The Mughal Empire was an early modern empire in South Asia. At its peak, the empire stretched from the outer fringes of the Indus River Basin in the west, northern Afghanistan in the northwest, and Kashmir in the north, to the highlands of pre ...
, who made Cuttack the seat of the new
Orissa Subah (imperial top-level province) under
Shah Jahan
Shah Jahan I, (Shahab-ud-Din Muhammad Khurram; 5 January 1592 – 22 January 1666), also called Shah Jahan the Magnificent, was the Emperor of Hindustan from 1628 until his deposition in 1658. As the fifth Mughal emperor, his reign marked the ...
.
By 1750, Cuttack came under the
Maratha Empire
The Maratha Empire, also referred to as the Maratha Confederacy, was an early modern India, early modern polity in the Indian subcontinent. It comprised the realms of the Peshwa and four major independent List of Maratha dynasties and states, Ma ...
, and it grew fast as a business centre, being the convenient point of contact between the
Bhonsale Marathas of
Nagpur
Nagpur (; ISO 15919, ISO: ''Nāgapura'') is the second capital and third-largest city of the Indian state of Maharashtra. It is called the heart of India because of its central geographical location. It is the largest and most populated city i ...
and the
English merchants of Bengal. The term "Attock te Cuttack" (
Attock
Attock ( Punjabi, ), formerly known as Campbellpur (Punjabi, ), is a city in Punjab, Pakistan, not far from the country's capital Islamabad. It is the headquarters of the Attock District and is 36th largest city in the Punjab and 61st largest c ...
to Cuttack) was first used to describe the extent of the
Maratha Empire
The Maratha Empire, also referred to as the Maratha Confederacy, was an early modern India, early modern polity in the Indian subcontinent. It comprised the realms of the Peshwa and four major independent List of Maratha dynasties and states, Ma ...
after they conquered Cuttack in 1750 and Attock in 1758. It was occupied by the British in 1803 and later became the capital of the Odisha division in 1816. From 1948 onwards, when the capital was shifted to
Bhubaneswar
Bhubaneswar () is the capital and the largest city of the States and territories of India, Indian state of Odisha. It is located in the Khordha district. The suburban region, especially the old town, was historically often depicted as ''Chakra ...
, the city remained the administrative headquarters for the state of
Odisha
Odisha (), formerly Orissa (List of renamed places in India, the official name until 2011), is a States and union territories of India, state located in East India, Eastern India. It is the List of states and union territories of India by ar ...
. Cuttack is offten considered by many people as the part of
Twin Capital of Odisha due to the presence of Orissa High Court the Judicial Capital, instead of saying the term twin City.
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
Durga (, ) is a major Hindu goddess, worshipped as a principal aspect of the mother goddess Mahadevi. She is associated with protection, strength, motherhood, destruction, and wars.
Durga's legend centres around combating evils and demonic ...
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 is a
Cuttack Municipal Corporation, which consists of 59 wards. The city stretches from Phulnakhara in the south to Choudwar in the north and Kandarpur in the east to Naraj in the west, while the main city is located at the apex of the
Mahanadi River
The Mahanadi River is a major river in East Central India. It drains an area of around and has a total length of . Mahanadi is also known for the Hirakud Dam which was the first major multipurpose river valley project after India's independence ...
delta. Apart from the Mahanadi, four of its distributaries also run through the city. The distributaries include the Mahanadi, Kathajodi, Kuakhai, and Birupa rivers, 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 called Bayalis Mouza 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 rainwater. 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 and has a population of around . Jagatpur and Mahanadi Vihar are the other two townships in the city.
Mahanadi Vihar is the first satellite city project in
Odisha
Odisha (), formerly Orissa (List of renamed places in India, the official name until 2011), is a States and union territories of India, state located in East India, Eastern India. It is the List of states and union territories of India by ar ...
. Naranpur is another satellite township coming up in Trishulia, on the other side of the
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 its proximity to the coast, the city is prone to cyclones from the
Bay of Bengal
The Bay of Bengal is the northeastern part of the Indian Ocean. Geographically it is positioned between the Indian subcontinent and the Mainland Southeast Asia, Indochinese peninsula, located below the Bengal region.
Many South Asian and Southe ...
. One such cyclone struck Cuttack in
1971 *
The year 1971 had three partial solar eclipses (Solar eclipse of February 25, 1971, February 25, Solar eclipse of July 22, 1971, July 22 and Solar eclipse of August 20, 1971, August 20) and two total lunar eclipses (February 1971 lunar eclip ...
, resulting in more than 10,000 deaths in the state. The
Bureau of Indian Standards
The Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) is the National Standards Body of India under Department of Consumer affairs, Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution, Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food & Public Distribution, Government ...
places the city inside
seismic zone III on a scale ranging from in order of increasing susceptibility to earthquakes.
The
United Nations Development Programme
The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) is a United Nations agency tasked with helping countries eliminate poverty and achieve sustainable economic growth and human development. The UNDP emphasizes on developing local capacity towar ...
reports that there is a very high damage risk from winds and
cyclone
In meteorology, a cyclone () is a large air mass that rotates around a strong center of low atmospheric pressure, counterclockwise in the Northern Hemisphere and clockwise in the Southern Hemisphere as viewed from above (opposite to an ant ...
s.
The
1999 Odisha cyclone caused major damage to the city, claiming many lives.
Cuttack has been ranked as the 9th best National Clean Air City among thr category 2 3-10L population category in India according to the 'Swachh Vayu Survekshan 2024 Results'
Culture
Pilgrimage sites
Cuttack Chandi Temple
Dedicated to the Goddess
Chandi
Chandi (, ) or Chandika () is a Hindu deity. Chandika is a form of goddess Durga. She shares similarities with the Goddess Chamunda, not only in name but also in attributes and iconography. Due to these similarities, some consider them to ...
, 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 the dark fortnight of Ashwina Krishna Ashtami till Ashwina Shukla Navami and Vijayadashami. The goddess, popularly called
Maa Kataka Chandi, sits and rules in 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
The Mahanadi River is a major river in East Central India. It drains an area of around and has a total length of . Mahanadi is also known for the Hirakud Dam which was the first major multipurpose river valley project after India's independence ...
and is embellished with stone carvings that date back to the early 10th and 11th centuries. 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. This is situated right on the banks of the River Kathajodi. Another hidden gem of Katak, and it has been standing upright 80 feet for 1000 years. This is a five-chambered rekha and pidha shrine. The
Vimana
Vimāna are mythological flying palaces or chariots described in Hindu texts and Sanskrit epics. The "Pushpaka Vimana" of Ravana (who took it from Kubera; Rama returned it to Kubera) is the most quoted example of a vimana. Vimanas are also menti ...
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, and decorated swans. In the sanctum is a Patal-Phuta Shiva Linga. There is a wooden canopy, 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 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 the 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.
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.
Digambar Jain Mandir
There are four Jain temples in Cuttack City that were established by
Digambar
''Digambara'' (; "sky-clad") is one of the two major schools of Jainism, the other being ''Śvetāmbara'' (white-clad). The Sanskrit word ''Digambara'' means "sky-clad", referring to their traditional monastic practice of neither possessing n ...
and
Swetambar Jain sects who had migrated to Cuttack from
Uttar Pradesh
Uttar Pradesh ( ; UP) is a States and union territories of India, state in North India, northern India. With over 241 million inhabitants, it is the List of states and union territories of India by population, most populated state in In ...
and
Rajasthan
Rajasthan (; Literal translation, lit. 'Land of Kings') is a States and union territories of India, state in northwestern India. It covers or 10.4 per cent of India's total geographical area. It is the List of states and union territories of ...
. 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, Gopal Jew Temple, Nitai Gouranga Matha, Rasabihari Matha, Shyamsundar Matha,
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
Baptists are a denomination within Protestant Christianity distinguished by baptizing only professing Christian believers ( believer's baptism) and doing so by complete immersion. Baptist churches generally subscribe to the doctrines of ...
.
Festivals
*
Durga Puja
Durga Puja (ISO 15919, ISO: , ), also known as Durgotsava or Shaaradotsava, is an annual festival originating in the Indian subcontinent which pays homage to the Hinduism, Hindu goddess Durga, and is also celebrated because of Durga's victo ...
: 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 of Cuttack Durga Puja is 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
Vijaya Dashami or Dussehra by burning an effigy of the demon
Ravana
According to the Mahakavya, Hindu epic, ''Ramayana'', Ravana was a kingJustin W. Henry, ''Ravana's Kingdom: The Ramayana and Sri Lankan History from Below'', Oxford University Press, p.3 of the island of Lanka, in which he is the chief antag ...
. People from all of
Odisha
Odisha (), formerly Orissa (List of renamed places in India, the official name until 2011), is a States and union territories of India, state located in East India, Eastern India. It is the List of states and union territories of India by ar ...
and nearby states visit Cuttack during this period to 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
Bāli Jātrā, () , is the major Boita Bandana festival held at Cuttack on Kartik Purnima and lasts for 7 days or more, i.e. usually until Prathamastami. It is considered to be one of Asia's largest open trade fair. The festival is held in Odisha ...
. This festival is similar to the ''Masakapam Kepesih'' festival of
Bali
Bali (English:; Balinese language, Balinese: ) is a Provinces of Indonesia, province of Indonesia and the westernmost of the Lesser Sunda Islands. East of Java and west of Lombok, the province includes the island of Bali and a few smaller o ...
, and to the ''
Loi Krathong
Loy Krathong (, , ) is a Thai festival celebrated annually throughout Kingdom of Thailand, Thailand and in nearby countries with significant Southwestern Tai languages, South Western Tai cultures (Laos, Shan State, Shan, Mon State, Mon, Tanintha ...
'' festival of
Thailand
Thailand, officially the Kingdom of Thailand and historically known as Siam (the official name until 1939), is a country in Southeast Asia on the Mainland Southeast Asia, Indochinese Peninsula. With a population of almost 66 million, it spa ...
, both of which involve ritualistic floating of model boats around the same time of year. In 2022, it etched its name in the
Guinness Book of World Records
''Guinness World Records'', known from its inception in 1955 until 1999 as ''The Guinness Book of Records'' and in previous United States editions as ''The Guinness Book of World Records'', is a British reference book published annually, listi ...
through an initiative by Cuttack District administration and Mayor
Subhash Singh, where over 2100 students of 22 schools made over 22,000 paper boats in 35 minutes, creating the world record.

*
Bali Jatra
Bāli Jātrā, () , is the major Boita Bandana festival held at Cuttack on Kartik Purnima and lasts for 7 days or more, i.e. usually until Prathamastami. It is considered to be one of Asia's largest open trade fair. The festival is held in Odisha ...
: The festival to which the people of Cuttack await the most is the
Bali Jatra
Bāli Jātrā, () , is the major Boita Bandana festival held at Cuttack on Kartik Purnima and lasts for 7 days or more, i.e. usually until Prathamastami. It is considered to be one of Asia's largest open trade fair. The festival is held in Odisha ...
. 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 the Southeast Asian island countries of
Bali
Bali (English:; Balinese language, Balinese: ) is a Provinces of Indonesia, province of Indonesia and the westernmost of the Lesser Sunda Islands. East of Java and west of Lombok, the province includes the island of Bali and a few smaller o ...
,
Java
Java is one of the Greater Sunda Islands in Indonesia. It is bordered by the Indian Ocean to the south and the Java Sea (a part of Pacific Ocean) to the north. With a population of 156.9 million people (including Madura) in mid 2024, proje ...
,
Sumatra
Sumatra () is one of the Sunda Islands of western Indonesia. It is the largest island that is fully within Indonesian territory, as well as the list of islands by area, sixth-largest island in the world at 482,286.55 km2 (182,812 mi. ...
, and
Borneo
Borneo () is the List of islands by area, third-largest island in the world, with an area of , and population of 23,053,723 (2020 national censuses). Situated at the geographic centre of Maritime Southeast Asia, it is one of the Greater Sunda ...
. 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
Bāli Jātrā, () , is the major Boita Bandana festival held at Cuttack on Kartik Purnima and lasts for 7 days or more, i.e. usually until Prathamastami. It is considered to be one of Asia's largest open trade fair. The festival is held in Odisha ...
is the festival of continuing this ancient tradition. It is held every year in November on the banks of the
Mahanadi
The Mahanadi River is a major river in East Central India. It drains an area of around and has a total length of . Mahanadi is also known for the Hirakud Dam which was the first major multipurpose river valley project after India's independenc ...
. 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
Kali Puja (ISO: ), also known as Shyama Puja or Mahanisha Puja, is a festival originating from the Indian subcontinent, dedicated to the Hindu goddess Kali. It is celebrated on the new moon day (Dipannita Amavasya) of the Hindu calendar month o ...
: This festival is dedicated to the Hindu goddess
Kali
Kali (; , ), also called Kalika, is a major goddess in Hinduism, primarily associated with time, death and destruction. Kali is also connected with transcendental knowledge and is the first of the ten Mahavidyas, a group of goddesses who p ...
and is celebrated on the new moon day of the Hindu month of Kartik. It coincides with the pan-Indian festival of
Diwali
Diwali (), also called Deepavali (IAST: ''Dīpāvalī'') or Deepawali (IAST: ''Dīpāwalī''), is the Hindu festival of lights, with variations celebrated in other Indian religions such as Jainism and Sikhism. It symbolises the spiritual v ...
amidst the bursting of
firecrackers
A firecracker (cracker, noise maker, banger) is a small explosive device primarily designed to produce a large amount of noise, especially in the form of a loud bang, usually for celebration or entertainment; any visual effect is incidental to ...
.

*
Kartikeshwar Puja: The puja in Cuttack is organised by the puja committees of Cuttack. This festival is observed to worship
Kartikeya
Kartikeya (/Sanskrit phonology, kɑɾt̪ɪkejə/; ), also known as Skanda (Sanskrit phonology, /skən̪d̪ə/), Subrahmanya (/Sanskrit phonology, sʊbɾəɦməɲjə/, /ɕʊ-/), Shanmukha (Sanskrit phonology, /ɕɑnmʊkʰə/) and Murugan ...
, the eldest son of
Lord Shiva
Shiva (; , ), also known as Mahadeva (; , , ɐɦaːd̪eːʋɐh and Hara, is one of the principal deities of Hinduism. He is the Supreme Being in Shaivism, one of the major traditions within Hinduism.
Shiva is known as ''The Destroyer' ...
. Nowhere else except
Sabarimala
The Sabarimala Sree Dharma Sastha Temple () is a Hindu temple dedicated to the god Ayyappan, who is also known as Dharma Shasta and is the son of the deities Shiva and Mohini (female avatar of the god Vishnu).
The temple is situated atop th ...
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 to Cuttack Odisha, later celebrated by east Odisha; west Odisha is worship to goddess
Laxmi.
*
Kite
A kite is a tethered heavier than air flight, heavier-than-air craft with wing surfaces that react against the air to create Lift (force), lift and Drag (physics), drag forces. A kite consists of wings, tethers and anchors. Kites often have ...
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
Eastern India
East India is a region consisting of the Indian states of Bihar, Jharkhand, Odisha
and West Bengal and also the union territory of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands.
The states of Bihar and West Bengal lie on the Indo-Gangetic plain. Jharkhan ...
to introduce kite-flying.
All the other regular Indian festivals like
Ratha Yatra
Ratha Yatra (), or chariot festival, is any public procession in a chariot. They are held annually during festivals in India, Nepal, and Sri Lanka. The term also refers to the popular annual Ratha Yatra of Puri that involves a public process ...
,
Raja
Raja (; from , IAST ') is a noble or royal Sanskrit title historically used by some Indian subcontinent, Indian rulers and monarchs and highest-ranking nobles. The title was historically used in the Indian subcontinent and Southeast Asia.
T ...
,
Ganesh Chaturthi,
Vasant Panchami
Vasant Panchami , also rendered Vasanta Panchami and Saraswati Puja in honour of the Hindu goddess Saraswati, is a festival that marks the preparation for the arrival of spring. The festival is celebrated in Indian religions in different ways ...
,
Holi
Holi () is a major Hindu festival celebrated as the Festival of Colours, Love and Spring.The New Oxford Dictionary of English (1998) p. 874 "Holi /'həʊli:/ noun a Hindu spring festival ...".Yudit Greenberg, Encyclopedia of Love in World ...
,
Diwali
Diwali (), also called Deepavali (IAST: ''Dīpāvalī'') or Deepawali (IAST: ''Dīpāwalī''), is the Hindu festival of lights, with variations celebrated in other Indian religions such as Jainism and Sikhism. It symbolises the spiritual v ...
,
Chhath
Chhath is an ancient Hindu festival, native to eastern India and southern Nepal. It is celebrated especially in the Indian states of Bihar, Jharkhand, and Eastern Uttar Pradesh; and Koshi, Gandaki, Bagmati, Lumbini and Madhesh province ...
,
Eid,
Good Friday
Good Friday, also known as Holy Friday, Great Friday, Great and Holy Friday, or Friday of the Passion of the Lord, is a solemn Christian holy day commemorating the crucifixion of Jesus and his death at Calvary (Golgotha). It is observed during ...
, Christmas, and the numerous festivals are celebrated here.
Cuisine

Cuttack is the ''street food'' capital of Odisha. It is famous for its
Dahibara Aludam
Dahibara Aludum (; ) is a popular street food originating from Cuttack of the state Odisha. It is a variant of Dahi vada. The dish is prepared by soaking vadas (fried flour balls) in light dahi (yogurt) water which is tempered with mustard see ...
, a local delicacy made using black gram (a cousin of the mung bean) and potato curry.''
Chhena poda
Chhenapoda () () is a cheese dessert from the Indian state of Odisha. ''Chhena poda'' literally means ''Burnt Cheese'' in Odia, referring to its caramelised crust exterior and soft, spongy texture with slightly smoky notes. It is often describ ...
'' and
''Rasagulla'' from
Salepur
Salepur is a town and a Notified Area Council in the Cuttack district of Odisha, India.
About
The name Salepur is primarily derived from the combination of two words viz. sali (Paddy) and Pur (Place). It is due to the reason that Salepur belt ...
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 yoghurt and seasonings) is considered a body coolant, accompanied by ''Badi chura'' or ''saga'', and is consumed during the months of April–June.
Due to the quantity of Muslim households in the city, traditional Islamic and Mughlai cuisines like
Biriyani
Biryani () is a mixed rice dish originating in South Asia, made with rice, meat (chicken, goat, lamb, beef) or seafood (prawns or fish), and spices. To cater to vegetarians, the meat or seafood can be substituted with vegetables or pane ...
,
Tandoor
A tandoor ( or ) is a large vase-shaped oven, usually made of clay. Since antiquity, tandoors have been used to bake unleavened flatbreads, such as roti (as well as leavened ones, such as naan) and to roast meat. Tandoors are predominantly use ...
, and
Sheer kurma are also popular among the denizens. Due to its close proximity to Paradip and Mahanadi catchment areas, Cuttack is one of the major producers and consumers 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 the pioneer of the Oriya theatre company. The B-Group of the Annapurna theatre, situated in Buxi Bazar, is also one of the oldest theatres in Odisha. Kala Vikash Kendra in Cuttack is another institution for dance, drama, and music in Odisha. It organises 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, and Biren Mitra Library. CMC Sahid Bhawan has a large art gallery for exhibitions. Town Hall, KVK, Sahid Bhawan, Satabdi Bhawan, and Sarala Bhawan 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, 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 the
Central Board of Film Certification
The Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) is a statutory Motion picture content rating system, film-certification body in the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (India), Ministry of Information and Broadcasting of the Government of ...
is situated in Cuttack.
Movie theatres
The city has several cinemas playing movies in Odia, Hindi, and English. 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 named 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
Harishchandra () is a legendary king of the Solar dynasty, who appears in several legends in texts such as the '' Aitareya Brahmana'', ''Mahabharata'', the ''Markandeya Purana'', and the ''Devi Bhagavata Purana''. The most famous of these stori ...
'' and Odia's first movie, ''
Sita Bibaha'', were screened at this cinema hall in 1934. Another cinema hall named Capital Cinema was also built in Tinkonia Bagicha in 1936. The second Odia film, ''
Lalita'', was released at the same hall. Similarly, in 1944–45 Pravat Cinema Hall near Baropathar, in 1951 Hind Cinema was built. In 1962, United Talkies opened in Saheed Bhawan. Thereafter, Parvati Talkies was also built in Kalyanmandap of Cuttack Municipality. In 1969, Grand Cinema and Suraj Talkies and 1972 Jyoti Cinema, which was renamed Laxmi Hall, started. Later, more opened: Durga Hall (1979), Nisamani Hall, Samrat Hall (1980), Brundaban Hall, Sagar Sangam Hall, Devi Cinema (1982), Rajtarangini (1983), Jaysree Talkies (1985). In 2018,
Inox Multiplex opened, as Odisha's second after Bhubaneswar Inox.
Demographics
Population
According to the 2011 census of India, the population of Cuttack City in 2011 was 610,189: 316,242 male and 293,947 female. Its urban / metropolitan population was 653,149, of which 338,788 are males and 314,361 are females. There were 48,585 children aged 0–6, 8.02% of the total population of Cuttack City: 25,358 boys and 23,227 girls. The gender ratio of Cuttack City was 997 per 1000 males, and 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 the Top cities of India.
Religion
Around 89.65% of the city's population are
Hindus
Hindus (; ; also known as Sanātanīs) are people who religiously adhere to Hinduism, also known by its endonym Sanātana Dharma. Jeffery D. Long (2007), A Vision for Hinduism, IB Tauris, , pp. 35–37 Historically, the term has also be ...
, while
Muslims
Muslims () are people who adhere to Islam, a Monotheism, monotheistic religion belonging to the Abrahamic religions, Abrahamic tradition. They consider the Quran, the foundational religious text of Islam, to be the verbatim word of the God ...
account for 8.23%, and the rest constitute 2% of the total population. Cuttack has the largest population of
Christians
A Christian () is a person who follows or adheres to Christianity, a monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. Christians form the largest religious community in the world. The words '' Christ'' and ''C ...
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
Urdu (; , , ) is an Indo-Aryan languages, Indo-Aryan language spoken chiefly in South Asia. It is the Languages of Pakistan, national language and ''lingua franca'' of Pakistan. In India, it is an Eighth Schedule to the Constitution of Indi ...
, 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.
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 km
2.
The CMC is in charge of the civic and infrastructure needs of the Metropolitan City.
The Mayor heads the municipal corporation and the municipal commissioner is head of the executive arm. A municipal commissioner is an Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer appointed by the state government.
Subhash Chandra Singh is the first directly elected mayor of Cuttack and holds executive power in the Municipal Corporation.
Cuttack City is divided into three constituencies, which are represented at the State Legislative Assembly, viz.,
Barabati-Cuttack,
Choudwar-Cuttack, and
Cuttack Sadar.
Police and judicial administration
The
Bhubaneswar–Cuttack Police Commissionerate, under the control of the Commissioner of Police, looks after the law enforcement in Cuttack. Cuttack has 25 police stations in the city. The headquarters of the
state police
State police, provincial police or regional police are a type of sub-national territorial police force found in nations organized as federations, typically in North America, South Asia, and Oceania. These forces typically have jurisdiction o ...
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 a 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
Water supply is the provision of water by public utilities, commercial organisations, community endeavors or by individuals, usually via a system of pumps and pipes. Public water supply systems are crucial to properly functioning societies. Th ...
and
sewerage
Sewerage (or sewage system) is the infrastructure that conveys sewage or surface runoff ( stormwater, meltwater, rainwater) using sewers. It encompasses components such as receiving drains, manholes, pumping stations, storm overflows, and scr ...
are handled by the
Public Health Engineering Organisation. State-owned
Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited
Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (commonly known as BSNL) () is an Indian Public Sector Undertakings in India, central public sector undertaking, under the ownership of Department of Telecommunications, which is part of the Ministry of Communicatio ...
, or BSNL, as well as private enterprises, among them
Vodafone
Vodafone Group Public Limited Company () is a British Multinational company, multinational telecommunications company. Its registered office and global headquarters are in Newbury, Berkshire, England. It predominantly operates Service (economic ...
,
Bharti Airtel
Bharti Airtel Limited is an Indian Multinational corporation, multinational Telecommunications in India, telecommunications company based in New Delhi. It operates in 18 countries across South Asia and Africa, as well as the Channel Islands. ...
,
Jio
Reliance Jio Infocomm Limited (d/b/a Jio) is an Indian telecommunications company and a subsidiary of Jio Platforms, headquartered in Navi Mumbai. It operates a national LTE (telecommunication), LTE network with coverage across all 22 telecom ...
, and
Idea Cellular
Idea Cellular was an Indian telecommunications company based at Mumbai, Maharashtra. It was an integrated GSM operator and had 220.00 million subscribers as of June 2018.
In 2018 Idea Cellular merged with Vodafone India into Vodafone ...
, are the leading telephone, cell phone, and
Internet service provider
An Internet service provider (ISP) is an organization that provides a myriad of services related to accessing, using, managing, or participating in the Internet. ISPs can be organized in various forms, such as commercial, community-owned, no ...
s in the city.
Cuttack has the largest number of NGOs, charitable organisations, orphanages, old age homes 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 of Odisha. It is believed to have the largest GDP among all cities in
Odisha
Odisha (), formerly Orissa (List of renamed places in India, the official name until 2011), is a States and union territories of India, state located in East India, Eastern India. It is the List of states and union territories of India by ar ...
due to its large business houses and a wide range of industries ranging from ferrous alloys, steel, and logistics to agriculture and traditional industries like textiles and handicrafts. There are many trading houses in the city renowned nationally and internationally. The
Paradip Port, which is around 85 km from the city, facilitates this process.
Traditional industries
The city is one of the largest hubs 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 the 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 cows and mostly Buffalo horn. Cuttack has only one retail store for horn items named Utkal Gaurab Madhusudhan Horn Work. It was greatly contributed by the 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
Athagarh, and many more in the pipeline. These industries include steel, power, automobiles, alloys, and fireclay. Indian Metals & Ferro Alloys (IMFA), the country's largest producer of
ferrous
In chemistry, iron(II) refers to the chemical element, element iron in its +2 oxidation number, oxidation state. The adjective ''ferrous'' or the prefix ''ferro-'' is often used to specify such compounds, as in ''ferrous chloride'' for iron(II ...
alloy
An alloy is a mixture of chemical elements of which in most cases at least one is a metal, metallic element, although it is also sometimes used for mixtures of elements; herein only metallic alloys are described. Metallic alloys often have prop ...
s, 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 number around eight.
Jagatpur and Khapuria are industrial estates inside the city. A large chunk of these serve as ancillary industries for the big industrial houses in Odisha and other states.
Service 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 dependent on the city for their livelihood, contributing to the service sector and, thus, the floating population. The presence of National Rice Research Institute (NRRI), 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
The Orissa High Court is the High Court for the Indian state of Odisha.
The then Bengal Presidency was a vast province including present day Assam, Bihar, Jharkhand, Odisha and West Bengal. It was difficult to administratively manage such a ...
and the
SCB Medical & College, the largest medical institution in the state, further nourishes the service sector. Education is a major industry due to the 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
A dockworker (also called a longshoreman, stevedore, docker, wharfman, lumper or wharfie) is a waterfront manual laborer who loads and unloads ships.
As a result of the intermodal shipping container revolution, the required number of dockwork ...
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 caters to the whole state.
Media

Cuttack has a Doordarshan centre that telecasts Odia programs. The Cuttack station of
All India Radio
All India Radio (AIR), also known as Akashvani (), is India's state-owned public broadcasting, public radio broadcaster. Founded in 1936, it operates under the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (India), Ministry of Information and Broa ...
started post-independence in 1948 and broadcasts programs in
AM as well as
FM bandwidth, catering to the whole
state
State most commonly refers to:
* State (polity), a centralized political organization that regulates law and society within a territory
**Sovereign state, a sovereign polity in international law, commonly referred to as a country
**Nation state, a ...
.
At present, Cuttack has
six local radio stations broadcasting on
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, Oriya newspapers published here include ''
The Samaja
''The Samaja'' is an Odia language, Odia daily newspaper published in Cuttack, Odisha, Odisha, India; started in 1919, it is one of the oldest papers in India. Gopabandhu Das, a prominent freedom fighter and social worker started it as a weekly f ...
'' (founded by Utkala Mani Gopabandhu Das), ''Prajatantra'' (founded by Harekrushna Mahatab, former Chief Minister of Odisha and former Governor of
Maharashtra
Maharashtra () is a state in the western peninsular region of India occupying a substantial portion of the Deccan Plateau. It is bordered by the Arabian Sea to the west, the Indian states of Karnataka and Goa to the south, Telangana to th ...
), ''
Sambad, Dharitri'', and the ''Matrubhasha''.
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 (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 Centre (RSIC) is also situated in the S.C.B. Medical College Campus, which provides rehabilitation measures to persons with disabilities, especially spinal injuries. 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 patients.
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,
Dr. Chhirolya’s Nilakantha Brain Clinic, 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 the
Cuttack Municipal Corporation or by private trusts and individuals. The Odia medium schools in Cuttack are affiliated to the
Board of Secondary Education, Odisha whilst the English medium affiliated to either
ICSE or the
CBSE. Apart from English and Odia medium schools, certain Hindi, Urdu, Gujarati, Bengali and Telugu medium schools are also present in Cuttack.
Ravenshaw Collegiate School, the oldest school of Odisha which proudly boasts many eminent personalities in its alumni including
Netaji Subash Chandra Bose,
Biju Patnaik,
Harekrushna Mahatab, etc. Its situated in Cuttack. Some of the other prominent Odia medium schools of the city include
Secondary Board High School,
Jobra High School,
Ravenshaw Girls High School, Ranihat High School, Nua Bazar High School, Odisha Police High School,
Sri Aurobindo Institute of Higher Studies and Research, Matrubhaban, Christ Collegiate School, Kamalakanta Vidayapitha, Peary Mohan Academy, Badambadi New Colony High School,
Buckley Girls School, Sri Aurobindo School Of New Thought, CRRI High School.
The city has a number of
Saraswati Shishu Mandirs and CBSE schools. The prominent public schools are
Sai International Residential School (SIRS),
D.A.V. Public School, Sector-6, CDA, L.R.D.A.V Public School, Gandarpur, D.A.V. Public School, Rajabagicha,
Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalaya, Kendriya Vidyalaya No.1, Kendriya Vidyalaya No.2, Mahanadi Vihar, Kendriya Vidyalaya No.3, Kendriya Vidyalaya Arc Charbatia,
Stewart School, New Stewart School, Delhi Public School Kalinga,
St. Xavier's High School, Sri Sathya Sai School,
St. Joseph's Girls High School,
S.C.B. Medical Public School,
Cambridge School, Joharimall High School, Modern Public School, Queen Mary's School etc. Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose studied at Stewart School briefly before moving to Ravenshaw Collegiate School.
Under the 10+2+3/4 plan, students complete ten years of schooling and then enroll for two years in junior college, where they select one of three streams: arts, commerce, or science. This is followed by either a general degree course in a chosen field of study, or a professional degree course, such as law, engineering, and medicine. Most of the colleges in the city are affiliated to the Council of Higher Secondary Education. Some of the prominent colleges include
Ravenshaw College, Stewart Science College, Christ College,
Choudwar College, Choudwar women's college, Cuttack College, Jatiya Kabi Bira Kishore (J.K.B.K.) College, Netaji City College, Raghunathjew College,
Sailabala Women's College,
Emarti Devi Women's College,
Indira Gandhi Women's College,Sri Aurobindo School Of New Thought, City Women's College, Sri Aurobindo Institute of Higher Studies & Research Matrubhaban, Kishore Nagar College, Kandarpur College. Sailabala Women's college established in 1913 is the oldest women's college in Odisha.
Universities 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 (IMIT), Bhubananda Orissa school of Engineering(BOSE), Institute of Textile Technology (ITT),
Dhaneshwar Rath Institute of Engineering & Management Studies (DRIEMS),
Image Institute of Technology & Management (IITM),
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
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(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
Utkal University (UU) is a public university in Bhubaneswar, Khordha, Odisha, and is the oldest university in the state, and the 17th-oldest university in India. The university was established in 1943 and was operating from Ravenshaw College ...
in 1943 the Madhusudan Law College was also established in the same year. This college is named after National Leader and politician
Madhusudan Das
Madhusudan Das (28 April 1848 – 4 February 1934) was an Indian lawyer and social reformer, who founded Utkal Sammilani in 1903 to campaign for the unification of Odisha along with its social and industrial development. He was one of the pro ...
. With effect from June 2020, Madhusudan Law College has been upgraded to Madhusudan Law University. As per the notification from DHE Odisha, "
l 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 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 (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 Indian Air Force (IAF) (ISO 15919, ISO: ) is the air force, air arm of the Indian Armed Forces. Its primary mission is to secure Indian airspace and to conduct aerial warfare during armed conflicts. It was officially established on 8 Octob ...
. The nearest commercial airport is the
Biju Patnaik International Airport at
Bhubaneswar
Bhubaneswar () is the capital and the largest city of the States and territories of India, Indian state of Odisha. It is located in the Khordha district. The suburban region, especially the old town, was historically often depicted as ''Chakra ...
, about 28 km away but the establishment of an airport in Cuttack, at
Choudwar or Naraj to serve such a large population in and around the city is needed.
Road
On 28 April 2010, the
Ministry of Road Transport and Highways
The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) is a ministry of the Government of India, that is the apex body for formulation and administration of the rules, regulations and laws relating to road transport, transport research and in al ...
officially published a new numbering system for the National highway network in the Gazette of the Government of India. As per the new numbering
National Highway 16 (
former National Highway 5) runs from North to South of the city. As a part of the
Golden Quadrilateral
The Golden Quadrilateral (; abbreviated GQ) is a network of National Highway (India), national highways connecting major cities of India. It roughly forms a quadrilateral with major cities – Delhi (north), Kolkata (east), Mumbai (west) and ...
project, this highway runs from
Chennai
Chennai, also known as Madras (List of renamed places in India#Tamil Nadu, its official name until 1996), is the capital city, capital and List of cities in Tamil Nadu by population, largest city of Tamil Nadu, the southernmost states and ...
to
Kolkata
Kolkata, also known as Calcutta ( its official name until 2001), is the capital and largest city of the Indian state of West Bengal. It lies on the eastern bank of the Hooghly River, west of the border with Bangladesh. It is the primary ...
.
National Highway 55 (
former National Highway 42) connects Cuttack with
Sambalpur
Sambalpur () is the fifth largest city in the Indian State of Odisha. It is located on the banks of river Mahanadi, with a population of 335,761 (as per 2011 census). Prehistoric settlements have been recorded there. It is the home of the Samb ...
. Also Asian Highway 45 passes through the city. Feeder State Highways connect Cuttack to
Jajpur,
Paradeep,
Talcher,
Angul
Angul (also known as Anugul) is a city, municipality and the headquarters of Angul district in the state of Odisha, India. Angul has an average elevation of above sea level and total area of 6232 km2.
Geography
Angul is located at . I ...
,
Kendrapara and nearby towns in
Cuttack district
Cuttack district is one of the 30 districts of Odisha state in India. It is located in the coastal part of the state and its administrative headquarters are located in the city of Cuttack. As of 2011 Census, after Ganjam district, Ganjam, it is t ...
. Intra city transport is primarily through
Auto rickshaws. From two decades, 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.
Cuttack Netaji Bus Terminal, is a hi-tech bus stand which has been built over 14.95 acres of land in Khannagar. The three-storey bus terminal building offers numerous facilities including state of art kiosks, a luxurious Aahar kendra (where passengers can have wholesome meal for Rs.5), dormitories and more. The bus terminal is named after the illustrious son of
Odisha
Odisha (), formerly Orissa (List of renamed places in India, the official name until 2011), is a States and union territories of India, state located in East India, Eastern India. It is the List of states and union territories of India by ar ...
,
Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose. It was build in record time of 2.5 years and was inaugurated by former Chief Minister of Odisha,
Naveen Patnaik
Naveen Patnaik (; born 16 October 1946) is an Indian politician and writer, who served as the 14th List of Chief Ministers of Odisha, Chief Minister of Odisha from 5 March 2000 to 12 June 2024. His 24-year reign is the List of longest-serving I ...
, on 16 September 2023.
Rail
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
Indian Railways is a state-owned enterprise that is organised as a departmental undertaking of the Ministry of Railways (India), Ministry of Railways of the Government of India and operates India's national railway system. , it manages the fou ...
. 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, 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
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
A monorail is a Rail transport, railway in which the track consists of a single rail or beam. Colloquially, the term "monorail" is often used to describe any form of elevated rail or people mover. More accurately, the term refers to the style ...
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
Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar (; ; born 24 April 1973) is an Indian former international cricketer who List of India national cricket captains#Men's cricket, captained the Indian national team. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest cricketer ...
. The construction of the indoor hall was a joint venture of the
Odisha Cricket Association and the
Board of Control for Cricket in India
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is the principal national governing body of the sport of cricket in India. Its headquarters are situated at the Cricket Centre in Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai. BCCI is the wealthiest governing body ...
which was formally inaugurated on the auspicious occasion of
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
East India is a region consisting of the Indian states of Bihar, Jharkhand, Odisha
and West Bengal and also the union territory of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands.
The states of Bihar and West Bengal lie on the Indo-Gangetic plain. Jharkhan ...
'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
The year began with another wave in the COVID-19 pandemic, with SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant, Omicron spreading rapidly and becoming the dominant variant of the SARS-CoV-2 virus worldwide. Tracking a decrease in cases and deaths, 2022 saw ...
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
water sports
Water is an inorganic compound with the chemical formula . It is a transparent, tasteless, odorless, and nearly colorless chemical substance. It is the main constituent of Earth's hydrosphere and the fluids of all known living organisms ...
. 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
The Ranji Trophy is a premier domestic first-class cricket championship played in India and organized annually by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI). The teams representing regional and state cricket associations participate. BCCI ...
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
The Ranji Trophy is a premier domestic first-class cricket championship played in India and organized annually by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI). The teams representing regional and state cricket associations participate. BCCI ...
and
Santosh Trophy matches.
Cuttack along with
Mumbai
Mumbai ( ; ), also known as Bombay ( ; its official name until 1995), is the capital city of the Indian state of Maharashtra. Mumbai is the financial capital and the most populous city proper of India with an estimated population of 12 ...
has hosted the
2013 Women's Cricket World Cup. Apart from it, Cuttack has also hosted matches in
1987 Cricket World Cup
The 1987 Cricket World Cup (officially known as the Reliance Cup 1987 for sponsorship reasons) was the fourth Cricket World Cup. It was held from 8 October to 8 November 1987 in India and Pakistan – the first such tournament to be held outsid ...
and
1996 Cricket World Cup
The 1996 Cricket World Cup, also called the Wills World Cup 1996 for sponsorship reasons, was the sixth Cricket World Cup organised by the International Cricket Council (ICC). It was co-hosted by India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka. The tournament wa ...
. The 18th and 24th
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
The Somavamshi (IAST: Somavaṃśī, "Lunar dynasty") or Keshari (IAST: Keśarī) dynasty ruled parts of present-day Odisha in eastern India between the 9th and the 12th centuries. Their capitals included Yayatinagara (modern Binika, Binka) and ...
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
The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) is an Indian government agency that is responsible for archaeological research and the conservation and preservation of cultural historical monuments in the country. It was founded in 1861 by Alexander ...
, New Delhi.
Netaji Birthplace Museum

Cuttack takes pride in being the birthplace of Netaji
Subhas Chandra Bose
Subhas Chandra Bose (23 January 1897 – 18 August 1945) was an Indian independence movement, Indian nationalist whose defiance of British raj, British authority in India made him a hero among many Indians, but his wartime alliances with ...
, 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
Madhusudan Das (28 April 1848 – 4 February 1934) was an Indian lawyer and social reformer, who founded Utkal Sammilani in 1903 to campaign for the unification of Odisha along with its social and industrial development. He was one of the pro ...
. 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 of
Odisha
Odisha (), formerly Orissa (List of renamed places in India, the official name until 2011), is a States and union territories of India, state located in East India, Eastern India. It is the List of states and union territories of India by ar ...
.
Anand 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
Naveen Patnaik (; born 16 October 1946) is an Indian politician and writer, who served as the 14th List of Chief Ministers of Odisha, Chief Minister of Odisha from 5 March 2000 to 12 June 2024. His 24-year reign is the List of longest-serving I ...
'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
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
The Mahanadi River is a major river in East Central India. It drains an area of around and has a total length of . Mahanadi is also known for the Hirakud Dam which was the first major multipurpose river valley project after India's independenc ...
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
Hon. Chief Minister of Odisha Naveen Patnaik
Naveen Patnaik (; born 16 October 1946) is an Indian politician and writer, who served as the 14th List of Chief Ministers of Odisha, Chief Minister of Odisha from 5 March 2000 to 12 June 2024. His 24-year reign is the List of longest-serving I ...
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
Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi (2October 186930January 1948) was an Indian lawyer, anti-colonial nationalism, anti-colonial nationalist, and political ethics, political ethicist who employed nonviolent resistance to lead the successful Indian ...
's relationship with Odisha, Cuttack in particular. The double-storey Ashram, located opposite the banks of the
Kathajodi River. was in the thick of the Non Cooperation Movement in the 1920s. This is where Gandhi stayed during his visits to
Odisha
Odisha (), formerly Orissa (List of renamed places in India, the official name until 2011), is a States and union territories of India, state located in East India, Eastern India. It is the List of states and union territories of India by ar ...
. The ashram that spreads over an area of has been converted into a protected monument by the
Government of Odisha. There are around 200 photographs in the ashram that captured Gandhi's visit to Odisha beginning with the one in 1921, the first of his seven trips to Odisha's 69 sites till 1946. Historians say that Cuttack was the seat of the Freedom Movement in Odisha and the Swaraj Ashram played a pivotal role in paving the way for Swaraj Movement
Maratha 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 armory 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. The architecture of the building has been completely disfigured with many brickworks and structures.
Lal Bagh Palace
Situated on the bank of the
Kathjodi, the Lal Bagh Palace at Cuttack has a long and colorful 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 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
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
The Marathi people (; Marathi: , ''Marāṭhī lōk'') or Marathis (Marathi: मराठी, ''Marāṭhī'') are an Indo-Aryan ethnolinguistic group who are native to Maharashtra in western India. They natively speak Marathi, an Indo-A ...
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
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
The Marathi people (; Marathi: , ''Marāṭhī lōk'') or Marathis (Marathi: मराठी, ''Marāṭhī'') are an Indo-Aryan ethnolinguistic group who are native to Maharashtra in western India. They natively speak Marathi, an Indo-A ...
and
British
British may refer to:
Peoples, culture, and language
* British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies.
* British national identity, the characteristics of British people and culture ...
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
Raj Bhavan () is the common name of the official residences of the governors of the states of India and may refer to:
List of Raj Bhavan
See also
* Raj Niwas
*Rashtrapati Ashiana
*Rashtrapati Bhavan
*Rashtrapati Nilayam
Rashtrapati Nilaya ...
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
ow, Odishatook 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
Gaushalas or Goshalas () are protective shelters for stray cow, stray cows in India. Government grants and donations are the primary source of income of the cow shelters in India. Since 2014, when BJP government came into power in India, India h ...
, 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
Buddhism, also known as Buddhadharma and Dharmavinaya, is an Indian religion and List of philosophies, philosophical tradition based on Pre-sectarian Buddhism, teachings attributed to the Buddha, a wandering teacher who lived in the 6th or ...
Mahavihara
Mahavihara () is the Sanskrit and Pali term for a great vihara (centre of learning or Buddhist monastery) and is used to describe a monastic complex of viharas.
Mahaviharas of India
A range of monasteries grew up in ancient Magadha (modern Biha ...
complex in the Indian
state
State most commonly refers to:
* State (polity), a centralized political organization that regulates law and society within a territory
**Sovereign state, a sovereign polity in international law, commonly referred to as a country
**Nation state, a ...
of
Odisha
Odisha (), formerly Orissa (List of renamed places in India, the official name until 2011), is a States and union territories of India, state located in East India, Eastern India. It is the List of states and union territories of India by ar ...
comprising major
stupa
In Buddhism, a stupa (, ) is a domed hemispherical structure containing several types of sacred relics, including images, statues, metals, and '' śarīra''—the remains of Buddhist monks or nuns. It is used as a place of pilgrimage and m ...
s, 'esoteric' Buddha images, and monasteries (
viharas), one of the oldest sites in the region. Together with the
Ratnagiri
Ratnagiri (IAST:Ratnāgirī ; �ət̪n̪aːɡiɾiː is a port city on the Arabian Sea coast in Ratnagiri District in southwestern Maharashtra, India. The district is part of Konkan division of Maharashtra. The city is known for the Hapus or ...
and
Udayagiri sites, Lalitgiri is part of
Puspagiri University located on top of hills of the same names. The three complexes are known as the "Diamond Triangle". Significant finds at this complex include Buddha's relics. Tantric Buddhism was practiced at this site.
Olasuni 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
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
A botanical garden or botanic gardenThe terms ''botanic'' and ''botanical'' and ''garden'' or ''gardens'' are used more-or-less interchangeably, although the word ''botanic'' is generally reserved for the earlier, more traditional gardens. is ...
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
The World Association of Zoos and Aquariums (WAZA) is the "umbrella" organization for the world zoo and aquarium community. Its mission is to provide leadership and support for zoos, aquariums, and partner organizations of the world in animal ...
(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 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 of
Bhubaneswar
Bhubaneswar () is the capital and the largest city of the States and territories of India, Indian state of Odisha. It is located in the Khordha district. The suburban region, especially the old town, was historically often depicted as ''Chakra ...
in the Indian state of
Odisha
Odisha (), formerly Orissa (List of renamed places in India, the official name until 2011), is a States and union territories of India, state located in East India, Eastern India. It is the List of states and union territories of India by ar ...
. Nestled on Khurdha uplands of the
Eastern Ghats
The Eastern Ghats is a mountain range that stretches along the East Coast of India, eastern coast of the Indian peninsula. Covering an area of , it traverses the states and union territories of India, states of Odisha, Telangana, Andhra Prade ...
biotic region, Chandaka forest is spread over 175.79 square kilometres (67.87 sq mi) of rolling table land and small sprawling hillocks of Khurdha and Cuttack Districts. It was designated as an elephant reserve in December 1982.
Naraj 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 is a 141-hectare horseshoe-shaped
fresh water
Fresh water or freshwater is any naturally occurring liquid or frozen water containing low concentrations of dissolved salt (chemistry), salts and other total dissolved solids. The term excludes seawater and brackish water, but it does include ...
lake on the left bank of the
Mahanadi river
The Mahanadi River is a major river in East Central India. It drains an area of around and has a total length of . Mahanadi is also known for the Hirakud Dam which was the first major multipurpose river valley project after India's independence ...
. 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 and
Bhubaneswar
Bhubaneswar () is the capital and the largest city of the States and territories of India, Indian state of Odisha. It is located in the Khordha district. The suburban region, especially the old town, was historically often depicted as ''Chakra ...
. Some bamboo cottages are made on the top of Saranda hill for tourist refreshments. Boating facilities are available.
Jobra Barrage
Jobra
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.
IOCL's
Paradip Refinery has its water intake point from this barrage.
Naraj and Mundali Reservoirs
Situated at the bifurcation point of
Mahanadi
The Mahanadi River is a major river in East Central India. It drains an area of around and has a total length of . Mahanadi is also known for the Hirakud Dam which was the first major multipurpose river valley project after India's independenc ...
and
Kathajodi rivers, it marks the westernmost tip of Cuttack city. It is a major
irrigation dam on Kathajodi river that ensures the water level in Mahanadi river and thereby preventing flood situations in Cuttack. Near to the Naraj Barrage is the Mundali barrage that is the starting point of Puri Canal. Naraj is a major railway station apart from
Cuttack railway station. The area surrounding Naraj has many industries.
Stone 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 Authority
*
Sailo Jharapada
*
Largest Indian cities by GDP
References
External links
Cuttack Municipal CorporationCuttack Development Authority (CDA)Official website of Cuttack district*
{{Authority control
Cities and towns in Cuttack district
989 establishments
Former capital cities in India
10th-century establishments in India