One of the oldest cities of India, Cuttack is the former capital and the second largest city in the state of Odisha/ Orissa. Known as the 'Millennium City' or the 'Silver City', it is the headquarters of Cuttack district and is located about 28 km to the north east of Bhubaneswar. The city is located on a delta formed by the rivers Mahanadi in the North and Kathajodi in the South. The city is considered as the commercial capital of Orissa and is also among the busiest cities of the state. Cuttack derived its name a military camp 'Kataka' that was set up here by Keshari dynasty. It is also called the city of Fort owing to the presence of Barabati Fort that dominates the landscape of the city and houses one of the major ports of India, named Paradeep. Geography and Climate Cuttack is positioned at 20.5°N 85.83°E at an average elevation of 36 meters (118 ft) above the sea level. Situated at the tip of the Mahanadi delta, the city is surrounded by the river Mahanadi and its tributaries from almost all the sides, namely Kathjori, the Kuakhai and the Birupa. Cuttack has tropical wet and dry climate, where summer season starts from March and lasts until June when the climate is hot and humid. 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 144 cm. The winter season from November to February is characterised by mild temperatures and occasional showers. Temperatures may exceed 40°C at the height of summer and may fall to below 10°C in winter. Owing to its proximity to the coast of Bay of Bengal, the city is prone to cyclones, which cause a lot of damage. However, the city is safe from earthquakes as it situated in the relatively safe seismic zone II. Demographics As of 2011 India census, Cuttack had a population of 606,007. Males constituted 52% of the population and females 48%. Cuttack has an average literacy rate of 77% with male literacy at 86% and female literacy at 67%. 29% of the population is under 14 years of age. Approximately, 94% of the population is Hindu and about 5% of the population constitutes Muslims while Christians and Sikhs comprise the rest. History of Cuttack Cuttack which is one of the oldest cities of India and was the capital city of Orissa for almost 9 centuries was built as a military cantonment in the year 989 A.D. by the king Nrupendra Keshari. The city however, attained glory early in the 12th century as the Capital of Imperial Gangas whose empire stretched from the river Ganges in the north to the river Godavari in the south. This Capital town continued to prosper during the rule of the successive dynasties, except for a brief period of unrest when in mid-fourteenth century Firoz Shah Tughluq invaded Orissa and was indulged in vandalism, looting and destruction. After the death of Mukunda Deva, the last Hindu king of Odisha, the suzerainty of Cuttack passed on to the hands of Mughals. By 1750, Cuttack was under Maratha rule and grew fast as a business center, being a convenient point of contact between Marathas of Nagpur and the English merchants of Bengal. It was occupied by the British in the year 1803 and was declared as the capital of the Orissa Division in the year 1816. Since then, until 1948 the capital was shifted to Bhubaneswar, the city remained as the administrative headquarters of Orissa. Culture of Cuttack Cuttack is known as the cultural capital of Orissa. Cuttack along with Bhubaneswar is collectively known as the "twin cities" of Orissa. With its world famous exceptional filigree works in silver, ivory and brass works and textiles of woven silk and cotton, Cuttack city is perhaps the grandest showroom of Orissa. It is widely known as the Silver City because of its fine workmanship in silver. All major festivals of every religion are celebrated in this region, which makes it an epitome of Secularism that India boasts of. Oriya is the chief language spoken in the city; however, Hindi is as well widely spoken and understood. Among the culinary delights Dahi Bara and Aludum, a spicy concoction of three basic dishes i.e., dahibara, i.e. vadas soaked in skim yoghurt, ghuguni, i.e. curried chickpeas and aludum i.e. whole size potatoes immersed in fiery curry are the most famous cuisines of the city. Thunka Puri is a unique food of Cuttack available only during Bali Jatra. Seu Ganthia a preparation made from Bengal gram flour similar to Chanachoor of North India & Dhanu Moa available during Makar Sankranti are unique to Cuttack. Tourist Destinations in Cuttack The Business Capital of Orissa, Cuttack is famous tourist destination of the state. A city that has the power to lure all kinds of tourists, Cuttack has been the silent witness of the vicissitude of the history of Orissa. The city houses numerous attractions that attract the tourists from various parts of the orb. Some of the famous travel destinations in cuttack are : Temple of Cuttack Chandi Barabati Fort Paramhansnath Temple Qadam-i- Rasool Stone Revetments on Riverbank Shahi mosque Saheed Bhawan Netaji birth place museum The Gurdwara Daatan Sahib Ansupa Mahanadi Cruise Bhattarika Chhatia Deer Park Chandikhol Choudwar Dhabaleswar Barabati Stadium Kendrapara Naraj Niali-Madhava Paradeep Patharajpur Ratnagiri-Lalitgiri-Udayagiri Transportation Airways The nearest airport is Bhubaneswar Airport named Biju Patnaik Airport, which is about 30 km from Cuttack. This airport has flights to all the major cities of the country and a taxi can be hired to Cuttack, which is about half an hour drive from the airport. Railways Cuttack is an important station on the Howrah-Chennai mainline of the East Coast Railway and falls under the Khurda Road division. A branch line to Paradeep starts from Cuttack. It is connected to all parts of India through trains run by the Indian Railways. The railway stations in the city are Baranga, Balikuda, Kathjori, Kendrapara road, Nirgundi and Naraj. Roadways The city is conveniently connected with all major cities of India via roadways and National Highway 5 passes through the city. The bus terminus at Cuttack is known as Badambadi, which is one of the largest bus terminuses in India, and thousands of private and government buses ply to several destinations daily. Buses are the main mode of transportation inside the city. Buses are the main mode of transportation within the city, however, taxis, auto rickshaws and cycle rickshaws are also available for a tour of the city.
