Cuttack

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This article is about the municipality in Odisha, India. For its namesake district, see Cuttack district.
Cuttack
କଟकटकକ
Katak
Municipal Corporation
Clockwise from top left: Deity of Cuttack Chandi Temple, Uttareshwar Temple, Barabati stadium, Railway Bridge on River Mahanadi, View of Odisha High Court from Ravenshaw Collegiate School premises, Badambadi Bus Terminal
Clockwise from top left: Deity of Cuttack Chandi Temple, Uttareshwar Temple, Barabati stadium, Railway Bridge on River Mahanadi, View of Odisha High Court from Ravenshaw Collegiate School premises, Badambadi Bus Terminal
Nickname(s):
The Silver City
City of 1000 Years
The Millennium City
Cuttack is located in Odisha
Cuttack
Cuttack
Location in Odisha, India
Coordinates: Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
Country  India
State Odisha
District Cuttack
Established 989 CE
Founded by King Markat Keshari
Named for Ancient military cantonment of Utkal
Government
 • Type Mayor–council
 • Body CMC
 • Mayor Anita Behera
 • Municipal Commissioner Rabinarayan Nanda
Area
 • Municipal Corporation 43.7 km2 (16.9 sq mi)
 • Metro 192.5 km2 (74.3 sq mi)
Elevation 36 m (118 ft)
Population (2015)[1]
 • Municipal Corporation 706,007
 • Rank 72nd
 • Density 13,867.43/km2 (35,916.5/sq mi)
 • Metro 766,702
Demonym(s) Cuttacki
Languages
 • Official Odia
Time zone IST (UTC+5:30)
ZIP code(s) 7530xx/754xxx
Telephone code 0671
Vehicle registration OD-05/OR-05
UN/LOCODE IN CUT
Website cmccuttack.gov.in

Cuttack Listeni/ˈkʌtək/ is the former capital and the second largest city in the eastern Indian state of Odisha. It is also the headquarters of the Cuttack district. The name of the city is an anglicized form of Katak which literally means The Fort, a reference to the ancient Barabati Fort around which the city initially developed. Cuttack is also known as the Millennium City as well as the Silver City due to its history of 1000 years and famous silver filigree works. It is also considered as the judicial capital of Odisha as the Odisha High Court[2] is located here. It is also the commercial capital of Odisha which hosts a large number of trading and business houses in and around the city.

The old and the most important part of the city is centred on a spit of land between the Kathajodi River and the Mahanadi River, bounded on the southeast by Old Jagannath Road.[3] The city, being a part of the Cuttack Municipal Corporation consisting of 59 wards. Cuttack stretches from Phulnakhara across the Kathajodi in the south to Choudwar in north across the Birupa River, while in the east it begins at Kandarpur and runs west as far as Naraj. The city is located at the central point of four rivers which are the distributaries of River Mahanadi; namely Mahanadi, Kathajodi, Kuakhai, Birupa and further Kathajodi is distributed into Devi and Biluakhai which often makes the geograpical area look like fibrous roots. Cuttack and Bhubaneswar are often referred to as the Twin-Cities of Odisha.

The metropolitan area formed by the two cities has a population of 1.68 million in 2014.[4] Cuttack is categorised as a Tier-II city as per the ranking system used by Government of India.[5][6][7][8]

Etymology

The name Cuttack is derived from Sanskrit meaning military establishment or a cantonment.[9] The city was known as Bidanasi Katak (meaning Bidanasi Military Base) during the days when Barabati Fort was in existence. Bidanasi is now one of the localities of the city.[10]

Established in 989 CE, by Maharaja Markata Keshari, Cuttack was the seat of government in Odisha for close to a thousand years before its burgeoning size forced the creation of a new capital at Bhubaneswar in 1948. The two cities are collectively referred to as the Twin Cities. Cuttack is famous for its unique silver filigree works (Tarakasi), and woven textiles. It is also famous for its Dussehra celebrations.

History

The entrance of Barabati Fort

The earliest written history of Cuttack may go back to the Keshari dynasty.[9] As stated by the distinguished historian Andrew Stirling, present-day Cuttack was established as a military cantonment by king Nrupa Keshari of Keshari dynasty in 989 CE. Stirling based his opinion on the Madala Panji, a chronicle of the Jagannath temple of Puri.[11] The reign of Maharaja Markata Keshari was distinguished for the stone embank built to protect the new capital from flood in 1002 CE.

Historical and archaeological evidence suggests Cuttack becoming capital of a kingdom founded by Raja Anangabhimadeva III of Ganga dynasty in 1211 CE.[12] After the end of Ganga rule, Odisha passed to the hands of the Suryavamsi Gajapati dynasty (1434–1541 CE) under whom Cuttack continued to be the capital of Odisha.[12] After the death of Raja Mukunda deva,[13] the last Hindu king of Orissa, Cuttack first came under Muslim rule and later under Mughals.[14]

By 1750, Cuttack came under Maratha rule and it grew fast as a business centre being the convenient point of contact between the Marathas of Nagpur and the English merchants of Bengal. It was occupied by the British in 1803 and later became the capital of Odisha division in 1816. From 1948 onwards, when the capital was shifted to Bhubaneswar, the city remained the administrative headquarters for the state of Odisha.

The remains of the old moated Barabati Fort still exist in the heart of Cuttack.[15] Nearby is the modern Barabati Stadium, host to many national and international cricket matches. Recently the stadium was upgraded with floodlights for facilitating day and night matches.

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

Recent growth of the city has resulted in expansion across the Kathajodi River and a newer township towards the head of the delta formed between the tributary Kathajodi river and the main river Mahanadi has come up by the name of Markat Nagar (popularly known as CDA by the local residents) which is spread across 2000 acres. CDA has 15 sectors out of which 11 are residential & has population around 150,000. Jagatpur & Mahanadi vihar are two other township in the City. Mahanadi Vihar is the first satellite city project in Odisha. Cuttack is referred to as a city with Baaban Bazaar, Teppan Galee i.e. this is the city of 52 markets and 53 streets which is told by people of Odisha for the largeness of this city. Naranpur is another satellite township coming up in Trishulia, on the other side of Kathajodi River.

Geography

The Mahanadi River

Cuttack is located at Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.[16] and has an average elevation of 36 metres (118 ft). The city is spread across an area of 192.5 km2 (74 sq mi). The city, being a Cuttack Municipal Corporation which consists of 59 wards. The city stretches from Phulnakhara in south to Choudwar in north and Kandarpur in east to naraj in west while main city is located at the apex of the Mahanadi River delta. Apart from Mahanadi, four of its distributaries also run through the city. The distributaries include Mahanadi, Kathajodi, Kuakhai and Birupa where Kathajodi further has two distributaries; the right being Devi while the left is Biluakhai. Mahanadi runs through the city on the northern side separating the main city from the Jagatpur Industrial Area. The Kathajodi river forms a riverine island of Bayalis Mouza after separating the main city from Gopalpur. The Kuakhai river separates the southern part of the city into two-halves, namely Pratap Nagri and the new township of Naranpur. The Kuakhai runs throughout the south of the city along Phulnakhara before entering Bhubaneswar. The Birupa river runs through the north of Jagatpur Industrial Area separating it from Choudwar. There are numerous ponds known as (pokharis) in the city that store rain water. The Mahanadi provides much of the drinking water to the city.

Climate

Cuttack
Climate chart (explanation)
J F M A M J J A S O N D
 
 
41
 
 
29
15
 
 
26
 
 
32
19
 
 
28
 
 
35
23
 
 
49
 
 
37
25
 
 
131
 
 
38
26
 
 
243
 
 
35
26
 
 
341
 
 
32
26
 
 
401
 
 
32
25
 
 
270
 
 
32
25
 
 
196
 
 
32
23
 
 
37
 
 
31
19
 
 
39
 
 
29
15
Average max. and min. temperatures in °C
Precipitation totals in mm

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 144 cm. 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.

Due to the proximity to coast, the city is prone to cyclones from the Bay of Bengal. One such cyclone struck Cuttack in 1971, resulting in more than 10,000 deaths in the state.[17] The Bureau of Indian Standards places the city inside seismic zone III on a scale ranging from I to V in order of increasing susceptibility to earthquakes.[18] The United Nations Development Programme reports that there is "very high damage risk" from winds and cyclones.[18] The 1999 Odisha cyclone caused major damage to the city claiming many lives.[19]

Climate data for Cuttack
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Average high °C (°F) 29.2
(84.6)		 32.3
(90.1)		 35.4
(95.7)		 37.0
(98.6)		 37.5
(99.5)		 34.7
(94.5)		 32.3
(90.1)		 31.8
(89.2)		 32.3
(90.1)		 32.0
(89.6)		 30.7
(87.3)		 29.0
(84.2)		 32.85
(91.13)
Average low °C (°F) 15.2
(59.4)		 18.7
(65.7)		 22.6
(72.7)		 25.0
(77)		 26.2
(79.2)		 26.1
(79)		 25.5
(77.9)		 25.3
(77.5)		 25.0
(77)		 23.3
(73.9)		 19.1
(66.4)		 15.0
(59)		 22.25
(72.06)
Average precipitation mm (inches) 41.3
(1.626)		 26.0
(1.024)		 27.8
(1.094)		 48.5
(1.909)		 130.6
(5.142)		 243.4
(9.583)		 340.6
(13.409)		 401.1
(15.791)		 269.5
(10.61)		 195.8
(7.709)		 37.2
(1.465)		 38.5
(1.516)		 1,800.3
(70.878)
Source: Cuttack Weather

Culture

Pilgrimage sites

Cuttack Chandi Temple
  • Cuttack Chandi Temple: The temple of Cuttack Chandi is probably the most famous religious establishment of city. The temple is dedicated to the Goddess Chandi, the presiding deity of Cuttack. The 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 stating from dark fortnight of Ashwina Krishna Ashtami till Ashwina Shukla navami and Vijayadashami. The Goddess popularly called as Maa Katak Chandi, sits and rules on the heart of the ancient city.
  • Gada Chandi Temple: It is situated in the historic Barbati Fort which is well known for its role in Odisha’s history. Gada Chandi temple 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. People strongly believe Maa Gada Chandi as 'The Living Goddess'.
  • Dhabaleswar Temple: The temple is dedicated to the worship of Lord Shiva. It is situated on an exotic island in the Mahanadi River and is embellished with stone carvings that date back to the early 10th and 11th century. It is one of the famous weekend tours from Cuttack. The serene ambiance, in which the temple is situated, inspires spiritual feeling among one and all. 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.
  • Paramahansa Nath Temple: Cuttack also hosts the Paramahansa Nath temple situated in Biribati. It is considered to be one of the oldest temples in the state.
  • Qadam Rasul: It is a very famous holy site for the Muslims in the state. It is believed to be a type of veneration of Muhammad. It comes from the belief started early in Islam that when Muhammad stepped on a rock his footprint left an imprint. This belief was never accepted by orthodox brands of Islam. However, the idea was disseminated widely and led to the creation of many shrines around such imprints one of them being situated in Cuttack.
  • Jama Masjid: Jama means big, and this is the oldest, biggest masjid of Cuttack. It was built during the Mughal era. Earlier there used to be a Madrasa in this mosque. However, since a decade, the Madrasa is shifted out. The neighbourhoods surrounding the Jama Masjid are inhabited predominantly by Hindus.
  • Daatan Sahib Gurdwara: A holy historical Sikh shrine, the Daatan Sahib Gurdwara is where the first Sikh Guru, Shree Guru Nanak Dev, 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.

Cuttack also houses several churches that include Holy Rosary Church, Oriya Baptist Church etc.

Festivals

Choudhury Bazar Chandi Medha

Cuttack, being the aesthetic capital of Odisha for a long period, celebrates festivals from all religions with much fanfare and devotion.

  • Durga Puja: Cuttack is famous throughout the nation for its Durga puja celebrations. Nearly 200 earthen idols of Goddess Durga are prepared by the different Puja Committees of the city to worship Goddess Durga The speciality Cuttack Durga Puja are its Chandi o Suna Medhas, in which the idols are adorned with huge amounts of gold and silver, with localities trying to outsmart each other by constructing more attractive idols. Cuttack celebrates Durga Puja with full energy on Maha Saptami, Maha Ashtami, Maha Navami and on Vijaya Dashami or Dussehra by burning an effigy of the demon Ravana. People from all of Odisha and nearby states visit Cuttack during this period observe the famous festival.
  • Boita Bandana: This festival is celebrated on the last day of the holy Hindu month of Kartik. On this auspicious day people flow miniature boitas or model boats in the Mahanadi and Kathajodi rivers to pay homage to the ancient merchants of Kalinga Kingdom. This day also marks the beginning of Bali Jatra. This festival is similar to the 'Masakapan Ke Tukad' festival of Bali, and to the 'Loi Krathong' festival of Thailand, both of which involve ritualistic floating of model boats around the same time of year.
  • Bali Jatra: The festival which Cuttackis look forward to most is the Bali Jatra.[20] Bali Yatra is supposedly the second largest trade festival in Asia and the largest in India. The name Bali Jatra literally means A Voyage to Bali. In olden times, merchants used to trade with South-East Asian Island Countries of Bali, Java, sumatra, Borneo. Whatever items they brought from those places after trading Oriya goods used to be put up for sale in the capital (which was then Cuttack). People from all over the state and beyond used to come to Cuttack to buy these items. Bali Jatra is the festival of continuing this ancient tradition. It is held every year in November on the banks of the Mahanadi. Many stalls are set up selling both local and exotic goods. People from all over Odisha come to the Bali Jatra to buy items, as was the custom back in those days.
    Bali Jatra Entrance Gate
  • Kali puja: This festival is dedicated to the Hindu Goddess Kali and is celebrated on the new moon day of the Hindu month of Kartik. It coincides with the pan-Indian festival of Diwali amidst the bursting of firecrackers.
  • Kartikeshwar Puja: The puja in Cuttack is organised by the puja committees of Cuttack. This festival is observed to worship Kartikeya, the eldest son of Lord Shiva. Nowhere else except Sabarimala is the Kartikeswar puja carried out with so much elan.
  • Kite flying is also celebrated with much enthusiasm and energy in the city. Kite-flying culminates with the Makar Sankranti, with kite-flying competitions being held all over. Cuttack is the first city in the Eastern India to introduce kite-flying.

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

Demographics

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See also: List of cities in Odisha

According to the 2011 census of India,[21] population of Cuttack City in 2011 was 606,007; of which male and female are 303,530 and 302,477 respectively. Its urban / metropolitan population is 658,986 of which 331,246 are males and 327,740 are females. Total children (0–6) in Cuttack City are 48,585 as per figure from Census India report on 2011. There were 25,358 boys while 23,227 are girls. The children form 8.02% of total population of Cuttack City. The sex ratio of Cuttack City is 997 per 1000 males. Child sex ratio of girls is 916 per 1000 boys.

Cuttack has an average literacy rate of 91.17% with male literacy at 97.87% and female literacy at 84.49%. The Cuttack ranks high in literacy rate among Top Cities of India.

Others include Buddhists,Jains and Sikhs
Religions in Cuttack
Religion Percent
Hinduism
  
 89.65%
Islam
  
 8.23%
Christianity
  
 1.35%
Others
  
 0.77%

Around 94% of the city's population are Hindus while Muslims account for around 5% and the rest constitute 1% of the total population.[22]

Languages

Odia is the primary language used in the city besides Hindi being widely spoken and understood. There are people who also speak Kosli, Santali, Bengali, Marwari, Telugu, Gujarati, Punjabi, Urdu, Arabic, Tibetan etc. English is widely used for commercial purposes. Most of the banners are written in Odia, English and Hindi.

Civic administration

CMC Headquarters

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 km2.[23] The CMC is in charge of the civic and infrastructure needs of the Metropolitan City. Anita Behera is the Mayor of the Cuttack Municipal Corporation (CMC).[24][25] The Municipal Commissioner is the chief executive officer and head of the executive arm of the Municipal Corporation. All executive powers are vested on the Municipal Commissioner who is an Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer appointed by the State Government.

Cuttack has been the seat of Odisha politics since a long time. In the Indian parliament, Cuttack parliamentary constituency is represented by Mr. Bhartruhari Mahatab of Biju Janata Dal (BJD).

Cuttack City is divided into three constituencies which are represented at the State Legislative Assembly viz. Barabati-Cuttack, Choudwar-Cuttack and Cuttack Sadar. Cuttack-Sadar is represented by Chandra Sarathi Behera (BJD) whereas Barabati-Cuttack is represented by Debasish Samantaray (BJD) while Choudwar-Cuttack is represented by Pravat Biswal (BJD).

Bhubaneswar–Cuttack Police Commissionerate, under the control of Commissioner of Police, looks after the law enforcement in Cuttack. Cuttack has 25 Police Stations in the City.

Economy

Cuttack is widely known as the commercial capital of Odisha. It is believed to have the largest GDP among all cities in Odisha due to its large business houses and 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.[26]

Traditional cow horn sculpture

Traditional industries

The city is one of the largest hub for textiles in eastern India. The city's annual textile trade generates over a billion dollars of revenue. A large textile park is planned, giving a face lift to the erstwhile Orissa Textile Mills in city outskirts. Cuttack is famous for its silver filigree works and only because of these works it is also known as the silver city of India.[27][28] Cuttack is also famous for its handicraft works using cow horn. Generally the horn of dead cattle is used and is performed by licensed craftsmen only. This peculiar artifact 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.

Large scale industries

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, automobile, alloys, fireclay, etc. Indian Metals & Ferro Alloys (IMFA), the country's largest producer of ferrous alloys is in Choudwar, Cuttack. A mega-auto complex is in implementation stages on the city's outskirts.

Tarakasi(Silver Filigree) Pendant and Ear rings

Logistics

Cuttack occupies a very significant place in the logistics map of the country.The number of medium- and small-scale industries concentrated around Cuttack is by far the largest among the cities in the state. The industrial estates in and around Cuttack numbers around eight. Jagatpur 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.

The proximity to Paradip Port comes as an added advantage. OSL Group, one of the leading stevedore firms of the country is headquartered in Cuttack. Cuttack, being the largest business hub of the state is the nodal point of trade and transport. It also has the largest wholesale commodities market of the state at Malgodown and Chhatra Bazaar catering the whole state.

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 depended on the city for their livelihood, contributing to the service sector and, thus, the floating population. The presence of Central Rice Research Institute (CRRI), the largest rice research institute in Asia, adds to the importance of Cuttack in the agricultural map of the country. The presence of Odisha High Court and the SCB Medical & College, the largest medical institution in the state, further nourishes the service sector. Education is a major industry due to large number of universities, colleges, schools and coaching centres and caters to the neighbouring districts.

Media

Dhabaleswara Bridge

Cuttack has a Doordarshan centre which telecasts Odia programs. The Cuttack station of All India Radio started post-independence in 1948 and broadcasts programs in AM as well as FM bandwidth catering the whole state.[29][30] At present Cuttack has five local radio stations broadcasting on FM, including two from AIR. The private FM stations include BIG 92.7 FM, RED 93.5 FM and Radio Choklate 104 FM.[31]

Among several print media houses located at Cuttack, the Oriya newspapers published here includes The Samaja (founded by Utkala Mani Gopabandhu Das), Prajatantra (founded by Harekrushna Mahatab, former Chief Minister of Odisha and former Governor of Maharashtra), Sambad and the Matrubhasha to name a few.

Oriya film industry

The Odia Film Industry[32] has its base in Cuttack. The Oriya film industry is popularly known as Ollywood, the name is a portmanteau of the words Oriya and Hollywood. In 1974, the Government of Odisha declared film making and construction of cinema theaters as industry in the state,[33] and two years later in 1976, it established the Orissa Film Development Corporation in Cuttack.[34] One of the regional offices for Central Board of Film Certification is situated in Cuttack.

Education

ABIT Main Academic Building

Schools in Cuttack are either run by the CMC or by private trusts and individuals. The Oriya medium schools in Cuttack are affiliated to the Board of Secondary Education, Odisha whilst the English medium affiliated to either ICSE and the CBSE boards. Apart from English and Odia medium schools, certain Hindi, Urdu, Gujrati, 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, Harekrishna Mahatab, etc. is situated in Cuttack. Some of the other prominent Oriya 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, Christ Collegiate School, Kamalakanta Vidayapitha, Peary Mohan Academy, Badambadi New Colony High School, Matrubhaban, Buckley Girls School, CRRI High School. Apart from it, the city has a number of Saraswati Shishu Mandirs.Cuttack also has a number of English medium schools including the Central Government undertaking Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalaya, Kendriya Vidyalaya No.1, Sector-1, Kendriya Vidyalaya No.2, Mahanadi Vihar, Kendriya Vidyalaya No.3, Mundali, Kendriya Vidyalaya No.4, 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, D.A.V. Public School, Sector-6, L.R.D.A.V Public School, Gandarpur, D.A.V. Public School, Rajabagicha, D.A.V. Public School, Tulsipur, D.A.V. Public School, Sector-9, S.C.B. Medical Public School, Cambridge School,Joharimall High School, Modern Public School, Queen Mary's School etc.

SCB Medical College Gents' Hostel

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 Jatia Kabi Bira Kishore (J.K.B.K.) College, Sailabala Women's College, Stewart Science college, Sri Aurobindo Institute of Higher Studies & Research, Netaji City College, Choudwar College, Raghunathjew College, Cuttack College, Emarti Devi Women's College etc.

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, 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.

Central Rice Research Institute

Some of the other institute include Biju Pattnaik Institute of Film and Television and the Madhusudan Law College.

Shri Ramachandra Bhanj Medical College (SCB), the largest medical college of the state is located in Cuttack. The S.C.B. Medical College also has a dental wing which offers bachelor's degree in dental sciences. Acharya Harihar Regional Cancer Centre (AHRCC), the only one of its kind in Eastern India, carries out high-end research and treatment in cancer. The Regional Spinal Injury Centre (RSIC) is also situated in the S.C.B. Medical College Campus. RSIC is an autonomous organisation under the administrative and financial control of Department of Health & Family Welfare, Government of Odisha and is headed by the director of the RSIC which provides rehabilitation measures to persons with disabilities especially spinal injury.

Asia's largest rice research institute, the Central Rice Research Institute (CRRI)[35] is situated in Cuttack.

Ravenshaw University[36] 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.

Cuttack is also home to the prestigious 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).[37] It is one of the premier 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.

Sri Sri University[38] established by the Sri Sri Ravi Shankar Vidya Mandir Trust is situated at Naraj.[39]
Panoramic view of Ravenshaw University

Transport

Air

Cuttack has an Air Base named Charbatia Air Base for the exclusive use of the Indian Air Force. The nearest commercial airport is the Biju Patnaik Airport at Bhubaneswar, about 28 km away.

Road

On 28 April 2010, the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways officially published a new numbering system for the National highway network in the Gazette of the Government of India. As per the new numbering National Highway 16 (former National Highway 5) runs from North to South of the City. As a part of the Golden Quadrilateral project, this highway runs from Chennai to Kolkata. National Highway 55 (former National Highway 42) connects Cuttack with Sambalpur. Feeder State Highways connect Cuttack to Jajpur, Paradeep, Talcher, Angul, Kendrapara and nearby towns in Cuttack district. Intra city transport is primarily through Auto rickshaws. Nowadays DTS city buses ply in the city to join different places in the city and the state capital. Cuttack is a major junction connecting all the major parts of the state. The bus terminus at Cuttack is located at Badambadi, and is one of the largest bus terminus in India, and thousands of private and government buses ply to hundreds of destinations everyday. A new bus terminus at Balikuda is under construction to relieve pressure off the Badambadi Bus Terminus.

Night view of Cuttack Railway Station

Rail

Cuttack Junction is one of the important stations on the Howrah , Kolkata-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 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 Baranga Junction, Balikuda, Matagajpur, Kandarpur, Kathajodi, Kendrapara Road, Kapilas Road, Manguli, Nergundi and Naraj.

Metro

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 2.52 crore 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.[40][41]

Monorail

The Government of Odisha is working on introduction of Monorail service in Cuttack. The Housing and Urban Development Department has taken up the issue for exploring Monorail system in Cuttack to make it the first city in the state to have Monorail service. A study on the viability of launching the monorail over an eight to 10 km stretch in the city is expected to be carried out soon. The Engineering Projects (India) Ltd would conduct a comprehensive survey of the city’s capacity to host the system as well as the traffic and congestion problems and submit a proposal.The initially proposed route of circular Ring Road has been ruled out as it was not considered feasible on traffic considerations. While Badambadi-Madhupatana Link Road stretch is the most congested with traffic density crossing 300 per minute, thoroughfares like 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.[42][43]

Sports

Jawaharlal Nehru Indoor Stadium

Cuttack is the home to the Barabati Sports Complex. The Barabati Stadium is an important venue for international cricket and football matches.[44][45] 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 a state-of-the-art indoor hall christened as Sachin Tendulkar Indoor Hall, dedicated to legendary cricketer Sachin Tendulkar. The construction of the indoor hall was a joint venture of the Odisha Cricket Association and the Board of Control for Cricket in India which was formally inaugurated on the auspicious occasion of 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 be used to stage competitions in different indoor sports including basketball, volleyball, badminton, table tennis, fencing, judo, weight-lifting and wrestling. Cuttack also possesses Satyabrata Stadium, primarily used for athletics. The DRIEMS Stadium at Tangi has also hosted international cricket matches and is a regular venue for Ranji Trophy matches. Cuttack also has some very good sporting grounds like Nimpur Grounds, Bidanasi Grounds, Sunshine Grounds, Ravenshaw Grounds, SCB Medical Grounds, BOSE Grounds which are the venues for annual state cricket and football championships and some of which are often used as additional venues for Ranji Trophy and Santosh Trophy matches.

Barabati Stadium

East India's second and Odisha's only indoor arena, Jawaharlal Nehru Indoor Stadium is situated in Cuttack. The indoor arena is primarily used for Gymnastics and Martial Arts. It has hosted many international and national sporting events in the past. It is also used to host musical concerts and award shows.

Cuttack is also the only hub in Odisha for Water Sports. The Rowing & Sculling Association of Odisha is situated in Cuttack at Jagatpur. The water sports events are facilitated in the River Birupa.

Cuttack along with Mumbai has hosted the 2013 Women's Cricket World Cup. Apart from it, Cuttack has also hosted matches in 1987 Cricket World Cup and 1996 Cricket World Cup. The 18th and 24th National Games were held in Cuttack in 1958 and 1970 respectively.

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.

Places of interest

Maritime Museum

The Odisha State Maritime Museum [46] was inaugurated by the Odisha chief minister Shri Naveen Pattnaik on 1 April 2013.

Barabati Fort

The Barabati Fort is a 14th-century castle built by the Ganga dynasty 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.

Netaji Birthplace Museum

Cuttack takes pride in being the birthplace of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose, the prominent Indian freedom-fighter and founder of Azad Hind Fauj . The birthplace of Netaji is situated in Oriya Bazar known as Janakinath Bhawan. 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.

Remains of the Barabati Fort

Freedom Fighter's Memorial

It was inaugurated by Honorable Chief Minister of Odisha Mr. Naveen Patnaik on 23 January 2010, on the occasion of Netaji Jayanti. It is situated at the Old Jail complex in Dargha Bazar.

Theatres

Cuttack had been the centre of art and literature in the past. Annapurna Theatre is considered as the pioneer of Oriya theatre company. The B-Group of the Annapurna theatre, situated in Buxi Bazar is also one of the oldest theatres of Odisha.

Movie theatres

The city has several movie theatres playing movies in Oriya, Hindi, and English languages. To cater to the needs of a large Telugu audience in Cuttack, a few theatres also play Telugu movies. Cuttack once constituted also half of the number of cinema halls of the state but eventually the numbers decimated. Some of the well-known theatres from the past include Ananda, Brindaban, Capital, Devi, Durga, Ganesh, Grand, Hind, Jayashree, Kalyani, Laxmi, Nishamani, Prabhat, Rajtarangini, Sagar, Samrat, Sangam etc. but the number of movie thetres existing presently has been limited to five with only Brindaban, Jayashree, Nishamani, Samrat and Sangam still running shows. Cuttack will soon be having its first multiplex in the form of a national player namely INOX with construction work for the same well underway.

Jobra Barrage

Parks

Water park

The city constitutes 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.

Deer park

A deer park is situated beside the Mahanadi Ring Road at Madhusudan Nagar, overseeing the beautiful Mahanadi River. The park has about 200 deers. The Park is maintained by the CMC.

Recreational parks

The city is filled with numerous social parks. Biju Pattnaik park, Gouri Shankar park, Kathajodi river view park, Khannagar park, Jobra park, CDA Sec-6 park are some of the prominent existing parks.

Notable personalities

  • Samuel Tickell was a British army officer, artist and ornithologist in India and Burma.
  • Syed Ameer Ali was an Indian Muslim jurist, historian and a founding member of the All India Muslim League. He was the first and only Muslim privy councillor in British history for more than a century until Sadiq Khan was made one in 2009. Also known for contributions to Indian law, particularly in the realm of Muslim Personal Law.
  • Subhas Chandra Bose was popularly known as Netaji, he was the founder of Azad Hind Fauj and a prominent figure of Indian independence movement.
  • Madhusudan Das was Odisha's first ever Graduate, Post-Graduate, Lawyer, Minister, Industrialist and India's first ever Minister to resign. He was also known as Utkala Gaurav
  • Gopabandhu Das also known as Utkala Mani, he was the founder of oldest existing Oriya newspaper The Samaja.
  • Biju Patnaik was an Indian Politician and former Chief Minister of Odisha.
  • Giridharilal Kedia was the former president of Kala Vikash Kendra, Cuttack and former Chairman of IITM, Cuttack.
  • Annapurna Maharana was Indian pro-independence activist[47]
  • Nimai Charan Harichandan born in Cuttack district of his time in 1901 and resided at Deula Sahi of Cuttack city for years is proud of Cuttack as the first Odia to record his voice as a Singer was awarded "the Banikantha" designation by the Gramophone company of India Limited at Kolkata(Calcutta) breathed his last on the "Baisi Pahacha of Jagannath Temple on the holy Bahuda Jatra of Jagannath in 1983 proves him as a great devotee of God Jagannath.
  • Akshaya Mohanty was Oriya Playback Singer, Music Composer and Music Director, Lyricist, Director, Actor, Story Writer, Poet. He was popularly known as Sangeet Samrat.
  • Naveen Patnaik is the Present Chief Minister of Odisha, son of Biju Patnaik.
  • Nikhil Mohan Pattnaik is an Indian scholar, scientist, and science author.
  • Bhikari Bal was a singer and music director of numerous Oriya Bhajans.
  • Baishnaba Pani- was a creator of Oriya Geetinatyas.
  • Koovarji Karsan Rathor was a Businessman and Philanthropist
  • Gloria Mohanty was Oriya Actress
  • Hara Pattanaik was Oriya Actor, Director
  • Mihir Das- Oriya Actor
  • Anubhav Mohanty- Oriya Actor
  • Sabyasachi Mishra- Oriya Actor
  • Sona Mohapatra- Bollywood Playback Singer, Music Composer and Lyricist

Gallery

  • Goddess Jhanjiri Mangala

  • Durga Puja in College Square

  • The Kathajodi River

  • Kartikeshwar Puja

  • Dolomundai

See also

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References

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  16. ↑ Cuttack Approved – N at GEOnet Names Server, United States National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency
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  39. ↑ Orissa Gazette (No. 1886, Cuttack, Monday, 28 December 2009 / PAUSA 7, 1931
  40. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
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  46. ↑ http://www.odishastatemaritimemuseum.org
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External links

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