Cuttack (derived from the Sanskrit word 'Kataka', which signifies a military camp or a fort or a Government seat protected by an army) is one of the oldest cities in India and the Business Capital of Orissa. It is situated in a tongue of land formed by the river Mahanadi and its main branch the Kathajodi at their points of bifurcation in . It's actual pronunciation is 'Katak'.

Cuttack is also the headquarters of Cuttack District. It lies near Bhubaneswar, Puri and Konark. It is more than a thousand years old, and was the capital of Orissa for almost nine centuries, before Bhubaneswar was made the capital city. With its world famous unique filigree works in silver, ivory and brass works and textiles of woven silk and cotton, Cuttack is perhaps the grandest

History

Early history of Cuttack is associated with the Keshari dynasty. As stated by the distinguished historian A. Stirling, present-day Cuttack was established as a military cantonment by king Nrupa Keshari of Keshari dynasty in 989 A.D. Stirling based his opinion on Madalapanji, a chronicle of lord Jagannath temple of Puri. The reign of Markata Keshari was distinguished for the stone embank built to protect the new capital from flood in 1002 A.D.

Historical evidence suggests Cuttack becoming capital of a Kingdom founded by Anangabhimadeva of Ganga dynasty in 1211 A.D. After the end of Ganga rule, Orissa passed to the hands of the Gajapati Kings (1435-1541 A.D.) of Solar dynasty under whom Cuttack continued to be the capital of Orissa. After the death of Mukunda deva, the last Hindu king of Orissa, Cuttack first came under Muslim rules and later under Mughals.

By 1750, Cuttack came under Maratha rules and it grew fast as a business center being theconvenient 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 Orissa division in 1816. From 1948 onwards, when the capital was shifted to Bhubaneswar, the

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Geography

Cuttack is located at the apex of delta formed by the rivers Mahanadi in the north and Kathajodi in the south. The city experiences hot and humid climate in Summer, characterized by temperature going up as high as above 45 °C and dry and cold climate in Winter, with mercury dipping to as low as below 10 °C. Summer starts at the end of March, the effect of which is felt til the middle of June when monsoon sets in. Monsoon rains lash the city during September to middle of October and supply the city's most of the annual average rainfall of 144.39 cm.

Winter season, between November and beginning of January is characterized by wind chill from north and long nights when sun sets in around 5.30 pm IST in December. People wear heavy wollen clothes at night to beat the Winter.

Between middle of January to the middle of March, the climate is pleasant with temperatures ranging a minimum of 22.2 °C and a maximum of 33.4 °C, which is ideal to visit the city.

Monuments

Modern Cuttack houses Barabati stadium, an important venue for international cricket matches. It is world famous for its filigree works in silver and also works of ivory. Its actual pronunciation is "katak". It is on the banks of the river Mahanadi, one of the largest rivers of India. Modern Cuttack has many educational institutions of national repute, like the Ravenshaw College, and national research laboratories like the Central Rice Research Institute,which is a premier institute of rice research in the country.

There are many Engineering colleges and a Medical college too. It is a district headquarters and has many historical sites. Towards its north lies the Aviation research centre, an arm of the intelligence agency RAW of the government of India. It lies on the national highway no. 5, connecting Kolkata and Chennai. Central Rice Research Institute (CRRI) is also located in Cuttack. Well connected by rail, it is an important hub for most trains. The nearest airport is Biju Patnaik Airport, which is 28 km away.

It is noted for having been the birthplace of the prominent Indian (Bengali) statesman, independence leader and freedom-fighter Subhash Chandra Bose, one of the fathers of the nation.