Cuttack (, officially Kataka ), is the second largest city and the former capital of the Indian state of Odisha. It is also the headquarters of the Cuttack district. The name of the city is derived from the Odia and Sanskrit name Kataka, which literally means the fort, a reference to the ancient Barabati Fort around which the city initially developed. The Government of Odisha approved the restoration of the native spelling to reflect authentic Odia phonetics. 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 judicial 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 known in Odisha for foods, such as the Thunkapuri, Dahibara, Lassi, various kinds of Chat, among others. Amongst all districts in Orissa, the undivided Cuttack district is known for its delicacies and sweets. Cuttack is also known for its Durga Puja, one of the major festivals of Odisha. A common destination of poets and artists, Cuttack also serves as a cultural hub within Odisha. The city is categorised as a Tier II city as per the ranking system used by the Government of India.
One particularly old and culturally relevant part of the city is centred on a strip of land between the Kathajodi River and the Mahanadi River, bounded on the south-east by Old Jagannath Road.
Etymology The name Cuttack is an anglicised form of Kataka () which is derived from Sanskrit कटक, meaning capital, fort and military establishment, or a cantonment. This transliteration emerged during British colonial rule. 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. Renaming to Kataka In 2024, the Mayor of the Cuttack Municipal Corporation, Subhash Chandra Singh, submitted a formal proposal to the Chief Minister of Odisha, Mohan Charan Majhi, seeking the renaming of Cuttack to “Katak”, citing it as the city’s original historic name.
In his letter, Singh referred to archival records preserved at the Records Department of Ravenshaw College, stating that the documents mention “Katak” as the traditional name historically used for the city. He also noted that the archival references had been highlighted in newspapers, bringing the issue into public discussion.
The Mayor urged the Government of Odisha to initiate an official review process, including consultation with historians, cultural organisations and local communities, to assess the historical and cultural basis of the proposal. He stated that restoring the historic name would help preserve cultural heritage, strengthen local identity and ensure clarity in official references.
Singh further requested that, if approved, the renaming be implemented through appropriate administrative and legislative measures, including official notifications, amendments to the state gazette and updates to public signage. The proposal followed a then recent decision by the Odisha government to revise the English spellings of several place names across the state.
On 12 June 2026, the Odisha state Cabinet approved the correction of colonial-era distorted English spellings for 64 locations across 26 districts, officially restoring Cuttack to its original Odia phonetic form Kataka. The announcement was made by Odisha Chief Secretary Anu Garg, who stated that the colonial-era distortions had diluted the state's linguistic heritage and cultural identity.
On 22 June 2026, the Revenue and Disaster Management Department issued the Corrected English spelling of the names of Administrative unit Notification, formally implementing corrected English spellings of various administrative place names across the state. The changes were also published in the Odisha Gazette on the same day. The notification followed approval by the Odisha State Cabinet to revise anglicised or historically distorted spellings in order to align them with original Odia phonetic forms. The initiative follows recommendations by a high-level committee chaired by Pratibha Ray, which reviewed thousands of public suggestions and identified distorted "Apabhransa" names to restore.
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 Jagannatha temple of Puri. 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 passed to the hands of the Suryavamsi Gajapati dynasty (1434–1541 CE), under whom Cuttack continued to be the capital of Odisha. After the death of Raja Mukunda deva, the last Hindu king of Orissa, Cuttack first came under Muslim rule and later under Mughals, who made Cuttack the seat of the new Orissa Subah (imperial top-level province) under Shah Jahan.
By 1750, Cuttack came under the Maratha Empire, and grew fast as a business center, serving as a point of contact between the Bhonsale Marathas of Nagpur and the English merchants of Bengal. The term "Attock te Cuttack" (Attock to Cuttack) was first used to describe the extent of the Maratha Empire after they conquered Cuttack in 1750 and Attock in 1758. It was occupied by the British in 1803 and later became the capital of the 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. Cuttack is sometimes referred to as the Judicial Capital, as it is where the Orissa High Court is located. Also, it may be referred to as one half of Odisha's Twin Capital.
The introduction of the Sharadiya Utsav tradition in the city dates back to the visit of Saint Chaitanya in the 16th century, when the consecration of the idol of Durga by using the mask pattern was conducted in his presence at Binod Behari Devi Mandap.
The remains of the old moated Barabati Fort still exist in the heart of Cuttack.
Geography
Cuttack is located at , United States National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency 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 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. 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. One such cyclone struck Cuttack in 1971, resulting in more than 10,000 deaths in the state. The Bureau of Indian Standards places the city inside seismic zone III on a scale ranging from in order of increasing susceptibility to earthquakes. The United Nations Development Programme reports that there is a very high damage risk from winds and cyclones. 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 the category-2 3-10L population category in India according to the 'Swachh Vayu Survekshan 2024 Results'.
Culture
Pilgrimage sites
Kataka Chandi Mandir Dedicated to the Goddess Chandi, the presiding deity of Cuttack, the Kataka Chandi Mandir 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 Kataka Chandi mandir, 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 Mandir, situated within the premises of the Barabati Fort, is one of the oldest temples in Kataka and is believed to be the older temple of Kataka Chandi before her shift to the present Kataka Chandi Mandir.
Dhabaleshwar Temple Dedicated to the worship of Lord Shiva, Dhabaleswar Temple is situated on an island in the Mahanadi River 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