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Orissa-Tourism.com in your language:
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 Cuttack, the former capital and one of the oldest cities of Orissa is the
administrative headquarters of the district. The town is situated at the apex of
the delta formed by the rivers Mahanadi in the North and Kathajodi in the South.
It serves as a convenient base for touring the various places of interest in the
district.
Places of tourist interest in Cuttack :
Stone Revetment of Cuttack : The river banks of Cuttack are
protected by stone revetment, a great engineering marvel of the 11th century
A.D. and a remarkable example of ancient technological skill of Orissa.
Barabati Fort : The ruins of a medieval fort with its moat and
gate and the earthen mound of the nine-storeyed palace on the bank of the river
Mahanadi are noteworthy. Adjacent to the fort are two modern stadiums.
Temple of Cuttack Chandi : Being the shrine of the presiding
deity of the city, the temple of Cuttack Chandi is normally visited by every
Hindu visitor.
Quadam-i-Rasool : A sacred shrine both for the Hindus and
Muslims, Quadam-i-Rasool, having a compound wall and towers at each corner has
inside three mosques with beautiful domes and a Nawabat Khana (music gallery).
It is an object of veneration for Hindus and Muslims alike.
Approach : By air to Bhubaneswar (Cuttack is 29 km from
Bhubaneswar), road and rail.
Stay : Stay arrangements can be done with local
hotels the list of which is available here.
Handicrafts of the Region: For shopping and
souvenirs, Cuttack is one of the best places in Orissa. The famous silver
filigree works with intricate interwoven wires, horn
and brass products, tie and dye textiles
of Maniabandha and Sambalpur, applique works
of Pipli in exquisite cloth designs and the stone
works of Puri are preferred most by the tourists. For ore information on
handicrafts & handlooms of Orissa, please click here.
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Important Fairs and Festivals of the region
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Fairs
/ Festivals
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Place
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Period
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Durga Puja
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Cuttack
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September - October
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Bali Jatra
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Cuttack
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November - December
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For more information on Fairs & Festivals, please
click here.
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Places around Cuttack
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Choudwar
(10 km by road,
5 km by water)*
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Choudwar,
a growing industrial area was once the capital of Somakuli Keshari
Kings of Orissa. Eight prominent Siva pithas were established by the
Keshari dynasty in the vicinity of Choudwar
which is now in ruins. Tradition records that it was the capital of
Virat, the brother-in-law of Kichaka. The five Pandava brothers with
their consort Draupadi took shelter in Choudwar in their secret
exile.
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Chhatia
(30 km)*
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Popularly
known as Chhatiabata, Chhatia is a sacred place of pilgrimage. The
shrine of Lord Jagannath at Chhatia is a modern piece of Orissan
temple architecture. Nearby one can find the archaeological remains
of Amaravati-Kataka, one of the five important forts of Chodaganga
Deva. Amaravati with the backdrop of the hill "Dhania"
presents an attractive sight.
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Naraj
(15 km)*
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A
picturesque scenic spot, Naraj was
a famous seat for Buddhist culture and learning. The scenic view of
the river Mahanadi at the origin of its branch Kathajodi is simply
bewitching.
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Chandikhol
(40 km)*
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Chandikhol
in the lap of thickly wooded hills and by the side of a perennial
stream is an extremely ideal picnic spot. The Ashram of Baba
Bhairavananda is an added attraction of the place.
Adjacent to Chandikhol, Mahavinayak enshrines the five god heads in
one Lingam. It is a place of worship for Ganapati.
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Dhabaleswar
(35 km)*
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A
small island in the Mahanadi, the temple of Dhabaleswar
is situated on a hillock. Though a new structure, sculptures of 10 /
11th century A.D. are found in the temple premises.
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Niali-Madhava
(47 km)*
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Niali
is famous for the shrine of Sovaneswar. There is an archaeological
sculpture shed here.
8 km from Niali is Madhava, a small village where is enshrined the
lovely image of Madhava. It is also a beautiful picnic spot.
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Bhattarika
(108 km)*
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This
place is famous for the shrine of goddess Bhattarika, often crowded
by pilgrims and picnickers.
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Ansupa
(70 km)*
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Ansupa,
the small but picturesque lake holds a prominent position in the
tourist map of Orissa and offers an asylum to the migratory birds in
winter. The play of the shadow of Saranda mountain and surrounding
bamboo and mango groves on the rippling waters of Ansupa make it a
real thing of beauty. One can have a boat journey or go for fishing
in the lake.
Ansupa is 70 km from Cuttack and 20 km from Raja-Athagarh station,
connected with regular bus service.
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Kendrapara
(65 km)*
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Known
as "Tulasi Kshetra", Kendrapara is famous for the temple
of Lord Baladeva. A grand car festival is held here annually which
draws a mammoth crowd.
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Jajpur
(92 km)*
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Otherwise
known as Vaitarani Tirtha, Jajpur with Goddess Viraja
(Durga) as its
presiding deity is one of the sacred places of pilgrimage in Orissa.
The place has its unique importance in India as Navigaya Kshetra
where pinda is offered for the satisfaction of the ancestors. The
shrine of Sweta Varaha (the white boar incarnation of Vishnu) along
with hundreds of other shrines here made Jajpur a Tirtha par
excellence. The "Dasasvamedha Ghat", the flight of steps
leading to the Vaitarani where the ten horse sacrifices were
performed is a great sanctified spot for the Hindus.
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Paradeep
(94 km)*
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Paradeep,
a major sea port of India for trade activities with a fine sea beach
and a marine drive is an enjoyable tourist resort attracting large
number of visitors from far and wide.
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Ratnagiri
Lalitgiri
Udayagiri
(55 km - 70 km)*
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These
three hills comprise a remarkable Buddhist complex. Hieun-T'sang,
the Chinese pilgrim found it to be the seat of a flourishing
Buddhist University called "Puspagiri". Extensive ruins of
brick pagodas, sculptured stone portals and esoteric Buddhist images
testifying its ancient glory have been unearthed.
Ratnagiri is the gem of this
complex. The magnificently carved door jambs of the Vihar and
superbly finished Buddha images form perhaps the greatest
concentration of Buddhist sculpture of the post-Gupta period.
Ratnagiri is 70 km, Lalitgiri
is 55 km and Udayagiri is 60 km
from Cuttack.
For more information on Ratnagiri, Lalitgiri and Udaigiri, please
click here.
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* Distance from Cuttack |
