Cuttack

Template:India city infobox Cuttack is a very ancient city of Orissa in India. It is located at the bifurcation of river Mahanadi and its main branch the Kathajori. The word 'Cuttack' is derived from the Sanskrit word 'Katak' which signify a military camp or a fort or a Govt. seat protected by army.

Cuttack is a major economic hub. It is also the headquarters of Cuttack district. A city worth seeing, it lies near Bhubaneswar, Puri and Konark. It is more than a thousand years old, and was the capital of Orissa till 1957, before Bhubaneswar was made the capital city. It features a nine storey palace (now in ruins) of Mukundadeva, an ancient king.

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.