Cuttack used to be the capital of Odisha till 1948 and even after Bhubaneswar took over as the capital, it continues to be home to some of the best colleges, temples, official buildings and scenic beauty. Many attractive places in Cuttack continue to draw tourists and also Cuttack is famous for silver filigree work, horn work, dhokra casting, patta chitra, wood carving and terracotta. Though there are a plethora of tourist places in Cuttack, we will take you through some of the more famous ones.
Cuttack Chandi Temple
Situated near the banks of the river Mahanadi, Goddess Chandi is worshipped as the presiding deity and attracts throngs of people during Durga Puja. Referred to as Maa Kataka Chandi, it is one of the famous Shakti Pithas of Cuttack and is visited by thousands of devotees every year.
Timings: 6 am to 12 pm and then 2 pm to 6 pm
Best time to visit: October to February
Nearest bus stop: At Cuttack station
Railway station: Cuttack Railway station
Airport: 30 km from Bhubaneswar Airport
Dhabaleswar Temple
This temple dedicated to Lord Shiva is situated on an island in the river Mahanadi about 35 kilometres from Cuttack to Choudwar. Though there are many Shaiva Pithas in Cuttack, this is considered the most important and unique. It boasts of a hanging bridge which is the longest suspension bridge in India. An extremely peaceful and pleasant place, it is very popular amongst tourists.
Timings: 5 to 12:30 am and 1 pm to 8 pm
Best time to visit: All year
Nearest bus stop: 37 km from Cuttack Bus Depot
Railway station: 26 km from Kapilas station
Airport: 14 km from Bhubaneswar airport
Netaji Birth Place Museum
Located at Oriya Bazaar in Cuttack, this is Subhash Chandra Bose’s ancestral home and birthplace which has now been converted into a museum. He played a pivotal role in India’s freedom struggle and is much admired by all Indians who regard him as a source of inspiration. This is the place where the great leader who changed the history of India grew up till he completed his schooling and it draws numerous tourists till date.
Timings: 10:00 am to 4:30 pm
Best time to visit: October to March
Nearest bus stop: Badambadi
Railway station: Cuttack railway station
Airport: Bhubaneswar airport
Mahanadi Barrage
Mahanadi Barrage is constructed on the Mahanadi River and its greatest attraction is a road bridge, which is built downstream of the dam. The barrage offers a spectacular view of the river water cascading down. You can also savour the local delicacies available there. A variety of fresh fish can be bought on the pavements of the road bridge and some enthusiastic tourists can try their luck at fishing.
Timings: Open 24 hours
Best time to visit: October to March
Nearest bus stop: Badambadi bus stop
Railway station: 2 km from Cuttack railway station
Airport: 36 km from Bhubaneswar airport
Barabati Stadium
Spread over an area of 25 acres, this stadium stands on the ruins of the Barabati Fort and can seat 48,000 people. Many sports events of the city as well as the State are held here due to its impressive infrastructure. Close to it is the Jawaharlal Nehru indoor stadium with a seating capacity of 6000 people.
Timings: Open 24 hours
Best time to visit: October to February
Nearest bus stop: Barabati Stadium Mo bus stop
Railway station: 4 km from Cuttack railway station
Airport: 30 km from Bhubaneswar airport
Anantashayana Vishnu
Anantashayana Vishnu, is a large and ancient rock sculpture of the Hindu god Vishnu, carved during the early 9th century in Saranga village. This natural rock-cut sculpture shows Vishnu in a reclining position on the left bank of the Brahmani River which is one of the major tourist places in Cuttack.
Timings: Best darshan time is 3:30 am up to 05:30 am
Best time to visit: All year
Nearest bus stop: 65 km from Dhenkanal bus stop
Railway station: 61 km from Dhenkanal railway station
Airport: 138 km from Bhubaneswar airport
Barabati Fort
Situated about 8 km. from Cuttack town, this fort was built during the Ganga dynasty on the banks of the river Mahanadi. The fort is in a dilapidated state but is rich in history. This fort was surrounded by a 40-foot-wide moat. It is believed that the Muslim ruler Sirajuddaula was once imprisoned in that fort. It was taken over by the British in 1803 and only the ruins stand testimony to the glory of the Ganga dynasty
Timings: Open 24 hours
Best time to visit: All year
Nearest bus stop: Cuttack Badamwadi bus stop
Railway station: Cuttack railway station
Airport: 29 km from Bhubaneswar airport
Paradip Beach
This beach is a nice place to spend an evening of quality time with family or friends. There’s an aquarium nearby with a wide variety of sea animals. The famous Bali Jatra is held near the beach every year and the sunrise and sunset at this beach are a big attraction for tourists. It’s also a great picnic spot near Cuttack.
Timings: 8:00 am to 7:00 pm
Best time to visit: All year
Nearest bus stop: 2.8 km from Paradip bus stop
Railway station: 94 km from Cuttack railway station
Airport: 125 km from Bhubaneswar airport
Singhanath Temple
Lord Shiva is the presiding deity of this temple which is situated on an island in the river Mahanadi near Badamba. Situated on top of a hill, it is a famous Shaiva Pitha of Cuttack. The scenic beauty of this place is incredible and festivals like Mahashivratri, Dussehra, Makar Sankranti and Kartik Purnima are celebrated here with a lot of pomp and show.
Timings: 6:00 am to 8:00 pm
Best time to visit: All year
Nearest bus stop: 65 km from Badambadi bus stop
Railway station: Jatani railway station
Airport: 65 km from Bhubaneswar airport
Deojhar Waterfall and Park
Located in the Hindol Badama forest range, this waterfall also referred to as ‘Dian Dhar’ is visible from a kilometre away. This place is very popular for its natural beauty and forest cover. During winter, it’s a much-visited picnic spot near Cuttack and a lot of people bathe in the clear spring water.
Timings: 6:30 am to 6:00 pm
Best time to visit: June to September
Nearest bus stop: 24 km from Narsinghpur bus stop
Railway station: 103 km from Cuttack railway station
Airport: 108 km from Bhubaneswar airport
Lalitgiri Buddhist Complex
Situated 55 kilometres from Cuttack, this Buddhist complex came into being in the 1st century AD. It is home to several stupas and a sandstone hillock. It is believed that earlier it was a Buddhist university called Pushpagiri with students from China, Japan and Indonesia. The excavated sculptures are evidence of the various schools of Buddhist art. In 1985, golden caskets were discovered which contained sacred bone relics of Tathagat. This complex also has a museum with huge figures of Buddha, Bodhisattva, Jambala and others.
Timings: 9:00 am to 5:00 pm/ Saturdays – 9:00 am to 9:00 pm
Best time to visit: All year
Nearest bus stop: 5 km from Balichandrapur bus stop
Railway station: 50 km from Cuttack railway station
Airport: 90 km from Bhubaneswar airport
Ansupa Lake
Of the many tourist places in Cuttack, Ansupa Lake cannot be missed. The entire lake is surrounded by mango and bamboo trees and many migratory birds can be seen there in winter. Situated about 45 kilometres from Cuttack, this freshwater lake is on the north side of the river Mahanadi near the Saranda hills. Tourists can enjoy paddle boating in this lake and is one of the popular visiting places in Cuttack.
Timings: Open 24 hours
Best time to visit: October to February
Nearest bus stop: Athagarh bus stop
Railway station: 62 km from Cuttack railway station
Airport: 72 km from Bhubaneswar airport
Bhattarika Temple
Located on the banks of the river Mahanadi, the deity of this temple is Maa Bhattarika and during Durga Puja which is the main festival celebrated here, buffaloes are sacrificed at the temple to honour her. It’s also known as Tarini Pitha and on Maha Ashthami during Durga Puja devotees throng here.
Timings: 5:00 am to 1:00 pm and 3:00 pm to 7:00 pm
Best time to visit: All year and Durga Puja
Nearest bus stop: 10 km from Badamba bus stop
Railway station: 80 km from Cuttack railway station
Airport: 96 km from Bhubaneswar airport
Dabarkhola Waterfall
Located about 90 kilometres from Cuttack in the Hindol Badamba forest range, there are 2 waterfalls here — the small Dabarkhola and the large Dabarkhola waterfall. Tourists come to enjoy its natural beauty and it’s a great picnic spot.
Timings: 6:00 am to 6:00 pm
Best time to visit: All year
Nearest bus stop: 20 km from Badamba bus stop
Railway station: 90 km from Cuttack railway station
Airport: 108 km from Bhubaneswar airport
Cuttack is famous for many other tourist attractions like the Charchika temple, Sovaneswara Temple, Harachandi Temple and the Damani Dam to name a few. Some tourists also like to visit the Olasuni temple, Vadreswar temple and Naraj barrage. Cuttack abounds in tourist attractions and there is something for everyone.
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