Cuttack, Feb. 26: The recent Shivratri festival attracted thousands of tourists from all over the state to Dhabaleswar, a well-known Shiva shrine on a beautiful island on Mahanadi river near this city. As the mercury is rising rapidly, here is a plan to have your holiday at a location near Cuttack city and explore its treasure of history, archaeology, shrines, temples, mutts and mosques.
Every Odia knows the major attraction of this city — river Mahanadi — that flows nearby. Not only eminent Odia poet Mayadhar Mansingh’s poem Mahanadire Jyotshna Bihara, but legendary Odia singer Akshaya Mohanty also made the river a sought-after destination with many of his works referring to it, especially the song describing the flow of the Mahanadi from western Odisha to the coastal plain covering many interesting anecdotes. And as a traveller, you can always take a stroll on the bank of the historic river to enjoy your time.
For travellers who are taking interest in adventure sports, there is also a great scope as cruising on the waters of the river is possible now.
Apart from playing the historic role, the city was shaping the political destiny of the state and contributing to the academic excellence of the youths.
But it is the ruins of Barabati Fort, remains of the front gate, the moat, the conserved sites with beautifully preserved horticultural landscaping by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) that overwhelm a tourist.
ASI excavation in 1989 revealed that there was an evidence of a palace, a square structure built with Khondolite stone. Kataka means a military camp or a fort in Odia. Madalapanji, the historical chronicle of Lord Jagannath temple gives reference to Pancha Kataka (five katakas). These are Jajpur, Choudwar, Amaravati, Chhatia and Bidanasi Kataka. The last one was identified as today’s Cuttack. Early history of the town is connected with history of Keshari dynasty. As per Madlapanji. Nripa Keshari founded Kataka in 989 AD.
According to a copper plate in Nagari, Anangabhima Deva III transferred his capital from Choudwar to Bidanasi Kataka. Madalapanji also reveals facts that the ruler founded the new city in 1211 AD.
After the end of Ganga dynasty, the Gajapati kings started ruling Odisha and Cuttack, but after Mukunda Deva, the last Hindu king of Odisha, Cuttack’s control was transferred to Muslim rules and later to Mughals. By 1750, the city came under Maratha rule and grew as a big business centre.
The British occupied the city in 1803 and the city became the capital of the Odisha division in 1816. In 1948, however, the capital was shifted to Bhubaneswar.
There is not a single point where a person can start his travel, but if you start it from Barabati after visiting the ruins you can take a look at the riverfront along Mahanadi and then enter the city and go straight to Quadam Rasool, the main burial ground of the Muslims of Cuttack.
Recently renovated, it contains the footprints of Prophet Mohammed on a circular stone and the beautiful structure is well-decorated with the Indo-Islamic architecture and style.
Writing on the historical importance of Cuttack, D.N. Bhoi and P. Bakshi narrated that Quadam Rasool was built in 1735 by Shaujauddin Khan. The octagonal building has doorways on all cardinal directions. Both the outer side and inner part of the dome is adorned with a golden pinnacle. Other Muslim monuments of the city are: Panjee Shah of Odia Bazar, Bukhari Shah of Barabati Fort, Mangala Shah in the compound of the General Post Office at Buxi Bazar, Mastan Shah on the Cantonment Road, Sadarkhan Mosque at Shaikh Bazar and Fateh Mohammad Mosque at Odia Bazar.
One of the oldest shrines in the city belongs to Bania Sahi in the form of Basuli Thakurani where a large hoard of temple fragments such as Naga-nagi, Yaksha, Narayan and Saraswati and Buddhist figures were found. Though Chhandi is the prominent deity of the city at present, the ancient town was having a number of Hindu temples.
None of these, however, could survive in their ancient form. The city also has a series of mutts. Of them, the Mastram Matha was constructed during the Maratha rule.
There are also Jain shrines that are located at Choudhury Bazar, Jaunlia Pati and Alamchand Bazar. But architecturally, the Jain temple of Choudhury Bazar is the most well preserved building. It displays all the major features of an Odia temple situated within a spacious compound.
Though the city was started as a military cantonment in the past, the first government English school was established in 1841, it became a higher English school in 1868 and later took the name of Ravenshaw College. It became Ravenshaw University on November 15, 2006. The Odisha Medical was established in 1875 following the establishment of Cuttack General Hospital in 1874.
Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose’s birthplace in this city has been designated as a national monument. It has become one of the greatest places of tourism interest for travellers and especially those taking interest in freedom struggle. Last but not the least, immortal singer, writer and composer Akshaya Mohanty’s residence has also become a shrine in the historic city.
