Culture of Cuttack
The word “Katak” etymologically means army cantonment and also the capital city. The history of Cuttack amply justifies its name.The city of Cuttack started as a military cantonment because of its impregnable situation that further developed into the capital of the state of Odisha. Inscriptions of Anangabhimadeva lll refer the orginal city as Abhinab-Baranasi–Katak. Like the city of Baranasi, situated in between Baruna and Asi, Cuttack is situated between the rivers Mahanadi and Kathajodi and was therefore named as Abhinab Baranasi (a new type of Baranasi). Cuttack developed into a city out of five villages’ viz. Choudwar Katak, Baranasi Katak, Sarangagarh Katak, Viraja Katak and Amaravati Katak. In the remote past, Cuttack was connected both by land routes and waterways with the renowned medieval ports like Chelitalo, Palur and Tamralipti.
Observance of many socio-religious cultural festivals are common features of the City as well as the District.
Cuttack has been the home to many notable personalities who have contributed a lot towards the culture and history of modern Odisha. It is rightly called the Cultural capital.
All the other regular Indian festivals like Ratha Yatra, Raja, Ganesh Chaturthi, Vasant Panchami, Holi, Diwali, Chhath, Eid, Good Friday, Christmas, and the numerous festivals are celebrated here.
Durga Puja:
Maa Katak Chandi and Gada Chandi are famous Shaki Pithas in Cuttack City. The Shakti worship in Odisha goes back to the pre-Gupta period. It is said that the first mass celebration of Durgapuja was started observed in Cuttack City during the visit of Sri Chaitanya Dev in 15th Century CE. However a large nos of Durga, Siva,Parbati/Shakti idols are being built up by the artisans. The emersion ceremony of Durgapuja is very attractive, popular and enjoyable. This puja has been mingled with the Odisha’s socio-religious and cultural traditions . Since last 2 years Durga , Lord, Shiva and related idols are worshipped in 157 Puja Mandaps of the Cuttack City with much fanfare. The unique fact in emersion ceremony of Durgapuja is that almost all the idols are taken in a procession with very much discipline with the spirit of brotherhood called “Bhai Chaara” among the Katakias( people of Cuttack).
Kali Puja:
This festival is dedicated to the Hindu Goddess Kali and is celebrated on the new moon day of the Hindu month of Kartik. It coincides with the pan-Indian festival of Diwali amidst the bursting of firecrackers.
Kalipuja in Cuttack City is celebrated with immersion Utsav with much pomp and fanfare.
Manabasa Gurubar:
It is unique in Cuttack, later celebrated by east Odisha, west Odisha and other states.
Mānabasā Gurubāra is a festival celebrated by Odia Hindus in the Indian state of Odisha. It is also celebrated by Odias living in Andhra Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, South Jharkhand and South West Bengal. In this festival Goddess Mahalaxmi is the presiding deity. It is believed by the people that the goddess herself comes to every household and removes pain and sorrow. It is held on every Thursday in the month of Margasira.
It is believed that Goddess Lakshmi loves a clean house so all women make their houses clean then decorate the house with jhoti chita. It is believed that the most beautiful house of the village will be visited by Goddess Lakshmi and can get money and prosperity.
Kartikeshwar Puja:
The puja in Cuttack is organized by the puja committees of Cuttack. This festival is observed to worship Kartikeya, the eldest son of Lord Shiva. Nowhere else except Sabarimala is the Kartikeswar puja carried out with so much elan.
Kartikeya is an ancient god, traceable to the Vedic era. Archaeological evidence from 1st-century CE and earlier, where he is found with Hindu god Agni (fire), suggest that he was a significant deity in early Hinduism. He is found in many medieval temples all over India, such as at the Ellora Caves and Elephanta Caves.
Boita Bandana:
Boitas were larger boats and ships that were built in ancient the Kalinga kingdom during its heyday. Kalinga’s sea facing regions consisting of coastal Odisha had major trading ports for which boitas were used. Ancient Oriental traders sailed from Kalinga to distant lands such of Sri Lanka and South-East Asia mostly to Java, Sumatra and Bali for trade.
This festival is celebrated on the last day of the holy Hindu month of Kartik. On this auspicious day people flow miniature boitas or model boats in the Mahanadi and Kathajodi rivers to pay homage to the ancient merchants of Kalinga Kingdom. This day also marks the beginning of Bali Jatra. This festival is similar to the Masakapan Ke Tukad festival of Bali, and to the Loi Krathong festival of Thailand, both of which involve ritualistic floating of model boats around the same time of year.
Bali Jatra:
The festival which the people of Cuttack await the most is the Bali Jatra. Bali Yatra is supposedly the second largest trade festival in Asia and the largest in India. The name Bali Jatra literally means A Voyage to Bali. In olden times, merchants used to trade with South-East Asian Island Countries of Bali, Java, Sumatra, Borneo. Whatever items they brought from those places after trading Oriya goods used to be put up for sale in the capital (which was then Cuttack). People from all over the state and beyond used to come to Cuttack to buy these items. Bali Jatra is the festival of continuing this ancient tradition. It is held every year in November on the banks of the Mahanadi. Many stalls are set up selling both local and exotic goods. People from all over Odisha come to the Bali Jatra to buy items, as was the custom back in those days.
Bada Osha:
The festival of Bada Osha is the “Festival of Fasting” celebrated in the month of Kartik. As a custom, men observe this fast. The fast is kept on the fourteenth day of Kartik. This is unique to Dhabaleswar Temple. Special Bhoga namely Gaja and Tarana are prepared on this day for the worshippers.
The festival is celebrated at the Lord Mahadeva- Dhabaleswar Temple. The temple is situated on an island in the river Mahanadi at 3 kms from Cuttack.
Makar Sankranti:
Kite flying is also celebrated with much enthusiasm and energy in the city. Kite-flying culminates with the Makar Sankranti, with kite-flying competitions being held all over. Cuttack is the first city in the Eastern India to introduce kite-flying.
The festival is known as Makara Sankranti in Odisha where people prepare makara chaula (Odia: ମକର ଚାଉଳ): uncooked newly harvested rice, banana, coconut, jaggery, sesame, rasagola, Khai/Liaa and chhena puddings for naivedya to gods and goddesses. The withdrawing winter entails a change in food habits and intake of nourishing and rich food. Therefore, this festival holds traditional cultural significance. It is astronomically important for devotees who worship the sun god at the great Konark temple with fervour and enthusiasm as the sun starts its annual swing northwards. According to various Indian calendars, the Sun’s movement changes and the days from this day onwards become lengthier and warmer and so the Sun-God is worshiped on this day as a great benefactor. Many individuals at the start of the day perform a ritual bath while fasting. Makara Mela (Fun fair) is observed at Dhabaleswar in Cuttack, Hatakeshwar at Atri in Khordha, Makara Muni temple in Balasore and near deities in each district of Odisha. In Puri special rituals are carried out at the temple of Lord Jagannath.
Odia film industry:
The Odia Film Industry has its base in Cuttack. The Oriya film industry is popularly known as Ollywood, the name is a portmanteau of the words Oriya and Hollywood. In 1974, the Government of Odisha declared film making and construction of cinema theatres as industry in the state, and two years later in 1976, it established the Orissa Film Development Corporation in Cuttack. One of the regional offices for Central Board of Film Certification is situated in Cuttack.
