Cuttack

Cuttack, fondly called the 'Millennium City' and the 'Silver City of India,' served as the capital of Odisha for nearly a thousand years before the seat shifted to Bhubaneswar in 1948. Built on a narrow spit between the Mahanadi and Kathajodi rivers, its strategic riverine position made it a fortress city — the imposing 11th-century Barabati Fort once housed the Eastern Ganga and Surya dynasties and later repelled Mughal invasions. Cuttack's most celebrated heritage is Tarakasi — the painstaking silver filigree craft where artisans in the Naya Sarak quarter transform fine silver wire into breathtaking jewellery, decorative pieces, and miniature sculptures, a tradition recognised by UNESCO as an Intangible Cultural Heritage. Every November, the Baliyatra fair on the Mahanadi riverbank commemorates the ancient maritime trade between Odisha and Southeast Asia, drawing lakhs of visitors with folk performances, street food, and boat races. The city's street food culture is legendary — Cuttack's Dahi Bara and Chhena Jhili stalls are pilgrimage destinations for food lovers across eastern India.