Famous as the land of antiquities, monuments and handicrafts, the coastal district of Cuttack is also known as the granary of eastern Orissa. It is hemmed by the districts of Puri, Dhenkanal, Keonjhar and Baleswar.
Cuttack has a population of over 2 million, about 90% of which is rural. It has a moderate climate.
Oriya, Hindi, and English are the commonly spoken languages. The area, traversed by many large rivers, is primarily agricultural. There are also numerous small-scale industries. Major industries are now coming up at Choudwar, Vyasnagar and Dhanamandal.
Important tourist attractions are
Barabati Fort, Qadam-I-Rasool, Ansupa,
Bhattarika, Dhabaleswar Island, Lalitgiri, Naraj, Choudwar, Niali-Madhav, and Paramahansanth Temple.