Cuttack

Festive Celebrations

Among the several festivals here, Dusshera is one of the most important. Celebrated in the month of October, this festival is marked by beautiful pandals dedicated to Goddess Durga, set up all over the city. All ten days of the festival witness great revelries and celebrations, and on the last day, the images are taken in a spectacular procession for immersion in the River Kathajodi. When visiting these pandals, you must watch out for the chandi medha, which are essentially silver filigree works used extensively for the construction. Another popular festival, Baliyatra is the festival of recollecting the ancient traditions of trade between Orissa and Java, Bali and Sumatra. Held annually in the month of November, its site is the Mahanadi River. Lakshmi Puja is held in September/October and witnesses great celebrations honoring the Goddess of wealth, Laxmi. Another hugely popular festival is the Kite Flying Festival held in January.