Goodbye Cuttack, Hello Kataka: Odisha Corrects Colonial-Era Spellings of 64 Places Across 26 Districts

The Odisha government has officially notified the corrected English spellings of 64 administrative locations spanning 26 districts, dealing a long-overdue blow to the colonial-era anglicisations that have misrepresented the state's place names in official records for over two centuries. The notification, issued by the Revenue and Disaster Management Department , follows the State Cabinet's approval on June 12, chaired by Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi , under the broader policy framework of strengthening "Odia Asmita" , Odia pride and cultural identity.

The most resonant transformation is that of Cuttack , Odisha's celebrated Millennium City and judicial capital, which will henceforth be officially rendered as "Kataka" , its original Odia and Sanskrit form derived from the word meaning "fort," a direct reference to the ancient Barabati Fort around which the city took shape in 1211 CE under Raja Anangabhimadeva III of the Ganga dynasty. The British, in their characteristic disregard for phonetic accuracy, had reduced this historically rich name to a convenient anglicised approximation and the nation had, without protest, followed suit for generations.

The corrections span districts, sub-divisions, tehsils, blocks, and urban local bodies. Balasore becomes "Baleshwar," Keonjhar becomes "Kendujhar," and Angul becomes "Anugola," among dozens of other restorations. Berhampur is corrected to "Brahmapur," and Rourkela to "Raurkela." Officials have clarified that the corrections apply solely to English spellings and do not constitute a change in the actual names of administrative units.

The initiative continues Odisha's proud legacy of linguistic reclamation, which earlier saw "Orissa" constitutionally replaced by "Odisha" and "Oriya" by "Odia." Chief Secretary Anu Garg noted that colonial-era distortions had long diluted the state's linguistic heritage, a measured observation for what was, in practice, nearly 80 years of post-independence inertia on a matter of cultural self-respect.

Implementation will be gradual, requiring coordination with central agencies including the Ministry of Home Affairs , railways, postal services, and digital mapping platforms. The paperwork ahead is formidable; the principle behind it, unimpeachable.