Watercolor by Shaikh Abdullah (fl. 1818-1819), after an original drawing by John Newman of the Jami' Masjid at Cuttack in Orissa, dated c. 1815-1819. It is inscribed on the front in ink: 'View of Jumma Musgeed in Cuttack. Copied by Shaik Abdalla.' Cuttack is situated on the banks of the Mahanadi and Kathajuri rivers. It was once the capital of the state of Orissa and contained the ruined Barabati Fort, which dates to the 14th century and is of Hindu origin. The Kadam Rasul is the other important monument in the town, a Muslim shrine that contains the Prophet's footprint. Before it was annexed by the British, Cuttack was an essential site for both the Mughal and Maratha administrations.
