A grand martial procession featuring over 600 Paikas took to the streets of Bhubaneswar on Saturday, 7 November 2026, showcasing Odisha’s traditional warrior legacy as part of state-wide celebrations marking the 150th anniversary of the national song Vande Mataram.
Organised jointly by the Odia Language, Literature and Culture Department and the Odisha Sangeet Natak Akademi, the procession began at Ram Mandir and culminated at Rabindra Mandap.
Culture Minister Joins Procession & Highlights State Celebrations
Odia Language, Literature and Culture Minister Suryabanshi Suraj joined the march on foot alongside the martial artists, praising the Paika community for preserving the state’s historical heritage:
- Ministerial Statement: Suraj described Vande Mataram as an enduring symbol of national pride and self-respect, noting that the year-long anniversary commemorated the song’s profound impact on India’s freedom movement.
- Mass Participation Milestone: Suraj highlighted earlier anniversary milestones, including a record-setting event on National Youth Day (12 January) where over 29 lakh students across 28,000 educational institutions in Odisha sang Vande Mataram simultaneously.
- Women Paika Participants: Women from traditional Paika families, dressed in customary attire, drew widespread acclaim for their swordplay and martial skill demonstrations during the march.
Cultural Performances & Anandamath Theatrical Staging
Ekamra MLA Babu Singh felicitated the participating Paika troupes, while cultural bodies presented dedicated commemorative programming:
- Odia Rendition & Youth Performances: The Odisha Sangeet Natak Akademi presented a special Odia-style rendition of Vande Mataram, accompanied by patriotic musical recitals from child artistes of Itikili Mitikili.
- Publications & Art Display: The Odisha Sahitya Akademi formally released a commemorative book on Vande Mataram, alongside a curated nationalistic art exhibition.
- Rabindra Mandap Play: The celebrations concluded at Rabindra Mandap with a theatrical production adapting Bankim Chandra Chatterjee’s historical novel Anandamath, the literary source of Vande Mataram.
Department Secretary Bijay Ketan Upadhyay, Odisha Sangeet Natak Akademi Secretary Chandra Shekhar Hota, Prakash Srichandan, Shantanu Rath, and Niranjan Panda attended the proceedings.
