Odisha Police revived a unique tradition at the Nyaya Sanhita Exhibition in Bhubaneswar by demonstrating its historic pigeon service.
Eighteen Belgian Homer pigeons flew in two groups from Bhubaneswar to Cuttack, carrying capsules tied to their legs with important messages.
The demonstration offered a glimpse of the old “pigeon post” system in today’s digital age. Belgian Homers possess a natural iron structure in their beaks that helps them detect Earth’s magnetic field, enabling them to navigate long distances with precision. These birds can fly at speeds of nearly 55 km per hour and locate their destination even from miles away.
Odisha Police introduced this service in 1946 after receiving 200 pigeons from the American Army. Initially tested in Koraput’s hilly terrain, the service expanded into a network of more than 700 pigeons. During the 1982 Banki floods and the 1999 super cyclone, when radio and telephone services collapsed, pigeon post became the only communication link with the outside world.
The exhibition recalled a historic moment from April 1948, when Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru sent a letter from Sambalpur to Cuttack. While his car took seven hours to reach, the pigeons delivered the message in just five.
Today, Odisha Police continues to preserve this 70-year-old tradition as a cultural memory. Training centres in Cuttack and Angul still maintain pigeons under three categories: static (one-way), boomerang (two-way), and mobile services. The display honoured the pigeons that served during disasters and wars, including 32 that won medals for bravery in World War II.
