Bhubaneswar:8/11/26: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.