Bhubaneswar, Sep 28: The second edition of the Khordha Heritage Walk (KHW) on Sunday offered participants an opportunity to explore the region’s rich history, sacred traditions and the martial heritage of the Paikas, who played a significant role in the military history of the Khordha kingdom.
Led by Paika Guru Kabiraj Pradhan, young Paikas demonstrated traditional combat techniques using indigenous weapons, including swords, ‘Urmi’, ‘Laudi’, knives and shields. The ‘Paika Akhadas’ historically served as centres for training, discipline and preservation of these martial traditions.
The Paikas formed the military base of the Khordha kingdom under the Bhoi dynasty and were organised across different forts to protect the kingdom and its territories. Their traditions were closely associated with local communities and village deities.
The Paika martial legacy is also associated with leaders such as Jayee Rajguru and Buxi Jagabandhu Bidyadhar during the Paika Rebellion of 1817.
The heritage walk began at the Dhabaleswar Temple, where temple trust board member Badrinarayan Sahu spoke about the shrine’s history, traditions and rituals. Eminent educationist and historian Satyabadi Baliarsingh also addressed the participants.
Walkers noticed an inscription on the floor of the temple’s marriage hall mentioning names and the year 1344 AD. While the inscription offers an important historical clue, further epigraphic study would be required to establish its exact date and significance.
The participants later visited Maa Anlei Thakurani Temple at Wilkinson Nagar, popularly known as Saheb Nuagaon. Senior journalist Gopal Pradhan explained the history, rituals and festivals associated with the shrine and the origins of the locality’s name.
Senior journalists and heritage enthusiasts, including Samarendra Baliarsingh, Prabhat Panigrahi, Dilip Pattnaik and Pradeep Sahu, participated along with KHW convener Jyotsna Mohapatra. Heritage enthusiasts from Puri, Cuttack, Parikud, Pipili and other parts of Odisha also joined the walk.
The initiative sought to connect younger generations with Odisha’s living heritage, local history and traditional Paika martial culture.
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