President lays Foundation Stone to Paika Bidroha Memorial

The President of India, Ram Nath Kovind laid the foundation stone of the Paika Bidroha Memorial on Sunday, 8th December 2019 at the foothill of Barunei Hill in Khurda district of Odisha.
The Paika Rebellion, also known as Paika Bidroha was an armed rebellion against the British East India Company’s rule in the year 1817 in Odisha.
The Paika rebellion is also considered as the first war of Independence and there has been a demand from the Chief Minister of Odisha, Naveen Patnaik to recognize Paika Bidroha as India’s first mutiny against the British rule.
Paika Bidroha was spread across most parts of Odisha under the leadership of the Paika leader Bakshi Jagabandhu. Bakshi Jagabandhu was the commander of the forces of the King of Khordha.
For the Paika Bidroha Memorial, a chair in the name of Bakshi Jagabandhu has been established with a Rs 5 crore grant and a memorial coin and stamp has been issued to mark the two hundred years of the event.