Bratati Baral
For a long time, the birthplace of Sri Jayadev, the 12th century saint-poet renowned for the Sanskrit lyrical epic, Gita Govinda, was a matter of dispute. A village in West Bengal called Kenduli was initially thought to be his birthplace. But Odias believed that he was born in Keduli Sasan (also known as Kenduvilwa) in Odisha. The Archaeological Survey of India, and historians and scholars from Odisha and West Bengal, after researching the issue, concluded that Kenduli Sasan was the actual birthplace of the poet.
Kenduli Sasan or Kenduvilwa, is on the banks of the River Prachi in Balipatna, Khurdha district. This is where the great poet Jayadev, whose erotic religious- lyrical poem remains unmatched in literature till this day, is said to have been born.
On a 17 acre plot of land allotted by the state government, Jayadev Pitha, a memorial to the poet has been developed. Ten statues depicting Dasavatara (the ten incarnations of Lord Vishnu), and commemorating the poet’s Dasavatara theory, catch the visitors’ attention.
A spacious garden, named the Jayadev Heritage garden, has been created to look like the Kadamba Vana, the serene setting for the romance of Sriradha-Srikrishna, which the poet has described in his Gita Govinda.
There is a small pond named after Padmavati, a danseuse of the Jagannath temple of Puri, whom the poet married. She was the daughter of a Karnataka Brahmin couple. The pond has a well- sculpted image of Lord Krishna, dancing on the multi-hooded serpent, Kaaliya. It is believed that Padmavati used to visit the pond regularly. There is also a Mukteswar temple in the Padmavati garden complex.
Today, picnickers often spend time in the garden after paying a nominal fee. Many also visit the museum built by the Jayadev Sanskrutik Parishad. Every year, a cultural function is organized by the Parishad on the eve of Akshaya Tritiya, which is coincidentally the poet’s birthday.
Lingaraj Acharya, a villager of Kenduli, shared his knowledge about the poet. A Brahmin by birth, Jayadev was the son of Bhojadeva and Ramadevi, who had prayed to Ishwar at the Mukteswar temple, for a son. The poet, however, lost his parents early in life.
A great devotee of Lord Krishna, Jayadev composed the Gita Govinda, depicting the divine love between Lord Krishna and his consort Sriradha, while he lived in the Jagannath temple in Puri. It was also in the Puri temple that he met Padmavati and later married her.
Where to stay:
Jayadev Pitha has a government guest house inside the complex where two AC rooms are available for visitors.
How to reach
By Road:
It is around 35 km from Bhubaneswar city. You can hire a car or taxi to reach the place.
