A STUDY ON RAGAS AND TALAS OF JAYADEVA’S GITA GOVINDA AND ITS CONTRIBUTIONS TOWARDS ODISSI MUSIC

Music plays a prime role in Odishan art and culture. The culture of Odisha is based on Lord Sri Jagannath's culture which reflects in the way of life of people of Odisha. In Odisha, original Indian classical music in the form of “Raga-Pravandha-Gana” was transformed to Raga-Ksyudra-Geeta Pravandha Gana by Sri Jayadeva, the great composer, musician and a saint poet of Odisha as well as great devotee of Lord Jagannath. Sri Jayadev has not only originated a unique music tradition, systematic form and definite melodic pattern, raga-tala repertoires but also built a socio-cultural community in ancient period. The purity, sanctity and characteristic features of Odissi music have been enriched refined and pervaded its horizon through Gitagovinda of Sri Jayadev. Poet Jayadeva composed Gitagovinda and for the first time in Odisha lyrics were composed by applying systematic tune. Gitagovinda was performed by Devadasis in temple in honour of Jagannath and the form of music which has been sung in the world famous Jagannath temple at sacred Puri as a part of the temple services gradually took the form of traditional Odissi music as known today. The evolution of Odissi music owes a lot to poet Jayadeva and his composition the “Gitagovinda”. The compositions of Geeta Govinda were written with an object to be sung. Gitagovinda was composed at a time when Indian classical music was not divided into two regional streams, namely Hindustani and Carnatic, and thus was one single tradition.