Jayadeva birth controversy

Until recently, the origins of the great twelfth-century poet Jayadeva (Odia: ଜୟଦେବ Bengali: জয়দেব Sanskrit: जयदेव) had been somewhat obscure, with the two neighboring states of Odisha and Bengal in Eastern India staking a claim to Jayadeva's origins. This had led to a bitter feud between people on both sides, that lasted for over a century. The issue is still debated by scholars.

Protagonists of the Odia viewpoint point out that all of Jayadeva's composition took place when the poet was in Puri, supporting the idea that he must have lived in Puri for most, if not all of his life. Archaeological discoveries in Odisha establish Jayadeva's extended presence in Odisha. There also exists a village called Kenduli Sasan in Odisha where the Hindu deity Krishna, who was also the main theme in Jayadeva's works, has traditionally been worshipped as the main god. Coincidentally, the inhabitants of that village also worship Jayadeva. A Sasan is a name for villages that traditionally were centers of Brahmin scholarly activity in Odisha, and Jayadeva himself was a Brahmin.

Furthermore, researchers opine that Jayadeva is among the central-most figures in Odia culture. Jayadeva's works, they observe, have spread to southern India, but are rare in neighboring Bengal. It has been pointed out that the Gita Govinda's influence outside Odisha is most felt in the southern states of Andhra Pradesh, Kerala and Tamil Nadu, where verses of the poet's work have been incorporated into the Kuchipudi, Kathakali and Bharatanatyam classical dance forms respectively. It is Jayadeva's ashtapadis that are sung in dance performances of Odissi, the classical dance of Odisha. Odia bhajans (devotional songs) are based on ragas and talas specified by Jayadeva's hymns. Jayadeva was a devotee of Krishna, and Krishna in the form of Jagannath is the central deity of Odisha, whereas the female deity Durga is prominent in Bengal. The Gita Govinda composed by Jayadeva is one of the popular themes in the traditional patachitra paintings of Odisha. In stark contrast, according to Thomas Donaldson, an American specialist on Indian art history, Jayadeva's ragas do not match the lyrical patterns of Bengal, which unlike Odisha, does not even possess a classical vocal tradition. The lack of correlation between Bengali traditional music and the compositions of Jayadeva were independently observed in Barbara Stoler Miller's book, Love Song of the Dark Lord. Additionally, a highly Sanskritized and sophisticated classical culture had been firmly entrenched in Odisha during that period, while neighboring Bengal only had a folk based culture until recent times.

...
Wikipedia