Jaydev Kenduli – Birthplace of Poet Jayadeva

Jaydev Kenduli, on the banks of the river Ajay, is celebrated as the birthplace of Jayadeva — the 12th-century Sanskrit poet whose immortal 'Gita Govinda' sings of the divine love of Radha and Krishna. Composed in the court era of King Lakshmana Sena of Bengal, the Gita Govinda influenced the entire devotional culture of India, from Odissi dance to the Vaishnava movement of Sri Chaitanya, and its verses are sung daily in the Jagannath temple of Puri. The village's chief monument is the beautiful Radhabinod Temple, built in 1683 by Rani Braja Kishori of the Burdwan Raj family. It is a superb example of Bengal's navaratna (nine-pinnacled) terracotta architecture, its walls covered with panels of the Ramayana, Krishna-lila and the social life of the time — among the finest terracotta work in Birbhum. Kenduli is most famous for the Jaydev Mela, held every year on Makar Sankranti (mid-January), when hundreds of thousands gather for a holy dip in the Ajay river. The fair is the greatest gathering of Bauls in the world — the wandering mystic minstrels of Bengal camp in akhras across the fairground, and their soulful songs continue day and night for days. For lovers of folk music, the Jaydev Mela is a pilgrimage in itself. With its riverside setting, terracotta temple and living tradition of poetry and song, Jaydev Kenduli connects the visitor to nearly a thousand years of Bengal's devotional heritage.