There is a pastime told in Jagannath Puri that there was a flower gardener’s daughter who had learned Sri Gita-Govindand would sing it with great emotion. Lord Jagannath was attracted by her singing and would go to listen to her, only returning to the temple after she had finished singing.
One day, when the king of Orissa came to see the Lord Jagannath deity, he saw that the Lord’s body was covered in dust and his clothes were filled with thorns. He asked the pujaris the reason for the Lord’s disheveled condition, but no one could explain how it had come about. The servants of the deity were afraid that they would be punished, but that night, Lord Jagannath appeared to the king in a dream and explained that no one was to blame for his clothes being soiled that day. He had gone to listen to the gardener’s daughter and had become covered with dust and thorns while hiding in the garden.
The king was struck with wonder by his dream and immediately sent for the gardener’s daughter to be brought to the court in a palanquin. After making inquiries from her, he decided that she should sing for Lord Jagannath in the temple, rather than obliging the Lord to leave the temple and get all dirty. This was the beginning of the tradition of the temple engaging girls named deva-dasis sing Sri Gita-Govindafor Lord Jagannath’s pleasure.
