Pala

Understand

Where Pala comes from

Pala is one of the oldest devotional performance traditions of Odisha, performed by the Ghara and Gopal communities in honour of Lord Jagannath at the Srimandir of Puri. The form evolved as a musical offering drawn from the rich lyrical and musical traditions of the Bhakti era — particularly the works of the great Odia poet of the 12th century, Jayadeva, author of the Gita Govinda. Pala performances are typically held in the precincts of the Jagannath temple and at private households, blending classical Odissi music with Bhakti devotional themes. The 12th century is identified as the period of the form's consolidation as the literary and devotional culture of the temple-town of Puri flourished.

How it's practiced

Pala is performed by small troupes (typically 5-7 performers) including a lead vocalist, secondary singers and dancers. The dance songs are drawn from the Gita Govinda and other devotional texts of the Vaishnava Bhakti movement, with sung narrative passages in Sanskrit and Odia. Dancers (typically boys or young men) move with gestures and stances derived from Odissi, the Odia classical vocabulary, with the costumes being the classical Odia dress — the stitched sari, the silver belt and the Odia-style jewellery. The performance is staged in the precincts of the Jagannath temple and at private devotional gatherings, with music drawn from the Odissi Mardala package and the boli style of singing.