Ritualistic
Gita-Govinda is considered an important text in the Bhakti movement of Hinduism. The ashtapadis are central to the repertoire of Odissi music, the traditional classical music of the state of Odisha.
Every night during the Badasinghara or the last ritual of the Jagannatha temple of Puri, the Gita-Govinda of Jayadeva is sung, set to traditional Odissi ragas & talas. This tradition has continued unbroken since the time of Jayadeva, who himself used to sing in the temple. After the time of the poet, the singing of the Gita-Govinda according to the authentic Odissi ragas & talas was instated as a mandatory sevā at the temple, to be performed by the Maharis or Devadasis, systematically recorded in inscriptions, the Mādalā Pānji and other official documents that describe the functioning of the temple.
To this date, the Jagannatha temple remains the fountainhead of Odissi music and the most ancient & authentic compositions (including a few archaic Odia chhandas and jananas by Jayadeva himself) survive in the temple tradition, although the Devadasis are no more found owing to their systematic eradication by the British government.