The divine melodies of Lord Krishna's flute—the instrument that once enchanted gopis, tamed wild animals, and made the Yamuna River change its course—continue to resonate through India's cultural consciousness. Yet, a fascinating question persists: what happened to this mystical instrument after Krishna's earthly departure? While no historical record confirms its whereabouts, Odisha's rich tapestry of folk traditions offers intriguing possibilities about the fate of this sacred relic.
In the shadow of Puri's magnificent Jagannath Temple, local storyteller Bibhuti Mishra shares an ancient belief passed down through generations: "Our elders tell us that when Shree Krishna departed for Vaikuntha, his bansuri transformed into the cosmic sound 'Om' that pervades the universe. But its physical form—carved from sacred bamboo—was entrusted to his beloved friend Uddhava, who brought it to the ancient kingdom of Kalinga."
This narrative finds resonance in Odisha's Pattachitra paintings, where artisans depict the flute adorned with jewels and preserved within the inner sanctum of a forest shrine. These intricate scroll paintings, created with natural colors on treated cloth, show devotees approaching the relic with offerings of fresh flowers and milk.
In coastal Odisha's Kendrapara district, the annual "Bansuri Mahotsav" celebrates this connection through elaborate folk performances. During this festival, village elders narrate how the sacred flute was hidden in seven nested boxes and buried beneath a banyan tree to protect it from being misused by those with impure intentions.
"The flute of Krishna is not merely an instrument but a living entity with consciousness," explains Padmashree Harihar Nanda, a nonagenarian Gotipua dance exponent from Raghurajpur village. "Our traditions teach that it appears only to the spiritually evolved. Many saints have claimed to hear its ethereal music emanating from sacred groves, especially during the full moon night of Sharad Purnima."
The Mahabhava texts of the region, lesser-known scriptures focusing on the emotional aspects of devotion, contain poignant verses about Radha's connection to the flute after Krishna's departure. According to these texts, Krishna's most devoted companion Radha was entrusted with the flute, which she brought to the eastern shores where it gradually merged with the waves of the Bay of Bengal.
In Odisha's Prachi Valley, often called the "forgotten cradle of Odisha's civilization," locals point to a small shrine near Kakatpur where a bamboo flute is worshipped as Krishna's original instrument. While historians remain skeptical, the shrine attracts devotees who claim miraculous healing properties associated with the relic.
"Whether the physical flute exists today is secondary to its spiritual presence," says Dr. Bijay Kumar Rath, former director of the Odisha State Museum. "In Odisha's Geetagovinda tradition, poet Jayadeva describes the flute not as an object but as the embodiment of divine love. This perspective suggests that searching for the physical flute might miss its true essence."
The flute's mystique extends to folk beliefs that it occasionally manifests during intense bhajan sessions. In Bhubaneswar's Ananta Vasudev Temple, devotees describe instances when the sound of a flute mysteriously accompanies their kirtan, though no flutist is present.
Odisha's tribal communities have their own interpretations. The Santal people believe the sacred flute was broken into pieces and scattered across forests, explaining why bamboo groves sometimes produce music when wind passes through them. Meanwhile, the Kondh tribe maintains that Krishna's flute transformed into the kingfisher bird, whose appearance near water bodies is considered auspicious.
