Bhakta Salabega with Lord Jagannath

Submitted by Ashok Palit

At Balasore, a city in Orissa. Salabega was

coming from Delhi to Puri through Balasore
and was staying near the temple of
Shyamsundar. During evening prayers
Salabega wanted to see the Lord inside but was
not allowed to do so since he was a Muslim.
One evening the priest found that the Lord was
missing from his throne. The same night the
king of Balasore had a dream that a great
devotee of the Lord was waiting outside to
have a darshan of Lord. He then made arrangement for a hole to be drilled in the wall so that
Salabega could see the Lord. As soon as he stared at the throne of the deities, the deities reappeared.

After the death of Fatima biwi when Bhakta Salabega was a kid once he got stricken by a severe
disease and all the doctors left the hope that Bhakta Salabega can survive. One day when he was on
bed he heard the Bhajan’s and thought the great lord Jagannatha who is the god of world will be able
to cure me. Then he started praying lord Jagannatha and finally got cured. After that he became a
great devotee of lord Jagannatha. But for that reason he was discarded from his own house. Then he
started moving here to there uttering the name of lord Jagannatha all times. Finally he went to Puri. It
was the car festival time and the chariots were getting pulled Salabega was not allowed to see lord
Jagannatha on the chariot as he was the son of a Muslim. So resided on a house which is very nearer
to Srimandira. When the chariot of lord Jagannatha came nearer to his house he started weeping.
Suddenly the chariot stopped there. And Salabega watched the God happily and there after all the
things were made known to the priests.The place where the cart remained stationary to give darzana
to Salabega was later used by Salabega for composing his many bhajans in honour of Lord
Jagannatha. His body was cremated there after his death. The samadhi of this great devotee is still
standing on the Grand road in Puri and his bhajans will be forever sang, and remembered by the
devotees of Lord Jagannatha. Then he got the respects of a great devotee by the blessings of the lord
Jagannatha.

Prayer Of Bhakta Salabega :-

Aahe Nila Shaila; Prabal matta Varan
mo aarata nalinee bana ku kara dalana!
Gajaraja chinta kala thai ghora jalena,
Chakra peshi nakra nashi, uddhrile aapana!

Ghorabane mrugini ku padithila kashana,

Kede bada beepatti ru kariaccha tarana.

Kurusabha tale suni Draupadi ra janana,

Koti bastra dei hele lajja kala barana!

Ravana ra bhai Bivishana gala saran,

Saran sambhali tanku, Lanke kala raajana.

Prahlada pita se je bada dushta daruna,

Stambha ru bahari taku bidarila takhana.

Kahe Salabega hina jaati re mu jabana,

Sriranga charan tale karuachhi janana.