Jagannath Swami's Muslim devotees: A hymn dedicated to Jagannath Swami, written by his Muslim devotee, is sung in the streets of Puri, Odisha. His devotion is still alive in this age of Kaliyuga. Learn the story of his Muslim devotee.
Jagannath Swami and Salbeg: Jagannath Swami of Puri, also known as the Lord of Kaliyuga, is a devotee of Lord Jagannath Swami. His miracles and folklore are endless. Anyone, not just Hindus, can be a devotee of Lord Jagannath Swami.
In today's article, we will tell you the story of one of his Muslim devotees, whose hymns still echo in the streets of Puri.
Muslim devotee of Lord Jagannath Swami
A Muslim devotee of Lord Jagannath Swami dedicated his entire life to his devotion and wrote a hymn that still echoes in the skies of Puri. This hymn is called, "Ahe Neela Shaila..."
Did you know?
This sacred hymn of Odisha, 'Ahe Neela Shaila', was written by a Muslim devotee, Salvega and is considered to be the most favourite hymn of Lord Jagannath Swami.
Salbeg was born into a Muslim family. His father was a Subedar in the Mughal army, but his mother was a staunch devotee of Jagannath Swami. Listening to the stories of Lord Jagannath with her, Salbeg's devotion to Lord Jagannath was deeply ingrained in his heart and mind.
But there was a problem: Salbeg was not allowed inside the temple. So, every year, Salbeg would wait for the Rath Yatra of Jagannath Swami and would sit in his hut and sing songs and hymns to Jagannath.
https://www.youtube.com/embed/bu14W5aMC18?si=G0ADRmZkUoURivM7
“Oh blue rock, Lord Jagannath…”
Time passed in a haphazard manner. One day, while returning from Vrindavan, his health deteriorated, and he was unable to participate in the Rath Yatra. He prayed from his heart, "Lord, if you reach the temple, how will I be able to meet you?"
Seeing this devotion of the devotee, a miracle happened. Lord Jagannath stopped his chariot in front of Salbeg's hut.
The devotees tried hard to pull the chariot, but the chariot could not move even an inch forward.
The next morning, the priest had a dream, “My devotee is coming, I will not proceed further until he comes.”
From then till today, during the Puri Rath Yatra, the chariot of Jagannath Swami stops at the Samadhi of Salabega, as a reminder that the Lord does not discriminate among his devotees.
