In the previous blog in the Rath Yatra Series, we looked at the various rituals and traditions related to the celebration of the celestial festival. We also got a glimpse of the spiritual connotations that the festival embodied along with its extremely human-like representations of Bhagwan too. Let us now dive into the story of Bhakta Salabega.
Bhakta Salabega's tales
He was the son of the Mughal Subhedar - Jahangir Quli Khan, also known as Lalabeg. Lalabeg was involved in various conquests and tyrannical rule over the Hindus living in the area of Odisha, including the destruction of various temples, looting and killing them indiscriminately. During one such conquest, he abducted a Brahmin widow from Dandamukundapur village and took her to Cuttack, where he forcefully made her marry him. From their union was born Salabega.
The first incident that established his deep connection with Jagannatha and Krishna was when he was terribly injured, one day, while he accompanied his father to a battle. Despite all royal medicines and care, the wound did not heal. Unable to bear the pain, he wept to his mother. She asked him to surrender himself to Brundabanchandra (Bhagwan Krishna) and convinced him that if he prayed to Him with all dedication, his wound get healed. He began praying earnestly to Bhagwan hoping to get deliverance from this extreme pain. On the twelfth day of his prayers, he had a strange dream! Bhagwan Damodar appeared in his dream and offered him the sacred ash or Vibhuti to apply to his wound. After this application, he got sound sleep, only to discover that the wound had completely healed the next morning! He remembered the dream vividly and was so astonished to see that his wound had completely healed! This incident strongly established his faith in Bhagwan Krishna. He decided to devote his life in Bhakti of the Lord as a sannyasi.
He sought to receive Darshanam of Jagannatha at Srikshetra but was not allowed to because he was not a Hindu. He wept copiously at the gates of the temple because of this separation from the Lord. Bhagwan could not watch his Bhakta in such pain, and it is believed that Bhagwan appeared at the gate to render Darshanam to Salabega! Salabega was now fully convinced that Bhagwan Krishna was the same as Jagannatha! After this incident, an idol of Jagannatha was placed at the gates for non-Hindus to also receive Darshanam - under the name, Patitapaban.
Another incident of divine providence occurred shortly before the Rath Yatra festival. Salabega was at Vrindavanam and was to walk back to Puri to witness the grand festivities. However, on the way, he fell extremely ill and was unable to make it in time for the festivities.
His body trembled with fever, and tears rolled down his cheeks incessantly, but his mind was completely focused on reaching Bada Danda avenue of Puri.
He kept praying to the Lord so that he could have a glimpse - and lo and behold, the Nandighosha was stuck in the sand of Bada Danda! As soon as Salabega arrived at the spot and had Darshanam of the Lord, the wheels were freed and the yatra was completed.
Since then, Salabega would stay at the place where the wheels of Nandighosha were stuck, and he devoted his life to bhajan of Jagannatha!
Even to this day, Nandighosa waits near the crematorium of Bhakta Salabega, a Muslim by birth, but a true Bhakta by devotion, to pay him tribute.
Let us all celebrate this festival as a process of visiting Jagannatha within us. Let us dedicate our lives to Him. Let us surrender our greatest worries and offer ourselves completely at his feet.
