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The Saga of Salbeg

June 29, 2015 | By

In the present times, prejudice and disharmony rule the world. The story of Bhakta Salbeg stands as a testimony to the universal values of love, peace and tolerance.

Lord Jagannath Tales 4

Lord Jagannath Tales

His mother nursed him while continuously chanting the name of Lord Jagannath

Salbeg’s mother was a Brahman widow. A Muslim soldier married her forcefully. Salbeg grew up to become a soldier like his father and joined Aurangzeb’s army.

Once he was severely injured in battle. His mother nursed him while continuously chanting the name of Lord Jagannath.

After regaining his health, Salbeg became an ardent devotee of Lord Jagannath and began composing and singing bhajans in praise of the Lord. He settled down in Vrindavan.

Once desirous of seeking the blessings of his Lord he went to the temple at Puri but was not allowed to enter since he was a Muslim. Sometime later he again left for Puri to catch a glimpse of his Lord when he came out on the streets during the annual Rath Yatra. Salbeg fell ill on the way and prayed to the Lord to wait for him so that he could get his divine darshan. The chariot of the Lord waited till Salbeg arrived. Only after the great devotee got the darshan of his master and touched the ropes of the chariot did it move.

Even to this day the chariot stops at exactly the same point where it had halted for Bhakta Salbeg long ago. Another tribute to the great disciple’s devotion is the fact that the bhajans composed by Bhakta Salbeg are an integral part of the Rath Yatra celebrations.

Only after the great devotee got the darshan of his master and touched the ropes of the chariot did it move.

Read the Tales of Lord Jagannath

These stories have been republished from the book Tales of Lord Jagannath by Ramendra Kumar. This book is available on Amazon.in and has been published by:
B K Publications Pvt. Ltd.

The opinions shared by the writer is his personal opinion and does not reflect the opinion of Learning and Creativity Magazine.

Ramendra Kumar (Ramen) is an award-winning author, performance storyteller, and TEDx speaker whose 54 books span fiction for all ages, satire, biographies, and inspirational non-fiction. Translated into 33 languages and recipient of 41 All-India awards for children’s literature, his works — known for their wit, warmth, and emotional resonance — have touched readers across India and beyond. His titles with the National Book Trust (NBT), India alone have sold over 1.5 million copies. Ramen has participated in international literary festivals and marquee Indian events, including the Jaipur Literature Festival. He has served as a jury member for The Times of India’s Women “AutHer” Awards, a mentor for the Scholastic Writers Academy, and was named “Author and Storyteller of the Year” on Talking Stories, London. His arduous battle with cancer was featured on Humans of Bombay, one of India’s largest storytelling platforms, where his story garnered over four million views. In October 2025, he won the ‘Mr. India Cancer Warrior’ crown at a unique competition for cancer survivors held in New Delhi! An alumnus of the prestigious Hyderabad Public School, Begumpet, Ramen is an engineer and an MBA who left his role as General Manager (Corporate Communications), SAIL, to pursue his true calling — writing, storytelling, and inspiring lives. Ramen’s website is www.ramendra.in and he has a page devoted to him on Wikipedia.
All Posts of Ramendra Kumar
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