Raja Salhesh on elephant with his army on horses.

Salahes vivāh prasang

Mahendra Narayan Ram

Maithili

Shaurya Gatha

Raja Salhes

Dusadh deity

Gahbar

Lyrics

baṛ-baṛ līlā mahisauthā me kayalak
rājā salahes ke biyāh rachaolak
sāt din-sāt rāti jonk banaolak
jonk banāऽ kaऽ kamalā me rakhalak
machal kolāhal virāṭapur me
bariyā motīrām o budhesar
jhoṭā pakaṛi maliniyān ghisiolak
mārik ḍar san bhūt parāyal
sadeh nikali salahes ke analak
rājā virāṭak maṛabā sajaulak
satī mānjari ke shādī rachaulak
dīnā nāth ke hāth uṭhauliye
shilānāth ke pūjā keliye
koshī kamalā seho naheliye
mānikadah parikaramā keliye
rājāphulavāṛī seho ghumaliye
taiyo ne bemanavā hamarā darshan delakai yo ।

gay chanan kāṭikaऽ pauā banauliyai
saṛaṛ kāṭi pāsi delīyai
kānche dhāgā san palangiyā ghorauliyai
phūle ochhaunā phūle bichhaunā
phūle ke sirahaunā deliyai

chanan kāṭike pauā banauliyai
guā chānan āngan baṛ chhiṭalau
medanīphūl ham gānjā laṭoliyai
sonā chilam rūpā ṭhekariyā
ānchar phāṛi ham palītā banauliyai
manh-manh, manh- manh, manh- manh karai
palangiyā sonā thāṛ siramā me ham deliyai
rūpā thāṛ gorathārīme deliyai
pān khāit panabaṭṭā jogauliyai
banglā pān svāmī le delīyai
taiyo ne nirdeiyā darasan delakai
jādū māri ham suggā banebai
laऽ pinjarā ham morang me jebai
āb yug-yug ham rāj gai bahinā
morang me bhogabai gai
yug-yug rāj ham bahinā।
morangme bhogabai gai।
khopā chhataunā morangīyā bānhaliyai
jhari ponchh kochā-kochā me jhāralī
makhamal cholīyā gātaऽ lagauliyai
jenā-jenā man hetai
tenā-tenā karabai

se baṛ-baṛ bhagati morangme keliyai
shani-ravi pāvani barat ṭekaliyai
ekādashī haribāso keliyai
nit jal tulasī me ṛhāraliyai
shani-ravi aṭhavāre keliyai
āṭho mahinā gangā naheliyai
gangāme ekaṭangā deliyai
purub rāj pūraniyān geliyai
jaṛi māṭi koshikā me deliyai
koshikā māyaken sākhī rakhaliyai
hāthī chaṛhi kaऽ gauṛ pūjaliyai
dīnān nāth ke sumaran keliyai
svāmī autai palang par baisitai
o sabh sāri svāmī sang khelabai
āb manake mamolabā gai bahinā
ā morangeme bītā lebai gai।
gai rāmajoṛī bahinā
taiyo ne beimanamā dusadhavā gai
darshanamā delakai
taiyo ne beimanamā
darshan taऽ delakai gai

beimanamā chhane rahai chhai belakāgaṛh me
chhane rahai chhai sakhuā ban me
chhane rahai chhai mānik dahame
chhane rahai chhai dahabī ghāṭ me
katai darshan nai dai chhai। bemanamā ।

See Full lyrics

Lyrics

gay chanan kāṭikaऽ pauā banauliyai
saṛaṛ kāṭi pāsi delīyai
kānche dhāgā san palangiyā ghorauliyai
phūle ochhaunā phūle bichhaunā
phūle ke sirahaunā deliyai

beimanamā chhane rahai chhai belakāgaṛh me
chhane rahai chhai sakhuā ban me
chhane rahai chhai mānik dahame
chhane rahai chhai dahabī ghāṭ me
katai darshan nai dai chhai। bemanamā ।

See Full lyrics

Lyrics

gay chanan kāṭikaऽ pauā banauliyai
saṛaṛ kāṭi pāsi delīyai
kānche dhāgā san palangiyā ghorauliyai
phūle ochhaunā phūle bichhaunā
phūle ke sirahaunā deliyai

beimanamā chhane rahai chhai belakāgaṛh me
chhane rahai chhai sakhuā ban me
chhane rahai chhai mānik dahame
chhane rahai chhai dahabī ghāṭ me
katai darshan nai dai chhai। bemanamā ।

See Full lyrics

Song Description

Salhes is revered as an avatari purush and one of the foremost local deities of Mithila and Nepal, where he is affectionately called Rajaji. Though born in the Dusadh community and worshipped as their kul-devata, Salhes transcends caste boundaries and is honoured as a universal folk deity like Ram and Krishna. Known for his extraordinary human qualities, he dedicated his life to resisting injustice, oppression, and exploitation, and worked tirelessly for the welfare of the people. His worship is deeply rooted in village culture, preserved by rural communities who have safeguarded India’s folk traditions across centuries. Nearly every Dusadh settlement in Mithila and Nepal has a shrine known as gahwar or Salhes than. These shrines—often simple mud or thatched structures beneath sacred trees—house clay images of Salhes seated on the Bhauranand elephant, accompanied by his companions Motiram, Budheshwar, Mangla the mahout, the maalin, and the warrior Kevla Kirat. This song belongs to the Salhes wedding cycle—where it is said that the maalin was drawn to the Raja and wished to marry him, and the song expresses her feelings and longing.

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