Maa Samaleswari is a manifestation of Mother Goddess Shakti
and is worshipped mainly in Orissa and parts of Chhattisgarh in India . She is
worshipped as Jagatjanani, Adishakti, Lakshmi and Saraswati. It is believed
that the goddess is called Samaleshwari as she is worshipped under a Simili
plant (cotton tree). Some scholars claim that the goddess was originally known
as Somaleswari – one who bestows eternal bliss – with soma referring the plant
in the Vedas.
Legend has it that Balaram Dev, who ruled Sambalpur from
1540 to 1557 AD, had discovered the murti of Goddess Samaleswari. Once the king
was hunting on the right bank of Mahanadi
River Mahanadi and
disappeared.
That night Balaram Dev had a dream in which Goddess
Samaleswari manifested herself before him and said that she was residing inside
the Mahanadi River
Maa Samaleshwari is believed to have performed numerous miracles.
Kalapahad, a Muslim ruler, wanted to destroy the temple of Goddess
The evening before Kalapahad was to attack the temple, a
beautiful milkmaid came to his camp. She looked like a damsel and carried pots
of milk, curd and cheese.
Kalapahad was stunned by the beauty of the milkmaid and to
win her favors he brought all her milk products and distributed it among his
soldiers.
The next morning, the entire army was afflicted with
cholera. Kalapahad himself was disease stricken and he left the area with his
army. It is believed that the milkmaid was Goddess Samaleswari.
Today, she is worshipped for peace, prosperity, healthy
children and for relief from various contagious diseases.