Have problems? Head to Matka Peer dargah

New Delhi: On the Purana Qila Road in Central Delhi stands a 784-year-old dargah of Hazrat Sheikh Abu Bakar, popularly known as the Matka Peer dargah. There is a general belief that if one comes here with any problem one’s prayers get answered, after which one has to offer a “matka”. Many people visit the dargah with the belief that their prayers would be answered.

The saying goes that the mystic Matka Peer dargah Sufi Saint Hazrat Sheik Abu Bakar, who was from Iran, had migrated to India in 1257 (655 hijri) CE. He chose to reside at the dargah and started meditating there. It is said that he had a silver pot filled with water and to whomsoever he offered this water, his or her problems and diseases were cured. Word of this miracle spread like wildfire. Many people, however, do not know much about the dargah.

“I don’t know much about this dargah. I heard about it a long time back when I was facing some trouble. I came to baba’s dargah to get rid of my problems and when all the questions were answered, things turned out fine,” said a middle-aged woman who did not wish to be identified.

She was at the dargah to offer a “matka” after her problems were resolved, she said.

“Today also people from different places of India and even from abroad come to baba’s dargah, irrespective of their caste or religion only based on faith. If the devotee’s wishes are fulfilled, they offer a ‘matka’ which is hanged from the stem of the tree. The matka can be of any material — clay, silver, or gold. It varies from person to person depending on what one can actually afford,” said Mohammad Salim, who has been serving the dargah for many years now.

There is a shop outside the dargah that sells baskets of red rose petals, incense sticks, and sugarcoated offerings. This dargah is also famous for the biryani available here at Baba Shahi Bawarchi, a biryani shop which has been standing here for the last 50 years.