Dargah of Hazrat Syed Zulfiqar Baba: A Living Centre of Faith in Akola, Maharashtra
By Sahil Razvi, New Age Islam
4 December 2025.
The Dargah of Hazrat Syed Zulfiqar Baba in Akola remains a vibrant centre of Sufi devotion, healing traditions, and interfaith participation. Despite changing surroundings, its legends, rituals, and spiritual practices continue to draw devotees seeking blessings and fulfilment of vows.
Main Points:
1. Located on Galanki Road beside the Morna River in Akola.
2. Famous for Mannat rituals, sacred well, udi, and healing traditions.
3. Houses multiple saints’ graves, including Faizullah Baba, Mastani Amma, and Aziz Baba.
4. Regular Dars-E-Tasawwuf and Halqa-E-Zikr conducted by Mujawirs.
5. Annual urs during Bakri-Id draws Muslims, Hindus, and Dalits.
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The Dargah of Hazrat Syed Zulfiqar Baba is situated on Galanki Road at Zulfiqar Nagar, located on the outskirts of Akola city, Maharashtra. The Morna River flows beside the shrine. Across the street lies a large slum area, predominantly inhabited by Muslim families.
The Dargah of Zulfiqar Baba is quite well known and stands as a large Islamic structure, painted in green and white. A significant number of devotees, mostly poor people belonging to all faiths, are often seen visiting the shrine. Many childless women tie strings on the grills of the Dargah as a Mannat. However, women are not allowed inside the central domed chamber where the turbat (grave) of Baba is located. Devotees generally offer flowers, Galeph, incense sticks, coconuts, Malida and other items. Some offer non-vegetarian food, including beef, as part of their vows. There are also people who set free fowls and goats as fulfilment of their Mannat. A few devotees weigh their new-born infants against sugar or molasses within a few days of the child’s birth.
According to local traditions, there are a total of eight shrines of Allah’s saints (Auliya) in this vicinity, including the Dargah of Hazrat Zulfiqar Baba. Adjacent to Zulfiqar Baba’s grave lies the resting place of Sayyiduna Faizullah Baba. As narrated by the Mujawir, Faizullah Baba’s burial shroud had come from Madina Sharif. Before his passing, Faizullah Baba had instructed that no one should arrange a shroud for him; instead, if someone brought one, it may be accepted. It is said that a veiled person arrived carrying a shroud. When people asked him where he had come from, he replied that he had come from Madina Sharif, and then he suddenly disappeared. The residents of Akola believe that his blessings continue to benefit the people of the region.
At the Dargah, regular sessions of Dars-E-Tasawwuf and Halqa-E-Zikr are held. According to the Mujawir, Zulfiqar Baba was connected with both the Qadri and Chishti Sufi orders. Next to the grave of Zulfiqar Baba is the Dargah of Mastani Amma. Beside her lies the resting place of Sayyidna Masoom Baba, who is believed to have accompanied Hazrat Zulfiqar Baba and served as one of his attendants.
According to the Mujawir’s account, girls who face difficulties in securing marriage proposals come to the Dargah of Hazrat Mastani Amma with their vows. They wear bangles in her name and, by the grace of Allah, their proposals are fulfilled. Another miracle often narrated about Mastani Amma’s shrine is related to a bowl kept there. It is believed that if milk is poured into this bowl and given to women who face problems in lactation, then, by Allah’s grace, their milk starts flowing for their children.
The walls of the Dargah contain several poetic verses. One of them reads:
“Jis Se Duniya Maangti Hai Woh Faqeer Hai,
Jo Duniya Se Maangta Hai Woh Darvesh Hai.”
(“The one from whom the world seeks is the true Faqeer;
The one who seeks from the world is merely a dervish.”)
Next to the Dargah of Hazrat Zulfiqar Baba lies another shrine belonging to Sayyiduna Aziz Baba, who passed away nearly 45 years ago. Devotees recount many miracles associated with his life. One well-known story states that when someone requested Aziz Baba to accompany them to Ajmer Sharif, he would reply, “You go ahead, I am coming.” And when the person reached Ajmer, they would find Aziz Baba already present there.
The Mujawir distributes Udi as a curative substance to the devotees. In front of the Dargah gate, there is a sacred well whose water, as believed locally, never dries up. Devotees take this water home as holy water (Tabarruk). The number of visitors increases slightly on Thursdays and Fridays.
The annual Urs is celebrated around the time of Bakri-Id. The sandal procession is taken out on the second day of Eid, from the Dargah into the township and back. Most Muslims join the procession, although a few Hindus and Dalits also participate. The celebration remains simple in nature. However, the shrine’s popularity has declined over the years due to the changing topography of the area. Many affluent visitors who once frequented the Dargah stopped coming after the emergence of slums and increasing congestion. The construction of new housing colonies has made the shrine appear distant and less accessible. Kazi Gyasuddin Kazi Azizuddin, the old hereditary Mujawir who lives beside the Dargah, expresses regret over these changes.
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A regular contributor to New Age Islam, Sahil Razvi is a research scholar specialising in Sufism and Islamic History. He is an alumnus of Jamia Millia Islamia.
URL: https://www.newageislam.com/islamic-personalities/dargah-zulfiqar-baba-faith/d/137883
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