Peer Matsyendra
Pre-Islamic India held ascetics in great reverence, and the same
respect was accorded to the peers and saints devoted to Allah.
Living in remote places, isolated from the rest of the community,
they were believed to have attained mystic knowledge through severe
penance.
Sometimes, these saints influenced the rulers of the state and also
held sway over the minds of commoners. One such peer named Matsyendra
is honored in the outskirts of Ujjain where the people visit a shrine
dedicated to Baba Machchandar Nath, the local name of this saint.
The simple and low white structure with a dome surrounded by small
minarets on four sides barely seems to sum up the greatness of the
saint, who was equally revered by the Hindus.
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