The dargah of Hazrat Baba Sayed Miskan Ali Sah at Baridih. Picture by Bhola Prasad

Jamshedpur, July 15: Looking for a job? Religion could well be your answer.

Devotees visiting the dargah of Hazrat Baba Sayed Miskan Ali Sah believe that tying a photocopy of the first page of the passport and a job application to a tree can ensure a job abroad.

So, apart from an application for passing examinations or being cured of a chronic disease, a large number of job applications are being tied every week, especially on Fridays, to the old pipal tree at Kalu Bagan Kabristan in Baridih.

The belief is so strong that in the past few months, people of all faiths — not only from Jamshedpur but also from Patna and Ranchi — have started putting in their applications.

One of the latest applicants is Md Rizwan of Mango, who tied his application with his address and telephone number to the pipal tree on Friday.

“I came to know about the charismatic powers of the holy spirit from one of my friends who is in the UAE and decided to give it a try. I have applied for the job of a fitter in Saudi Arabia and hope that with His blessings, I will get a job soon,” said Rizwan.

Pir Mohammad, caretaker of the dargah, who has been serving the holy spirit from his childhood days, said that till last year people came here only with problems related to chronic diseases, family clashes, land disputes or for passing examinations.

“In January last year, a man came to me asking if I could suggest some way of ensuring a job in Saudi Arabia. As usual I suggested that he put up an application but this time I asked him to also attach a photocopy of his passport. The formula clicked and within two months, he got the job of a helper in Saudi Arabia,” said Mohammad.

However, he failed to recall the name or the place from which the person had come to him.

From that day onwards people have started tying photocopies of their passports and applications to the tree.

Some of them even call Hazrat Baba Sayed Miskan Ali Sah, “passport baba”.

Mohammad’s wife, Anwari Begum, who helps him in raising the holy spirit in favour of applicants said, they never ask for donations.

“It depends on the will of the devotee,” she said.

“Day by day the number of followers has increased and people from every faith have started visiting the place,” she added, before getting busy, cleaning the place.