Have your ever heard of a proficient surgeon, who has never undergone any formal training ? Well, there in one such surgeon Bibi Gurdev Kaur of village Kharora, District Fatehgarh Sahib. While traveling on the Sirhind- Patiala Road , about seven Kms. from Sirhind she sits confidently on her seat in her house along the road.

Now known as ‘Mataji’ and about 80 years of age, she was married to a land owner in the village, and started her forays into surgery in 1947. Her speciality is to extract any foreign matter like, needles, pins, pieces of glass or even bullets that might be accidentally lodged in human body. The locals believe that sometimes she has succeeded, where the trained surgeons have failed. She claims that she was gifted with this skill by way of a boon from an unknown young mendicant whom she happened to serve a wholesome meal. To do her job she uses a few instruments like a blade, a caliper and a small scissor. People come to her not only from the Punjab but from all over the country. For many years she was performing free but now she charges a nominal fee. Her greatest satisfaction lies in relieving the pain of others and to do her work to the best of her ability.