Delhi’s ‘Matka Man’: At 77, Natarajan serves free water to thousands before sunrise

New Delhi: Every morning at 4 am, long before Delhi wakes up, 77-year-old Natarajan is already at work. He refills earthen pots, or matkas, with drinking water across the city.

For thousands of daily-wage workers, labourers, drivers and passers-by facing Delhi’s summer heat, the matkas offer free access to clean water. Over the years, the work has earned him a name people recognize: the ‘Matka Man’.

Today his network covers 100 matka stations at multiple locations. They serve as a lifeline during extreme heat, when water is hard to find for those who spend their days outdoors.

But for Natarajan, the work is not only about water. It is about dignity. After years abroad, a cancer diagnosis made him confront life and death. The experience strengthened his desire to give back. What began as providing drinking water grew into a broader service rooted in sincerity and respect.

He does not call it charity. He calls it sharing. “Those who have more than they need should share what they can,” he says. Whether it is water, food or time, the act matters when offered without superiority.That philosophy extends to weekly meals he serves, cooked with the same care as food at home. The goal, he says, is for people to feel respected, not pitied. “Give it with dignity” guides his work.

Natarajan believes service is not about grand gestures or recognition. It is about showing up, treating people with respect, and recognizing their humanity.

The initiative is largely self-funded, with support from occasional sponsors. His wife and long-time staff help manage cooking meals for hundreds and maintaining the water stations.

For him, a matka is more than clay. It is a reminder that compassion can be practical and dignity should not be a privilege. In a city that never slows down, the Matka Man continues his work — one pot of water at a time.