Athvi at Govandi/The Halloris

Athvi at Govandi/The Halloris
Originally uploaded by flickr photographerno1

Normally I celebrated Athvi the last segment of Moharam in Lucknow for two consecutive years, but as my eldest son Asif Shakir was getting married in Lucknow April 28 2006, I decided to skip the Lucknow Athvi , as it would have entailed two trips to the city of my birth.
I stayed back in Mumbai and my friend Cassim Hallori told me about the Athvi event in Govandi a suburb in Mumbai.The Halloris organize this awesome event , touted as the most famous one by ay standard.The Halloris hail from Hallor a very beautiful looking race, fair , blue eyes, although they look alike as this is a race that married within the families of two brothers who had their ancestral roots in Iran.
The Halloris are gifted to the extent that they are interior decorators, carpenters like Cassim , who is now doing goat farming as an alternate profession, than there are lyricists, poets , nohakars like Naiyab, Khushtar to name a few..
The Hand Matam of the Halloris is choreography of pain, they beat their chests , opening up wounds without using blades.. such is the power of their devotion to Ahle Bait.If it was not for Cassim this important segment would have remained unphotographed by me.
I am a loner, I dread congregations, groups, I shoot alone.
Having Cassim as a friend makes it easier that there is somebody to take care of my camera bag while I take a breather to participate in the Matams.It was because of Cassim that I pounced on the chance of doing the extremely difficult Iranian sword Matam.The swords are crafted in Iran, the hilt is heavy unlike the Japanese Samurai swords..So this is as far as I go, I shoot close to home, because of my recent wound on my hand , and the treatment meted out by Shia hardliners in Lucknow I had decided to completely stop shooting Moharam.I have .This is my swan song pictorially speaking.
I have spent a fortune on shooting pictures sometimes 40 rolls of one event, yes I am as crazy as sane as DF Duck..we are passionate about sharing our worlds..
Each batch of pictures just developing would cost me about Rs 5000/ before the advent of digital.I have so much stock of negs ,, slides but no scanner..
Earlier I gave copies of pictures I took free, I dont make money through this picture hobby of mine..I used to shoot a lot of Majlis , but I stopped that too.
I realised that the Mullah is a selfish man too, with his feet also made of clay.
I keep away from Shia Mosques and Shia dos..but I am a Shia nonethesless.
My house Majlis takes place at the Shia Khoja Bandra Mosque but I dont attend , in fact I have not entered this Mosque since last two years.
The only Mosque that beckons my restless soul is Moghul Masjid..for me this Gods website on earth, I am hyperlined to this page on my soul.
That is why I tell people I am not a very good Shia example..
The Shias of Lucknow the hardliner s had the chek to say I promote Hinduism because they the Hindus pay me money, I wish they did I would buy a high end Canon Digital SLR..My Shia soul is saffronised is something I can say very proudly..
I would rather live a Hindu than die the misguided death of a Jehadi.
You will find me sitting at St Peters Church, once in a while after Mass gets over , pondering over the mortality of human hating spirtuality.


So this series is about the Govandi Athvi...a very long series...ignore my rny rant just see the pictures ...I am trying to ulearn photo blogging at Flickrs.

.Another think it will take several rebirths for Ipernity to really become a Flickr..reflecting a flickr of a candle does not make you a candle at all...
Think Flickr Think
You wont ever sink
with pictures geo tagged that link
very female armour also has a chink
some love them but some go pink
with this toast to Flickr I drink
eyes focussed that blink
floating bare feet
on an Ice rink .