The Aravanis
Originally uploaded by firoze shakir photographerno1
I can discard the pictures that look similar but each picture tells a new story of the Hijdas Pain..the travails , the road ahead cobbled and precarious..
These are the poorer lot of Indian transgenders from the South called Aravanis..
That they stopped the ricksha, and after I told them about my Hijda Guru Laxmi Narayan Tripathi , and Baby Hijda Guru of Park Site they allowed me to take their pictures..And I shoot what I see, no manipulations, no props , simple Hijda pictures of Hijda despair ..
Earlier they wanted money from me, but they did not insist, this was because they thought I was a foreigner..Indians as it is keep their distance from the Hijda community.. and it is more fear than anything else..And the Hijda is human like them, but old folks tale of Hijda kidnapping kids has added to their miserable lot..
The Hijda community is the most misunderstood , ostracized and looked down upon..
My life is full of Hijda encounters, I meet them, it is pre-destined.. I dont go searching for them, they meet me anyway..and invariably I have my camera..
Strange but when I dont have my camera I dont meet Hijdas, you might not believe this one..
I think Photography is a very deep science of the transcedental mind..and yes photography does help you capture Hijda souls as you add to their life span on the cyberspace..
And I dont do this for getting any extra mileage ..or money or fame or celebrity status.
There is no personal landmark to achieve , but than I do not have the charisma nor the time like Marc de Clercq to stay with the Hijdas and show their picture story..
rest of the pictures at Flickr
