See the little girl on her fathers head- this is the first Shia tutorial to our faith
Shimr frightening the kids...
These are two persons dressed as women and along with them is the cradle of Imam Hussains martyred infant Ali Asgher , he was shot down by Harmulla an archer of the Yazidi forces, so the ritual aand tradition here is that the mothers give their infants to them to be placed in the cradle for good luck, but Shimr comes down heavily on them by breaking the cradle and is rough on the little kids too..
The person impersonating Shimr.
The person impersonating the Imam
This is the situation at Amin Imambada ..the red hand is one of the members of Shimrs army hitting the crowrds and little children in the Taboot of Imam Hussain..
This is a version and display of a Iranian passion play..
Shimr was the Commander of Yazids Army..who decapitated Imam Hussains head..
This is the Ashura Juloos at Amin Imambada 20th Jan 2008.
I discontinued shooting the scourgings climbed a scaffolding to capture a few pictures of the Iranian passion play at Amin...
Believe me it is tough shooting here , the best location would be the ladies section but men are not allowed.
The first time I shot this was about 6 years back when Nasser of Lucky Hotel helped me climb the ledge via the entrance gate, I was shooting with F80and I remember with a single camera I shot color film slide and black and white rolls- totalling about 40.
This was the earliest madness of photography..I paid about Rs 8000 or more for developing and processing and made prints to exhibit in various national and internatonal salons..Today the world has gone digital and strangely all these pictures are shot on a single camera too.
Amin Imambada was my coming of age as a photographer, the following year I shot from the rear entrance top..And now after several years I shot at grass root level, one year I had to skip shooting here because I had injured my eye .
Now see tthe little kid absolutely no fear , no emotion, his guardian is more excited than him.
This picture I wish I could present to Mr Shiv Malik of New Statesman who has been harping about child abuse in UK. during Moharam.
You have to step into the shoes of the Shia to understand Ghame Hussain the Tragedy of Imam Hussain a 1400 year old pain that comes alive year after year..
If you go to Hyderabad this is mere childs play, the Hyderabadis initiate all their male chidren to Kama Matam from3 months onwards...
For those at my other web sites where I am cross blogging this, you will have to see the rest of my pictures at my Flickr photstream.. I am posting a few selected ones there..the rest shall remain at Flickr.
The Shia kids of Mumbai are a unique lot, this is one time their parents dont take into account their coming late, or their blood letting either, not that the mothers are not worried but they know that Maaulah protects their kids from extreme harm.
This is Ghame Hussain.
The Shia parents themselves are attending various Majlis and the Shia kids never starve during Moharam, there is always the Niyaze Hussain served at the end of the Majlis or Matam, and honestly during Moharam all the basic urges are at low key whether thirst or hunger..this is my own personal experience.
At Bhendi Bazar at Dongri at Moghul Masjid at Babula Tank you feel the effervescence of Moharam, the sabils draped in black, CDs playing Nadim Sarwars latest Nohas , fill the air..and Moharam time is bonding with old time friends and aquaintances, that you lost track of..
Moharam thus is a unique month in the Shia Muslim calendar , a month of piety , introspection and a month of forgiveness.This month gives way to Safar..till the mourning period ends after 2 months 8 days.The Shia celebrate Athvi the last segment of mourning and the following morning begins the Shia important Idd called Idd e Zehra or Navi..
The Shias wear red clothes , and flaunt their spiritual freedom, curses on the enemies of Shiasm and lanat on the killers of Imam Hussain..
In Lucknow it is a festive moment , sweets called Gul Gule are served to all and sundry..An effigy of Caliph Umar is burnt in all the Shia houses in Lucknow including the main one at Makbara and at Kazmain..
There are Shairies, mehfils poetry sessions and this is one of the happiest time in a Shia familys life..
The Mumbai Shia kids are absolutely unafraid when it comes to wielding the dagger, no flimsiness, a firm determined grip and in a few strokes the deed is done..
here there is no one to snatch the dagger from their hands like at Kaiser Bagh..
Most of the kids of an independent nature carry their own daggers on their person..
mostly the cheap Chinese variety
I call this hardcore Kama Matam, the dagger metculously opening up the scalp , and this young lad was very confident unafraid..
Here the kid is having his wound washed with water to which rose essence has been added..no ointment, no tetanus shot, nothing .Holistic healing...
It heals by itself in a day.
You know this is a Shia kid, no doubt about that, he is as sane as you and me no trance no drug, and adult coaxing him to do what he is doing, he is become Man in a single stoke of Faith-bleeding Faith.
His family members are not around just his friends as manic as him on Ashra day.
This is a solidarity of the Brotherhood of Ghame Hussain.
I took this shot from a slight elevated position..nothng can frighten this Shia kid..
I know a lot of people are against this show of mournful brutality, but can you stop them.No you cant .Hussain is the fulcrum of all Pain..
I shoot kids and this is is sheer passionate photography of pain ...
Actually there is no pain , would you believe that , the kid is totally focussed on Hussain and the Tragedy of Karbala..
As a child in his mothers safe arms he saw these visuals year after year waited for his turn..and here he is walking tall.I am not glorifying or justifying the act of self mutilation but I am showing you a psychological pattern of pain..
I saw his friends around him, goading him with the chant of Ya Ali Ya Ali , there is no mirror here for him to know how deep his gash is but his friends keep him informed..
these are Shia cubs -the future of our race.
Now is the time for them to exit through a narrow passge as the Juloos is carrying on in earnest in the courtyard of the Imambada Amin..
He wants the blades back but his friends have removed the blades and given it to another person for safe keeping..
Here his friends stop him from causing further harm and grab his blades, his Matam is bought to an end.
The back of the Malad guy is severely cut...and people around him are not to happy with the danger his blades cause to their Matam.
Here the Malad guy has gone for the jugular, there are a few pictures before this but the guy with his back came and stood in front of my camera, and will certainly not move , as this is his moment , he has come here to shed his blood photographer or no photographer..
Normally this area is more packed but I was lucky,,and you can see the fatal nature of his 3 blades...
He was cautious and looked around him before taking the swing, he was not in a frenzy or manic as some others are, who hit without seeing even if they damage or hurt a bystander accidentaly..
Shooting at Amin Imambada is a very tough one ..
