The Hijra Bawa of Ajmer

The Hijra Bawa of Ajmer, originally uploaded by firoze shakir photographerno1.

The Hijra Bawas are retired hijras , who have renounced the life of materialism and glamor, for Sufi mysticism, they sit at Char Yar with their male counterparts , practising what is known as Dua Tawiz or holistic healing.

The are patronized by rich hijras and also normal men and woman searching a cure for their bodily and mental ailments.


I had to cut short my trip and come back to Mumbai due to work commitment or I would have shot a lot of footage, I did not go to Pushkar or Taragadh, I came to Ajmer on 28 June 2009 7.30 pm and left on 30 June 2009 at 11 am by the Aravalli Express for Mumbai.

Tickets for the return journey was next to impossible I got my by paying extra charges called Tatkal.
Last year I had traveled with Hijras but this time there were two from Bandra East in the ordinary coach, I also shot Hijras on the next platform...heading for Delhi.

Char Yar and Moti Katla are the two places for shooting my kind of action..I took pictures in my stride never jumping the gun as you guys call it..