The Malang

The Malang, originally uploaded by firoze shakir photographerno1.

Dedicated to Roland W Luthi

He is a Malang

I keep bumping into him at most of the major shrines, last we met at Haji Malang this year he showed me some rafaee acts taking place at the back of the Holy Shrine..he is very fond of me and speaks very softly and in monosyllables , its his eyes that say it all.

Char Yar is the quintessential meeting of all the Bawas..a part of its extends into the Holy Shrine but cameras and photography is not allowed..I have shot extensively inside before the blanket ban came into place ..

I just did not go beyond the Hujra No 6 of Peersab Fakhru Miya my host and my patron.

Without my camera I am incomplete..neither man nor woman...

Yes photography is a androgynous enterprise too, now even eunuchs are learning to use the camera..I know Hijra Gurus who video record their functions..

Besides Marc de Clercq I have not seen any one with the passion to shoot hijras , perhaps Anita Khemka who is a friend of Laxmi Narayan Tripathi my hijra guru..I have not met Anita yet.

I am fortunately a well known face in the Urus circuit, at Ajmer as well as Haji Malang.

There are many other Shrines in India I would like to visit but I am bound by my bare feet to Mumbai..In India they say you have to be called by the Holy Saint before you visit his Holy Shrine...