Shooting Lalbagh Cha Raja 2009

Shooting Lalbagh Cha Raja 2009, originally uploaded by firoze shakir photographerno1.

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The crowds are restless, hot tempered, looking for a fight, having waited hours to get in through a serpentine wait in the rains, in the heat and dust.
So seeing me shooting some wanted me to finish and move out as I was in their way, ahead of me was a barricade that I crossed once to meet Raju Langewal who had invited me to shoot ..I also shot the crowd that soothed their excitement, some wondered who this colorful barefeet blogger was, in Mumbai very few people know what a blogger is..I talk strictly at the grass root level ..

Women here I found were really aggressive and the few stood tamely, there were many scenes of scuffles, but otherwise almost everyone was here to partake in this omnipotent moment of Mumbai street spirituality, this place is a street on normal day with provision shops on both ends.. this is a path that leads to the Lalbagh Cha Mandir.. in the complex.


The most imotrtant feeling that I absorbed was waiting for sevearalhours in the quque and finally getting a look or darshan of the Lord.

I could not stop shooting and I was fasting I was barefeet , but I was a part of this moment a precious moment of recording the Moods of Lalbagh Cha Raja.

I thought of collecting some prasad for my Hindu friends , but it was just not possible being pushed from all sides, my feet trampled and my body crushed by the crowds..

The volunteers of Lalbagh Cha Raja are people from the complex , from around the vicinity, very hardworking , polite and cool , though some lose their heads , otherwise I take my hats off to them for the noble work they do..

Mr Satish Khanjkar is the new head of the Mandal..I could not see the older one Mr Sunil Joshi.. The Mumbai Police were doing an excellent job.. security was tight but had a human face..

Even the cops close to the pandal were having darshan of the favorite Lord..The greatest Mee Mumbaikar after all.