The Barefeet Blogger of Mumbai

The Barefeet Blogger of Mumbai, originally uploaded by firoze shakir photographerno1.

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This brings to end 845 picture series of Lalbagh Cha Raja Visarjan 2009, it began at Lalbagh on the day of my 12 Ramzan fast and ended at Do Tanki as I exited from Kumbharwada to Null Bazar taking a cab home to Bandra.
The moment I reached home it rained very heavily I saw Ganpatis ready for immersion at Mahim Beach.. but I was in no mood of mind to get out and shoot in the rain.

Ganpati revelers in the night can be a bit a tipsy turvy for a photographers comfort.
That I had shot the Lalbagh Cha Raja and paid my tribute to his quintessential character of Hindu divinity as a harbinger of Peace to this island city of Mumbai was enough for me.

When I reached home I was a terrible mess from head to toe, specially the head where some overzealous , a few mannerless volunteers of Lalbagh Cha Raja had thrown gulal on my lens and camera and on my person in spite of telling them to stop..their answer to me was Chill Man..I told them would they tell the same thing to their father if he was in my place got me more smirks..

I had a tough time shooting this series , I dont have such a tough time during any event not even Moharam where I am a whisker away from swords and flying flagellating blades ..or the 18 feet sharp rods of the Maryamma disciples or when I walk on fire during Ag Ka Matam.


This years Lalbagh Cha Raja was huge sea of crowds, and the crowds kept growing at every next stage of the Rajas destination to the Girgaum Chowpatty..

On the way home some Karyakartas gave me a few more coconuts , that I took happily for my Hindu friends and well wishers , besides te one I took for Mr Shatrughan Sinhas family..

The next morning I dropped the coconuts at their residence , to Vijay Rawal of Mona Lisa Mount Mary, Jagan Chawala my friend at Union Park, and lastly Mr Nitin Thakkars family..


Shooting pictures or photography is science that holistically heals everyone the receiver and the giver..Lalbagh Cha Raja gave me a part of him, I gave it to others freely on the internet ..And In .com who allowed my pictures to be downloaded without my permission from Flickr should realize the lengths I went to shoot this..

I was trampled by the crowd, I injured my neck and leg , I was fasting all day and they show disrespect to me by not even responding to my email..

Network 18 with so much money infrastructure shocks me completely of lack of cyberspace ethics.

www.flickr.com/photos/firozeshakir/3853647359/