The Sword Matam of Mumbai

The Sword Matam of Mumbai, originally uploaded by firoze shakir photographerno1.

I am inches away from the blade lying on my back, one wrong move me my camera wont exist no more..but I am lucky so far..
A few years back a flying blade cut open my eye lid flap but I survived.
Last year a blade accidentally cut my wrist but it healed..

My only wound inflicted on my right hand during Chehlum in Delhi cut my tendon, thereby making my right hand partially useless, I type with one finger of this hand which is now shaped like the closed hood of a striking cobra..

But it has been a blessing in disguise opening doors among a secretive snake bound sect of Malangs at Ajmer, these Malangs are like Naga Sadhus..they carry cobra antidote, and other such paraphernalia.They hold Hazrat Ali as their patron saint.

I have done the sword matam only once ..

But among the sword matamdars Jalal Mamu of Byculla Habib Nasser are the most precision hitters , there are others too in Mumbai ..

The sword matam is quintessentially part of Shia Mumbai..and just two places I love to shoot Amin Imambada on Ashura and Rehmatabad Shia Cemetery on Chehlum day.

In Lucknow Guddu Bawarchi of Hazrat Abbas Dargah uses the Punjabi curved sword , knowing that the crowds wont let him pursue his hitting , he rushes into the crowds..it takes 15 people to bring him down and snatch the sword from his hand.
Maulana Agha Roohi uses a short sword and its taking it out from his hand is almost next to impossible ..also in Lucknow.

21 Ramzan took me back into nostalgia I have never shot this before here in Mumbai or elsewhere.

Mr Bundeally of Dongri was another veteran of the Iranian sword Matam during Chehlum but he has retired due to his age ..