The Magic of Lalbagh Cha Raja

The Magic of Lalbagh Cha Raja, originally uploaded by firoze shakir photographerno1.

Lalbagh Cha Raja is a singular moment of Peace beyond religiosity, and it is a moment that as I walk with him from Lalbagh to Chinchpokli to Byculla to Clare Road to Nagpada and to Do Tanki Kumbhrawadi.. I see without blinkers as a Shia Pandit..yes if saffronization of my soul brings me closer to humanity so be it..I shoot Lalbagh Cha Raja or he shoots me with a dart that remains embedded as love for this great city Mumbai..

Over 100000 blogs and my wife complains why do yuou shoot the same thing over and over again - I have no answers, I dont sell pictures , I dont make money of my blogs I am a bankrupt..but I touch people far into the hinterland of cyberspace, people touch my feet , taking me to be a holy man , that I certainly am not, but I bow my head in humility..I found the camera to be the greatest instrument of Peace , so instead of throwing my grand daughter in a swimming pool when she was 3 month old I began teaching her photography..

And my grand daughter Marziya Shakir can perhaps shoot Lord Ganesha better than me ..through her innocence and her mind.


Many years back on the beach at Girgaum Chowpatty my camera was seized my digital card formatted , because I accidentally shot the Visarjan of Lalbagh Cha Raja , the Mumbai Police can be very heartless even though I have a Press Card.. I was in tears , when I returned home spoke to Subash Solanki, who asked me to send the card to him and I got back all the Lalbagh Cha Raja last journey pictures..some moments even the Mumbai Police can never delete completely..


वक्रतुंड महाकाय कोटिसूर्यसमप्रभ ।

निर्विघ्नं कुरु मे देव सर्वकार्येषु सर्वदा ॥

“Oh! Lord (Ganesha), of huge body and curved elephant trunk, whose brilliance is equal to billions of suns, always remove all obstacles from my endeavors.”

गजाननं भूतगणादिसेवितं कपित्थजंबूफलचारुभक्षणम्‌ ।

उमासुतं शोकविनाशकारकं नमामि विघ्नेश्वरपादपङ्कजम्‌ ॥

“Salutations to Lord Ganesha who has an elephant head, who is attended by the band of his followers, who eats his favorite wood-apple and rose-apple fruits, who is the son of Goddess Uma, who is the cause of destruction of all sorrow. And I salute to his feet which are like lotus.”

सुमुखश्चैकदंतश्च कपिलो गजकर्णकः ।

लम्बोदरश्च विकटो विघ्ननाशो गणाधिपः ।

धूम्रकेतुर्गणाध्यक्षो भालचन्द्रो गजाननः ।

द्वादशैतानि नामानि यः पठेच्छृणुयादपि ।

विद्यारंभे विवाहे च प्रवेशे निर्गमे तथा ।

संग्रामे संकटे चैव विघ्नस्तस्य न जायते ॥

Sumukha, Ekadanta, Kapila, Gajakarnaka, Lambodara, Vikata, Vighnanaasha, Ganaadhipa, Dhuumraketu, Ganaadhyaksha, Bhaalachandra, Gajaanana -

No obstacles will come in the way of one who reads or listens to these 12 names of Lord Ganesha at the beginning of education, at the time of marriage, while entering or exiting anything, during a battle or calamity.

शुक्लाम्बरधरं देवं शशिवर्णं चतुर्भुजम् ।

प्रसन्नवदनं ध्यायेत् सर्वविघ्नोपशान्तये ॥

“In order to remove all obstacles, one should meditate on (the Lord Ganesha) as wearing a white garment, as having the complexion like the moon, and having four arms and a pleasant countenance.”

मूषिकवाहन् मोदकहस्त चामरकर्ण विलम्बित सूत्र ।

वामनरूप महेश्वरपुत्र विघ्नविनायक पाद नमस्ते ॥

“Oh God who has the mouse as his vehicle, and the sweet modhaka (rice ball) in your hand, whose ears are wide like fans, wearing the sacred thread. Oh son of Lord Shiva who is of short stature and who removes all obstacles, Lord Vinayaka, I bow at your feet.”