Koie Sagar Gham Ko Behlata Nahin..

Koie Sagar Gham Ko Behlata Nahin.., originally uploaded by firoze shakir photographerno1.

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He surprised me with the humility of his love for Imam Hussain , I had my camera eye trained on him, and mind you its not easy shooting the blade matam at Bargah Hyderabad , in the quadrangle below the matam goes on , till the virgin floor is covered with blood ..I moved from one end to another end , this is a war zone but not as terrifying as Rehmatabad Mumbai during Chehlum.. so shooting Moharam in Mumbai honed my technique of survival without any mishap..

I shoot with a 18-70 lens digital on a badly bruised Nikon D 80..if you were to break open this camera you could read the history of my shots , gushing out with blood of Moharam, gulal of Lal Bagh Cha Raja - Lord Ganesha , the sands of Juhu beach while shooting Chhat Puja, the sands of Mahim beach while shooting the piercing of 18 feet rods in the cheek for the Tamil feast of Goddess Maryamma ,I will also pierce my cheeks next year to show my solidarity as a Mumbaikar ..my piercing will be my tribute to Ghame Hussain..

My camera has missed nothing , not even the sands of Dadar beach while shooting the Durga Immersion..

Yes the camera is the greatest instrument of peace it shoots so memories live forever.

My camera has touched the soul of Ajmer Sharif..when I bowed my head to words written on every Moulaiees heart..

Shah ast Hussain, Badshah ast Hussain
Deen ast Hussain, Deen Panah ast Hussain
Sardad na dad dast, dar dast-e-yazeed,
Haqaa key binaey La ila ast Hussain

And my appeal to all once in your life time see the Moharam Ashura or Chehlum in Hyderabad it is a experience you will not find anywhere else in India.

And also see Athvi in Lucknow and dont be surprised among the silence of the Chup Tazia and the funereal notes of Ghabrayegi Zainab..you might see a lady covered weeping as her family leaves India for good , back to Karbala and a little girl turning her back trying to call her Uncle Abbas who sleeps at the Dargah in Lucknow ..to holistically heal those deprived of hope by time and fate..

Yes I shoot all religion as a photographer but I confess I shoot Shiasm as a poet..it is my birthright that extends its poetic vision into the viewfinder of my camera.