Your photostream has been viewed 582,458 times.

Your photostream has been viewed 582,458 times., originally uploaded by firoze shakir photographerno1.

Mount Mary Feast 2009

Mount Mary Feast 2009, originally uploaded by firoze shakir photographerno1.

Marziya and The Angel

Marziya and The Angel, originally uploaded by firoze shakir photographerno1.

marziya
god keep you well
said the little golden
angel
a spiritual symbol of peace
who on earth
had come to dwell
to bless
the mother and her child
at the basilica of the mount
giving hope to the poor
the sick the needy and the unwell
bad times to expel
ushering a new dawn
godliness
beyond caste color or creed
in a nutshell
in whatever you do
marziya you will excel
she caste her magic spell


dedicated to sarah..aka angel

Marziya at the Fair

Marziya at the Fair, originally uploaded by firoze shakir photographerno1.

95,056 items / 582,445 views

Marziya
at the fair
wondering
what
she should buy
for her dainty feet
searching for
a lovely pair
matching
her dress
with flair
a little clip
for her curly hair
for her second birthday
on 24 Nov 2009
she will wear
unforgettable
moments
that she will share
a pictorial journey
from Holy Family
Hospital Bandra
to her parents house
a 24 month journey
joyous beyond compare
marziya
gods will be praised
embedded in my
hearts computer's
hardware

In The Beginning was the Word

In The Beginning was the Word, originally uploaded by firoze shakir photographerno1.

95,006 items / 582,283 views

in the beginning was the word
to keep it alive so it could be heard
the killings and the blood
colonialism conversions
of the collective soul
of a herd
a sacrificial lamb
at the altar of humanity
a gilded cage
of Christianity
the captive bird

I Reach 95000 Photo Blogs at Flickr

I Reach 95000 Photo Blogs at Flickr, originally uploaded by firoze shakir photographerno1.

95,006 items / 582,284 views

with your love and blessings
my creativity takes wings
like a pendulum
from post
to post it swings
touching you
touching me
peace it brings
a floral bouquet
at the lotus feet of a god
of all greater things
humility
the core essence
of survival it sings
flickr facebook twitter
I continue my innings
sartorial serendipity
master of the rings
also blogging at
wordpress
blogspot
vox
live journal
fotothing

Mount Mary Feast 2009

Mount Mary Feast 2009, originally uploaded by firoze shakir photographerno1.

I start a new series at my Flickr photo stream, Mount Mary Feast 2009.

I shot this with my grand daughter Marziya on my waist, it was her first time on this pictorial adventure.We were there for two hours.

About Mount Mary

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mount_Mary_Church,_Bandra

Mount Mary Church, Bandra

The Basilica of Our Lady of the Mount, more commonly known as Mount Mary, is a Roman Catholic church in the city of Mumbai, India. The church is one of the most visited churches in the city located in the suburb of Bandra. Every September, the feast of St. Mary is celebrated on the Sunday following 8 September, the birthday of the Virgin Mary. This is a week long celebration known as the Bandra Fair and is visited by thousands of people.

[edit] The Church

The church stands on a hillock about 80 metres above sea level overlooking the Arabian Sea. It draws lakhs of devotees and pilgrims annually. Many faithful attest to the miraculous powers of St. Mary. During the Bandra Fair, tens of thousands visit the shrine. The shrine attracts people from all faiths who pray to the statue for thanksgiving or requesting of favours.

During the Bandra Fair, the entire area is decorated with festoons and buntings. Many pitch up stalls selling religious articles, roasted grams and sweets. Stalls sell sticky Goan sweets and wax figures of the Virgin Mary along with an assortment of candles shaped like hands, feet and various other parts of the body. The sick and suffering choose one that corresponds to their ailment and light it in Church, with the pious hope that Mother Mary will consider their appeals for help.

[edit] The statue of the Virgin Mary

Although the current church edifice is just 100 years old, the history behind the current statue of Our Lady goes back to the 16th century when Jesuit priests from Portugal brought the statue to the current location and constructed a chapel. In 1700 Arab pirates interested in the gilt-lined object held in the hand disfigured the statue by cutting off the right hand.

In 1760, the church was rebuilt and the statue was substituted with a statue of Our Lady of Navigators in St. Andrew's church nearby. This statue has an interesting legend. It goes that a Koli fisherman dreamt that he would find a statue in the sea. The statue was found floating in the sea between 1700 and 1760. A Jesuit Annual Letter dated to 1669 and published in the book St. Andrew's Church, Bandra (1616–1966) supports this claim.