Marziya Head Bowed In Prayers

Marziya Head Bowed In Prayers, originally uploaded by firoze shakir photographerno1.

a grief
moharam
with her heart
her soul she shares
hussain is humanity
wordlessly she bares
touching divinity
with her innocence
head bowed in prayers

Tiger The Humble Giant of Peace

Tiger The Humble Giant of Peace, originally uploaded by firoze shakir photographerno1.

105,702 items / 685,102 views

Tiger is part of Mika Singhs entourage , and this was shot at Chembur the shoot of Star Mukabla..Tiger was a fabulous host as Mika was busy with the show, he offered us tea and snacks and endeared himself to me and my son Saif Shakir .

Marziya The Shia Pride

Marziya The Shia Pride, originally uploaded by firoze shakir photographerno1.

105,688 items / 684,859 views

My wife made this hijab for Marziya to wear when she goes for Majlis in Lucknow during Moharam.

marziya
the shia pride
akka
maulah hussain
her guide
hussainiyat
by her side
to save Islam
he made the
supreme
sacrifice
the pillars
of evil he defied
he lives
he never died
1400 years
moharam
a protest
against terrorism
world wide
for him
we cried
bleeding within
bleeding outside
azadari e hussain
will never subside
every street corner
every roadside
the chant of ya hussain
the soul tear eyed
every day is ashura
every land is karbala
beyond man made borders
time and tide

Hunger is a State Of Mind

Hunger is a State Of Mind, originally uploaded by firoze shakir photographerno1.

a food for thought
beautifully defined
hunger
is a state of mind
they also see
who are totally blind
it costs nothing
to be good and kind
if you Google search
your heart truth
you will find
humility
the only essence
of mankind

The Eyes are the Windows of the Soul

The Eyes are the Windows of the Soul, originally uploaded by firoze shakir photographerno1.

I shot this kid sitting on a cart of a sandal procession, I told him in a language of serene silence Hum Sab Ek he looked back at me tearing my essence of life to shreds answering back Hum Sab Fake..

Eyes are the widows of the soul
wide awake
man gods one and only mistake
his thirst god could not slake
a foundation built
on a fading flake
man born
as god in a cradle
crucified on a stake
a garden of eden
man lost to a snake
man in a world of reality
the only thing fake
man gods one and only
heartbreak

to sadaf khan

Kashmiri Beggars Going to Mahim Urus

Kashmiri Beggars Going to Mahim Urus, originally uploaded by firoze shakir photographerno1.

Earlier they felt a bit awkward when I photographed them , they still dont know why.

But heart to heart they know a man dressed like me wont be a threat to their lives , their lives are already doomed much before I shot their picture.

I am not a social activist,I am not a Kashmiri but I am an Indian and these are fellow Indians going through an unending chakra of pain.


I don't sell pictures I dont begrudge those who steal my pictures ..I am on the net where life is no holds barred.

And fuck who will buy pictures of pain , blood and gore ..you get them free anyway .. on the streets of despair.

My pictures are moments where my burglar soul looted the emotions of the misplaced,the little girl likes me , she does not know I am a father and a grand father of a girl child too.

These are sad poems you have to read without words , this is street photography, a defective camera , bad light and a barefeet blogger the sutradhar of their fucked destiny..

Destiny the only lame excuse for bad governance and neglect of the people that vote it to power emasculating their souls for a vote .. yes democracy has killed more people than a dictator I think as a pedestrian poet of pain...by passing the buck where a man who stands for office in the shortest period becomes more wealthy overnight.. and the poor commits suicide ..the easiest short cut that costs nothing..

Yes Politics that lives on the blood sweat and tears of a poor man.

Kashmiri Beggars Going to Mahim Urus

Kashmiri Beggars Going to Mahim Urus, originally uploaded by firoze shakir photographerno1.

These are Kashmiri beggars walking from Bandra to Mahim ,they will stand in the food lane that leads to the Holy Shrine .. as alms are given to them..

A misplaced Jihad that has turned humanity into drops of tears..on the soul of a comatose nation.

Luckily they are not competing with the local milieu in a form of employment that has very few seekers or they too would be shown the stick for political gain.

We as Indians are the biggest racists we hate our own,our police target people dressed like me with a valid press card yet allow terrorists to come in with open hands..

I was hassled by the Mumbai cops posted at the Dargah entrance of Food Lane I took their pictures ..as a reminder of my humiliation - yes our outsourcing for cops and security people is the worst..its not merit but caste that we promote..

Yes We are Indians Zaban Sambhal Ke..

Dargah Fakhruddin Shah Baba Mahim

Dargah Fakhruddin Shah Baba Mahim, originally uploaded by firoze shakir photographerno1.

This is the sanctum sanctorum of the famous Holy Saint of Mahim known as Fakhruddin Shah Baba or Baba Fakhr..

This is a very low profile abode of Peace , silent and serene facing the main Mahim Road.

Baba Fakhr is source of divine inspiration, people flock here on Thursdays and during the Urus time of both the Saints.

Possession at Sandal Time

Possession at Sandal Time, originally uploaded by firoze shakir photographerno1.

I have shot this extensively, the guys who carry the sandal of the Holy Saint invariably go into a stunning trance , a kind of possession.
They are held by their mates before they go berserk.. its a phenomenon I cannot answer ..

I have however shot the possessed women at Dargahs , and this is a real tough subject to shoot..and all this possession pictures in a 6 GB card I hope to upload at Flickr before Moharam starts..

The Gemstone Dealers of Mahim Road

The Gemstone Dealers of Mahim Road, originally uploaded by firoze shakir photographerno1.

105,430 items / 683,743 views

All this was shot during the Urus of Makhdoom Shah Baba , every time I exited the Dhuni of the Chancawalli Rafaees , my legs would carry me here , via the Mahim Dargah food lane.

Its totally dark here and this pavement leads to the Holy Shrine of Baba Fakhr or Fakhruddin Shah Baba.

Most of the gemstone dealers are rafaees too selling cheap stones , glittering glass and other oddments for the naive and the poor man.

Next to the gemstone dealers is the herbal stuff bought from jungles , aphrodisiacs like salajit, and other ingredients before Viagra was born.


Earlier the street guys objected to my taking their pictures , but not anymore..they think I am mad and in a world that is reflection of illusory normalcy madness is the best way to survive. My friend Randall der Joel from Montreal now in Bethlehem will agree with me.

This year I have not shot this lane the way I shot it earlier..work kept me occupied.

But I have a confession to make I never ask for anything from Dargahs - never .
As God knows what I need he gives me even that I would have never realized I needed..

While I was shooting the Dargah Baba Fakhr I did make an humble request my very first one .,, I owed a friend some money and hoped I could give it to him..the very next day I was at Lokhandwala I was given an advance for a work and the next thing I remember rushing to this friends clinic and clearing my debt..

There are others too I hope to giv eback , those that stood by me in my most difficult and hard times..

And people who owe me money , took me for a ride are happy that I dont even call them anymore..

Mother's Eyes Say It All

Mother's Eyes Say It All, originally uploaded by firoze shakir photographerno1.

baba fakhr
bless my child
my one and only
little doll
save her
from all future
pitfalls
motherhood
the greatest gift
of godliness
all else is false
Allah Ho Akbar
embedded
in the soul
of her spirituality
as the muezzin calls
reverberating
eternal peace
from wall to wall
humility
the essence
of life
that makes you tall
whether you are
big or small