Shooting the Bandra Guru Nanak Park Juloos 2010, originally uploaded by firoze shakir photographerno1.
The Wazir brothers Munir, Wazir Asghar who organize this awesome grand spectacular procession from their house at Bashiron , the building where Mr Subhash Ghai had his first office Mukta Arts and a very lucky one mind you..just a stones throw from where Mithunda lived many years back, and known as Guru Nanak Park close to late Mohomed Rafi Saabs bungalow is the place where the Shias of Mumbai congregate , this juloos was started by their dad a renowned Momin and lover of Ahle Bayt..and so it continues as a heritage by his posterity.
The juloos begins with nohas a majlis ably and beautifully recited by Maulana Ali Hasan Hilal A Rajani of Karachi Pakistan, who spoke about the Hussaini Brahmins, and the message of global peace a message on the wings of Hussainiyat.
From Guru Nanak Park accompanied by Alams , Imam Hussains Taboot , Imam Hussains steed a replica we call Zuljana the juloos supported by the Bandra Police , controlling traffic snarls and law and order .. moved on.
In between the Anjumans from various parts of Mumbai did matam, women children men making the bulk and spirtual strength of the juloos, nobody was inconvenienced and this is the mystifying magic of tolerance respect for another mans religion in Amchi Mumbai..Jai Maharashtra.
Liitle kids did zanjir matam, this is the juloos kids love for the freedom to scourge without restrain , but eyes of the elders on them , taking care of their wounds.
At Almeida Park, there was water , snacks hot tea fo the mourners here it was woman and kids and families..I had moved away with Marziya my two year old grand daughter , who shot pictures of the kids scourging on my Nikon D80 assisted by me, we headed towards the Bandra Shia Khoja Mosque, I sent Marziya home as the blood scenes of sword matam, hardcore zanjir matam is just out of the world , performed by the boys of Anjuman e Yadgare Mehndi all Bandra boys like Mintu Mohsin Hallauri, Meezam Riyaz and others .Habib Nasser my friend cut his finger while shooting this event, most of the guys had to be rushed to Bhabha Hospital for stitches they has cut open their backs with the swords that required urgent medical aid.
At the mosque there was Niyaz e Hussain, but I could not taste it, my passion is documenting the spiritual fervor of my Shia race and and the indomitable spirit of humility and humanity we call Hussain.
And the day after this I shot the juloos organized by my dear friend Ali Reza Shirazi at Mount Mary.. that is last night.
My uploading is slow and has taken a very long time , the Guru Nanak Park Juloos was shot on a 1.50 MB memory card..so now you know what I have to go through to share these pictures with all of you..My uploading stops after some time and I have to manually re start again , thanks to You Telecom slow and a very bad connection..
In the picture Munir Bhai in gray shirt the organizer of the Guru Nanak Park juloos and me and Halu a dear friend from the area..
