Possession lies in the eye of the Possessed

Possession lies in the eye of the Possessed, originally uploaded by firoze shakir photographerno1.

This is hardcore possession at Hussain Tekri Jaorah and all this becomes a cacophony of raucous chaos shouts and screams of pain when the loban smoke is given to them , I did not shoot that moment I had been warned by the Sunni custodians of the Shrines with harsh measures..So I kept away as it is I had some problems with a few people here from my own community ..its an old story I have forgotten it..but God save you from the Shia bigot too.. he is the worst calamity facing the humanity of our Faith as the humility of Imam Hussain.. I will discuss this in another topic .. I will.

So Hussain Tekri Jaorah and all these picture that I am updating did not have text I am updating them as I am posting these links to Facebook.

I shoot ritualism connected to exorcism and possession..I shoot pain and it is what binds man to man more powerfully than any religiosity..some religions have Pain on the same pedestal as their divinity too..Pain is what adds to the humanity and vulnerability of man..

I knew a Bawa at the Makhdoom Shah Bawa Dhuni Mahim he ate hot coals from the fire and was happy smoking his chillum..

And it was this quest for pain that sent me on a leather hunt I have been documenting the body piercing Rafaees since 7 years or more..I chose the Chancawalli Rafaees of the Chand Shah Wali dargah Andheri East as my pictorial subject and had I taken up Shahenshah Bawas offer to become his chela I would have become a full fledged rafaee piercing my eye balls , piercing my chest cutting my tonge but I politely refused I did the real thing cutting my head with a sword during Moharam and shedding real blood experiencing , overcoming pain in the name of Hussain was my ultimate goal.. no I could not see myself as a Rafaee at all..I could not leave my pact and allegiance from Hussain to Ghaus Pak...it just would not be possible my Shiasm was born in my mothers womb I was happy with the status quo..

I am treated withrespect among the Malangs Bawas and Rafaees as I respect them their ideology without diluting my own with what they have to offer..recently at Fakhruddin Shah Babas Urus a crazy doped Rafaees slashed my stomach with a sword I stood my ground felt the pain but with the power of my mind did not allow it to harm me..you might call this bullshit but than you are not me ...you dont live the life I live..

The Bawa and I are the best of friends he is the craziest bawa I have met in my life and I told him I will pay him handsomely if he does his sword slashing on Glenn Losacks white ..you know what ha ha ..and I get to shoot the picture of the ritual for posterity..