The Pandit On The Banks of The Banganga

The Pandit On The Banks of The Banganga, originally uploaded by firoze shakir photographerno1.

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Two sets of people are in great demand on Pitru Paksha day , without the the spiritual wheels of holistic healing cannot start , first the ubiquitous barbers of Banganga , to make a fast buck a person who has never held a razor in his hand becomes a barber for a profitable day.

And shaving or religious tonsure is the first step to the salvation of appeasing the dead soul of ancestors on Pitru Paksha day.
Next to pujaris or the pandits that line the steps of Banganga with their agents or touts calling out to clients like lawyers at Bandra East Court on a rainy day.

There is another important rallying contributor the Maharashtrian ladies supplying the ritual materials , its their monopoly and their right.

In the waters sponsored by the local corporator and the Municipality keep removing the spiritual waste and dry leaves debris that could choke fish life in the tank.

Once the puja gets over the bald head devotees give alms to the Beggars of Banganga.

The pickle sellers sweet sellers rudraksh sellers line the area leading to Banganga.. and on the way out the barbers are still busy chopping locks and giving a heady shine to the pate.

The armpit shaving is the most poetic scene that I capture without fail...this act of faith has the made in India quality ..Armpits have a reason to be eulogized where hair grows like shrubs and weeds and needs gardening too .. the smell of the Indian sweaty smelly Armpit could be compared to the fragrance and exotic breath of fresh air of Musk of Arabia .
And if the perfume makers did capture the fragrance of armpit smell in crowded local trains jam packed in Mumbai they could have a erogenous activating aphrodisiac to add to the much sexually maligned Kama Sutra manual.

Do It ..