Walking On Fire at Haji Malang 2010

Walking On Fire at Haji Malang 2010, originally uploaded by firoze shakir photographerno1.

118,511 items / 771,830 views

I dedicate this lot of pictures shot of the Dhamal at Haji Malang Shrine to my mentor Dr Glenn Losack MD..This is way up his alley we both love shooting pain , blood gore and Thaipussam.

This is fighting fire with your legs like football , a bunch of burning agarbattis incense sticks are thrown at the Malangs legs and they holding each other by the waist walk over it, it is absolutely painful, and at the end a few of the Malangs fell fainted and went into a trance.. and it continued till hundreds of these bunches were thrown at the surviving malangs ..

This is a series that I shot, but could not move , I had to make sure I did not block the view of the crowds as they kept shouting at me..Every Rafaee order connected to Haji Malang did their body piercing acts..including to the order that I am connected to as a photographer Chancawalli Rafaees or mendicants or Fakirs of Chand Shah Wali Dargah Mumbai .

I keep the Hijra pictures on hold they are perhaps a 6 GB card or more all shot at Haji Malang remaining to upload..

I will not cross blog the Dhamal at all, so please visit my Flickr photostream.

And I know Dr Glenn Losack had a bad experience climbing down the mountains at Haji Malang , now seeing these pictures I hope he comes with me to the Urus next year , the Ketkar brothers Hindu khadims of Haji Malang , Abhijeet and Kumar have offered him total hospitality..

Walls Have Ears Too

Walls Have Ears Too, originally uploaded by firoze shakir photographerno1.

118,500 items / 771,581 views

a poem
without words
it is true
imagination
the heady brew
over the head
of the hijra nest
the cuckoo
overflew
who fucks who
mind over matter
or matter over mind
does it matter
to you
the hijra world
where reality
has no clue
one plus one
is three
not two

I Shoot Hijras As I Breathe Poetry

I Shoot Hijras As I Breathe Poetry, originally uploaded by firoze shakir photographerno1.

photography
of hijras they all do
who cares a fuck
who cares a screw
I shoot hijras
as I breathe poetry
bring out
something new
no poetic conceit
hijra humility
hijra fruit
a pictorial passion
of my pictorial pursuit
made in India
diversity of faith
in freedom I salute
you take a
path of hate
I take the path
of peace
the middle route
through pictures
I show you a world
of love hope harmony
your mind space
I dont pollute
to tony bib
this tribute

Tony Bib commented on your photo:

I appreciate Firoze Shakir by his photography. He is making an attempt to bring people of different beliefs to come together. An attempt to finish and minimize the hate for other beliefs. It will help in creating a religious harmony among different faiths.

Ritu Hijra In Bloom

Ritu Hijra In Bloom, originally uploaded by firoze shakir photographerno1.

adding
her charm
her grace
her fragrance
in the most
beautiful
costume
ritu hijra
in bloom
rising
like a phoenix
from the ashes
of her doom
hijra agony
from
the cradle to the tomb
a testicular tragedy
searching for
the missing womb
the missing vagina
from her soul
to exhume
neither man
nor woman
hope in a
bottled vacuum
parched lips
to drink
or not to drink
a poison to consume
trinkets
on her dainty feet
her girth her volume
as she dances
in the ladies bar room
walking
with the shadow
of death
a drop of tear
a hijra heirloom

The Grass Is Not Always Green On the Other Side

The Grass Is Not Always Green On the Other Side, originally uploaded by firoze shakir photographerno1.

what i wish to reveal
she wants to hide
my humility
at the feet
of her
arrogance
her pride
between
the mountain
of her conceit
the molehill
of my desires
a great divide
she holds
my hand than
lets it go
a split open wide
only one sided love
that takes
me for a ride

Colored Remorse

Colored Remorse, originally uploaded by firoze shakir photographerno1.

she has
forgotten me
so soon
memories
we shared
in a single
afternoon
crumpled bed
of my thoughts
crushed flowers
all strewn
she wants
fresh light
she wont live
with me
she says
on the dark side
of the moon
me building
sand castles
on a sand dune
my pain my pathos
to which she is
genetically
immune
the older
the violin
broken wires
broken tune
waiting for her
in earnest
when she
rains on my soul
like ravenous
drops in monsoon

The Fall of Man

The Fall of Man, originally uploaded by firoze shakir photographerno1.

They say he was a very rich man, but he gave it all up for a bottle of hooch.


His end is not far away, he had a Jaipur leg that some drug addict robbed when he was dead drunk lying on the road.

He normally wore a Muslim skull cap and swindled money as alms by gaining sympathy from the Muslim women.

His is a bad state of life , life gone to seed.. his bad karma his bad deeds..growing from the soil of remorse like a single withered weed..humiliation as it bleeds ...

The Axe Effect

The Axe Effect, originally uploaded by firoze shakir photographerno1.