Decoding The Mysticism of Zuljana

Decoding The Mysticism of Zuljana, originally uploaded by firoze shakir photographerno1.

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These were the first few pictures I shot of Pappu Bhai Kurla Juloos on Sunday, they were in a different memory card so I did not upload them while posting the same.

Zuljana fascinates me , a hired horse that once decorated starts looking and behaving like Imam Hussains valiant steed.

Zuljana is known for the love for his Master and his loyalty to his Master.

Hence he is symbolized in Shia processions and here at Kurla there were 17 of them, this black one was hot tempered and uncontrollable most of the time , but he was the most imposing one, he is the one who kicked my bum fiercely , but call me thick skin nothing happened to me , and this was after I had cut my head with a dagger and was cleaned by the First Aid guys of JUST..Jaffri United Social Troop from Dongri.. great guys with the power of holistically healing your sword dagger and flagellating blade wounds .

I shot this Zuljana at the Roza of Imam Hussain at Kurla kissing the Taboot and paying respect , he was licking the alam, and it was this Zuljana that was paid floral tributes by the Hindu ladies of Kurla.

Shia women consider him a Hero and fed him milk jalebis that he eats ravenously.

I always wanted to collect all my Flickr Zuljana pictures shot all over India and house them in a single set but now the task is humanly impossible.I dont have the time and the strength to do the same.

I have shot Zuljanas in Lucknow , Mehmoodabad the most noble ones , no one rides on them and they are used as Zuljanas only, I shot Zuljana in Kolkatta Delhi, HussainTekri Chennai and Mumbai.

Kurla and Malvani in Malad have the most Zuljanas , Mamdi my Iranian friend decorates the Zuljanas and adds to their grandeur and spirituality .

In Kolkatta at Sealdah on Ashura day Hindu women place their new born babies at the feet of Zuljana, the milk they feed the Zuljana and what falls on the muddy floor they collect in vials and feed their babies with it.. this is the fervor of Zuljana .

There are a lot of stories in my head of Zuljana but this should suffice.