The Siddis of Junagadh

The Siddis of Junagadh, originally uploaded by firoze shakir photographerno1.

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I have fast forwarded this photo to present times as there was a request from a New York Art Gallery for displaying of this and another image to showcase the history of African diaspora.

I normally shoot pictures as I see them , I am not governed by editorial constrains, or saleability ,I dont sell or share my pictures normally, I have placed a few pictures at Red Bubble simply to be able to upgrade to a new camera, .

My cameras die faster as I shoot blood Moharam , cut my head so my own blood lodges in my camera housing, I shoot Hindu festivals on the streets and the over generous sprinkling of gulal or vermilion too mixes with my Shia blood so I call myself a Shia Hindu should not shock you as poets interpretation of pain that I shoot.


This year I could not shoot the Makhdhoom Shah Baba Police Sandal as my head was bleeding after my Ashura kama matam in Chennai and Moharam mourning kept me away from the Urus for sometime.

I did not shoot my friend Sakibs sandal, the two sandals are where the Siddi services as performers are hired.


Siddis are Afro Indian race their forefathers were bought here as slaves by Moslem sea traders and they settled on the west coat, and are found at Gir Forest of Junagadh their deity is the Holy Saint they call Baba Gor.

I as a poet photographer as a sensitive human being just like you , feel extremely sorry for the present condition of these Siddi Indians , they live in Past that haunts them to Doom and Death.

They come to Mumbai during Makdhoom Shah Babas Urus to perform , juggle and are reduced to literally begging as means to eking a living, it kills me when a person throws money in the air and they leap to extricate it with their teeth.. no cheek in mouth here.

They stay to themselves , their life is dance beats of the drums they make a fairly tidy amount at the Mahim urus..and they return back to Junagadh.

I have a friend Altaf Siddi who works as a fighter and a body double for Bollywood , he has asked me many a times to come with him to shoot them in their natural surroundings but work prevents me from going, nor do I have sponsor that could make this documentary come to life.

So I shoot them as and when , I shot another groupof Siddis at Fakhruddin Shah Babas Holy Shrine Mahim , this year , the young Siddi performers drummers dancers made up as jungle tribal folks another blow and humiliation to their noble African ancestry.

It is terrible to see them reduced to a street tamasha show, and it really hurts bad, but than such is life in my backyard where corruption and scams is also another tamasha that continues unabated..and who really care a flying fuck for Siddi heritage or race is the attitude of modern times ..

I do and you do that is what matters and the Siddi set on Flickr is my tribute to them and my salute to their fighting spirit of survival.

Proud to be an Indian.