The Barefeet Bawa of The Cybernet And The Hijras, originally uploaded by firoze shakir photographerno1.
179,205 items / 1,408,658 views
This was shot at Haji Malang a mountainous trek on foot , I climb barefeet leaving my ego at the foot of the Malangad mountains so to speak.
It is a tough climb for me as I am a diabetic asthmatic but I reach the top it takes me about 3 and a half hours , I shoot people and I go through varying emotions as I climb my way towards the Holy Shrine.
The beggars the stall keepers vendors all know me , I am called the camerewale bawa ..by the locals and other bawas too.
I have had strange experiences dreams and it has been fulfilling to say the least , firsyly I would not reach Haji Malang if the Malang Bawa did not call me , this is his territory his rules his dictates prevails he gives but never takes back.. may sound strange but it is true.
So my tryst with Haji Malang is my tryst with faith and my inner spirituality I am a believer of Ali and Hussain and this embedded on the dome of the Holy Shrine too.
I come here live with the Ketkar brothers Kumar and Abhijit and this was made possible by Sakib my florist friend from Mahim.
I could live with my hijra guru Laxmi Narayan Tripathi and though she is hospitable I stay with the Ketkars they feed me , they dont charge me a penny this is their generosity and I am forever indebted to them..they know I come here in peace I shoot I go away.
What I shot is memories kept alive on the internet courtesy Flickr .
Almost everyone knows me at Haji Malang unless he is come there for the first time, I document the hijra connection between them and the Holy Shrine.
The main reason why hijras visit shrines like Ajmer Sharif and Haji Malang.. is primarily they are not treated as outcasts , they are not the untouchables here , and they are respected even if they are commercial workers from red light areas , they come here feed the poor , and are No1 devotees of bnoth the Holy Saints.
Khwajah Gharib Nawaz is their Ann Datta , their provider they leave everything come to him , he protects them he gives them multifold..they also give their earnings to him.. they pay for poor children , they pay for old homes and they do abundant charity I know and a few khadims know too..
They get young girls from poor homes married they pay for the sick and their hospitalization stay..
This is one side of hijra humility generosity charity one never hears , because what the public wants to know is more to do with the hijras exotic hybrid sexuality than anything else.
So I decided to show you the positive side of the hijras , my hijras are human very beautiful gorgeous larger than life and more womanly than their women counterparts.
They have created voluptuous fruits on their barren trees of life..and they are sough after.. they have it they flaunt it.. I see it I shoot it.
As a blogger who documents hijras I shoot them on three levels , the alpha male metrosexual hijra rich famous , maybe a courtesan , an escort a body guard for rich mafia types, the bar dancer..
Than the next in order are the Hijra Bawas that I have already shown you , they are esoteric society within the laws of hijra secrecy life and death.
Finally the hijra beggars the lowest of the lot and beneath them the hijra prostitutes of Peela House Shukljai Street Foras Road and Kamatipura Gully No1.
I have shot the hijras at Peela House and Kamatipura Gully No1.the mujra dance hijra live here too.. I am close to Zeenath Guru of Hijra Gully no1.
Than there are the Devdasi hijras the hijras that beg on the trains local and far bound.
The only place that I have not yet shot that eludes me is Koovagam in Villupuram where the Eunuch festival takes place at the Koothandavar Hijra temple.Lord Iravan has not called me as yet and I shall go when I am called.
In the meantime I shoot the hijras at the Holy Shrines and on the streets.
I met them this evening too,, our paths are crossed Kya Ap Hijre Ho.. I dont think you need to be a hijra to shoot hijras .. Fuck what a stupid fucked question from a dickhead who follows the same religiosity that I do only thing he is a better Shia than I am.. this is thanks to his surroundings his ancestral heritage his parentage which is perhaps is million times better than mine.
I shoot humanity as it reflects itself on the parched soul of my camera lens.. from within and without.
ps
The fogging smoke in the picture was divine intervention touching the hijra and me and blissfully blessing us both biological male but with two different perspectives of sexuality..
