The Chancawalli Rafaees And The Hijra Murids

The Chancawalli Rafaees And The Hijra Murids, originally uploaded by firoze shakir photographerno1.

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This is the Rafaee or body piercing Sufi mendicants of Chancawalli associated with the Sufi Chishtiya order , they beg fir a living and I have been a part of this group for about 10 years now I have seen its rise I have sen its fall, I was thrwn out of this group for a year due to a misunderstanding between their earlier Peer Sikandar Wali Baba but soon after his death I was called back by his successor Handi , but Handi died too overdose and drugs , than his place was taken by Barsati Bawa with the Rajasthani turban my very dear friend and well wisher, but he too has been replaced and this group now is merely a splinter of what it really was.

I shot this at Ajmer in 2009 and hijras are patrons of the bawas or their murids they give them money drugs etc.. and the bawas bless them in exchange give them dua tawiz.

I shot the hijras extensively in Mahim with the Chancawalli Rafaees and here at Ajmer.

Barsati Bawa was missing at Haji Malang this year.

Barsati Bawa and Handi were the only one that knew I was a Shia and I did Kamazani.. on Ashura and Chehlum..

Handi wanted me to become a rafaee sword piercing exponent he was the best I politely refused happy with what I dd for real year after year..on the streets during Moharam.

My kama matam I call Tandav on the Soul of Shimr or Dance of Death.. a Hindu metaphor in keeping with my cultural inheritance.