Half Man Half Woman Sada Suhagin

Half Man Half Woman Sada Suhagin, originally uploaded by firoze shakir photographerno1.

179,205 items / 1,407,928 views

This was shot last year at Ajmer Sharif and I was at Char Yar among the HIjra Bawas , the hijra bawas are hijras who have renounced material life of glamor and glitz and taken sanyas so to speak, they do dua tawiz guide the hijra community towards Sufi spirituality.

They also exorcise demons as the hijras are very prone to demonic possession because of their alluring beauty and mystical gender.


The Sada Suhagins on the other hand are not hijras at all they are normal male with normal male desires they marry have children , but they have given themselves to a higher authority they say they are married to God and are also known as Moosa Suhagins. They wear ladies attire but dont behave or have the body language of hijras.

I first met a Sada Suhagin at Ajmer Station many years back I was too embarrassed to take his picture he had long hair long beard dressed in a salwar kameez , I am conservative I knew he was a Bawa and I was a bit hesitant in approaching him , I should have , but I am a impulsive photographer sometimes I shoot straight in the face without asking permission ready to bear the consequences too.

Because of my own attire I am forgiven , the hijras I shoot think I am bawa too..and the matter ends there.

The Sada Suhagin have their holy site their holy saints but I dont take notes and I am in a hurry for my next shot so I dont ask pesky questions at all.

And that has been a gift for me , as I am sure a lot of hijras would not like to discuss their past with strangers.

Last night I posted my Mumbai cages Red Light area links at Facebook,,,but I have not mentioned at Facebook ar here at Flickr the reason for shooting this notorious lane , as I know a few friendly dons attached to this region in a distant way I asked one of them to introduce me to some single mother prostitutes I wanted to meet them talk to them if they allowed I would shoot them... but my friendly don was the lowest in the ladder he was far to small.

He gave me two street hoodlums who took me to a house of retired prostitutes playing cards they allowed me to shoot the cages street below..

While I was walking up the stairs I met Heena Hijra , we became friends as she had sen me at Haji Malang.. she took me to meet her Guru Lakshmi a different one from the hijra icon and my guru..

Lakshmi allowed me to shoot Heena .

I became phone friendly with Heena and thus began the visits to Peela House almost 4 times ..its been more than a year I have not gone there Heena and I lost contact she did not turn up this year at Haji Malang, but her Guru told me she was busy and that I had made her into a cult figure on the internet.

I am still waiting for someone to introduce me to single mother prostitutes but I have decided I shall wait for a legitimate contact.. but now my views have changed considerably I dont think I could take pictures of them or their kids and add more stigma to their fucked future ..I am father I know their pain as a human being and as a poet too..I would shoot their hands faceless silhouettes.

And my hijra pictures are not for titillation , the hijras I shot are women and not sex objects.. they have dreams they fly on broken wings and I shoot hijras to show you their world as human as your own world is but their is worse , their lives in spite of wealth beauty lacks the right to live as they want to live.

I believe that prostitution should be legal as alcohol is for those above 18.. you could be given a permit by our regressive law makers to legally screw a hijra or a whore..

I only think once this is legalized the allure will fade and hopefully women and children wont be kidnapped into this trade , but than this is wishful thinking , womens flesh from time immemorial is the most sought after and the younger the fresher the more exorbitant it is .. its the system as corrupt vile and heinous as it comes there is nothing one can do about it.

I had gone to Kamatipura a long time back, and the pimp had told me not to take pictures , but he showed me a place where young nubile boys had just been introduced as hijras into the trade.. a glare from the horrid hijra madam I retraced my steps.. so everything exists...she knew I was a photographer with a hidden camera.

Money Walks Money Talks.