The Hijda The Hindu Shia And The Pujari of Maryamma Temple, originally uploaded by firoze shakir photographerno1.
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I am called the Hindu Shia by my detractors simply because I shoot Hinduism and I am proud of it I d rather be a Hindu Shi than be anything else ,I dress like them and perhaps my body language is more Hindu than Muslim , I dont sport a beard I dont wear short pajamas or a long kurta I dont have the namaz mark on my forehead but because of the furrows on my head due to Kama matam in memory of Hazrat Imam Hussain the deep gashes and a bit of gray matter I cover my head with a turban.. I dont wear the quintessential Muslim cap at all.
Because my blogs are hijracentric and I enjoy shooting them gets on the goat of my own community bigots too..does not really affect me at all I am what I am I blog so I am .
I shoot Goddess Maryama feast every year thanks to my Tamil friends far too many Davendar Velu the high priest of the Juhu Maryamma temple are the main ones.
The next on the list are Ganesh head priest of Mahim fisherman's colony Maryamma temple , his family and his sister Laxmi. And the hijda Krishna in the picture in the blue sleeveless tshirt.
In Sion Dharavi it is the cheek piercer Raja and a young Punjabi boy who pierces his cheeks too Sam.
I was too pierce my cheeks with a 18 feet road but the head priest told me to wait for another year I might do it this year so show my solidarity with these Hindu Tamils my best friends and who respect my religiosity as much as I respect their own.
I shall walk with the rod as a follower of Hussain.. no other spiritual motive whatsoever..
I have shot this feast very similar to Thaipussam and gone into a trance too at the Mahim beach during the rod piercings..
This is an incredible feast I shoot it barefeet and most of the Tamils treat me like their brother..
At Sion Koliwada last year I shot the hijra piercing his cheek..and this was the best moment for me as it became a part of hijra blogs at Flickr.com.
This was a blank post I have added text just now..
The puja and the piercings on the beach either at Worli Mahim or Juhu start not before goat and poultry sacrifice.. this is a very hardcore bloody moment..
Last year the Juhu Marayamma festival did not take place as the Temple is being rebuild.
It will be held this year I was told by Davendar my friend.
And I wait for it eagerly last year my friend Marc De Clercq from Ghent shot it too along with his friends.
And the one person who would love t shoot this event is my dear friend Dr Glenn Losack MD.
