Marriammen Feast Macchimar Colony Mahim 2011 My New Set at Flickr.com, originally uploaded by firoze shakir photographerno1.
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I start my new set of my Marriammen series shot this afternoon at Mahim Macchimar colony.. or Fishermen Colony..
I came here at 1 pm and shot the animal sacrifice to Goddess Marriammen and after the sacrifice the followers of Marriammen moved to Mahim beach , I was barefeet my feet were in real bad shape , at the beach there was a grand puja by Ganesh pujari a lot of people went into a trance including me.. and soon after the piercings started performed by Raja .. and from here the procession moved via St Michaels Church back to the Marriammen Temple a long route and there were boys pulling vans with hooks in the back , kids with limes attached with needles to the flesh and women carrying hot pots or Agni on their heads.
At the beach the devi entered the body of Krishna hijra and this was a very mesmerizing experience he spoke in the voice of the Devi.
I shot all this till 10 pm and than headed home much before the event ended I was in bad shape tired and even now my eyes are half open half shut.. I shall upload a batch and crash.
There was a touching story of a married Koli woman Shilpa who had her cheeks pierced with a rod for the first time as she had a dream , her husband Nilesh did not want to her to undertake this ritual but he consented and their story I have shot in pictures..both are madly in love with each other totally devoted and the husbands pain when the rod entered her cheek.. and he held her like a little child..
I dont want to add text but pictures will tell you the story of Marriammen and her Tamil and Koli disciples ..I used to shoot a girl Anamika every year she pierced her tongue and her mother would be by her side , this year she was alone she did not undertake the ritual her mother a Koli died of cancer and her father a Malyali had a stroke and has been bed ridden ever since his wife left,,,
And Sairam another boy I shot was there but did not undertake the cheek piercing ritual...
Laxmi the sister of Ganesh pujari was there my host and she is the one who invites me here every year.. her son Nandu takes care of the arrangements for this huge function at Macchimar Colony Mahim.
I shot some excellent hip hop acrobatic dancers of Mahim the best of Mumbai..
And last but not the least I shot the misery pain of the Mahim Fort a heritage site gone to seed .. men shitting close to the fort , and Mahim beach is an insult to God Nature and Governance in Mahrarshtra..this is the worst beach and it made me puke all over .. the beach is littered with filth used condoms sanitary pads and every thing including man and dog shit and I walked all over barefeet..
This was a poetry of pain I shot .. while I shot the Marriammen Feast at Mahim Beach.
