Tuesday, February 22, 2011

Ma


Ma, originally uploaded by firoze shakir photographerno1.

ma
bagair kokh
ke muje paida kyon kiya
meri zindagi ka dukh
tune apni zindagi pe kyon liya
zehr ke pyale se amrat
dobara kyon piya
ma is ek shabd se
jeena gawara kyon kiya
teri siskiyon main
meri siskiyon
kyon palne diya
ma sach bate
yeh tune kya kiya


optional title
nisha hijra surrogate mother

Mujhe Dekh Kar Hijde Bahut Itrate Hain

171,038 items / 1,333,048 views

khud toh nachte hain
mujhe bhi nachate hain
popat banate hain
chutiya samjh kar
mera mazak udate hain
main kuch kehta nahi
mere andar ki tilmilahat
who nahi samajh pate hain
taliya mar markar
waqt ki chaukat par
intezar karate hain
main kya hoon
meri antra atma
ko woh bhool jate hain
khud toh rote hain
hawas ki bediyon main
qaid ho jate hain
woh meri majboori
ka fayda uthate hain
main unki atma
ko camere ke zariya
bandh kar lete hoon
main ek tantric hoon
woh mujhe
pehchan nahi
pate hain
hijde mardon ki
mehfil main
aurat ban jate hain
ardh nari nareshwar
ki jai jaikar lagate hain
samay ki dhara main
moujon ki tarah beh jate hain

Sandal Possession

171,033 items / 1,332,993 views

Mostly the person that carries the sandal to the Shrine of the Holy Saint goes into a trance that is enhanced by the hypnotic beats of the drums..and this is a sight to be seen I have shot this extensively at most of the dargahs during the urus circuit.

The hijras too go in a trance and such is the power and pull of a cherished moment paying tribute to the Holy Saint.

The Hazri is when a spirit takes over the mind and body of the person..kaif is the state of a trance while dancing enhanced by the qawwal and the Sufi music.

In this set I have shot a Hindu boy Raju Kotwal who gets the hazri if a lion , walks on his hands and feet , his behavior his grunts and roars exactly that of a lion, his gait, the smell around him is of a wild animal, once her enters the courtyard of the Holy saint of Haji Malang he takes a round and as soon as the possessed state wears away he is a normal man perspiring and sane.

I was lucky to be there and shot him , he is from Vile Parle Mumbai.

I Complete 171006 Photo Blogs at Flickr.com

171,006 items / 1,332,856 views

Thanks to all of you.

Hum nashe mein hai sambhalo hamein tum

Neend aati hai jaga lo hamein tum

Now Dont Ask Me Why I Shoot What I Shoot

170,989 items / 1,332,743 views

hijra
souls
through
the eye
of my camera
i loot
a hijra born
a barren tree
bears fruit
a fruit
forbidden
nubile
lethal
but cute
a love
in auto mode
violent
mawkishly
mute
stylishly
silent
echoes
from a flute
entwined
at the thighs
a soulful duet
my hijra poetry
its offshoot
a fragrance
it transmutes
poetic pursuits
capturing
a drop
of a poisoned
tear on
the soul of humanity
as it dilutes
a beauty more
beautiful
attractive
seductress
than the harlot
from beirut
juicy
like grapefruit
voluptuous
astute
neither man
nor woman
an androgyne
i salute as she
binds me in
silken threads
thoughts
demonic
diabolic
i refute
whoring
my doomed
dying destiny
at the heights
of her passion
my last will
my last testament
my tribute
alas a poet
encaged
enslaved
to an androgynous
anomaly
no escape route
a seminal
soliloquy
splurts
as it shoots
the hijra
in a womans
body suit
done with me
now she searches
for another poet recruit

Jai Maharashtra Jai Sultan Shah Baba Jai Haji Malang Baba

The Hijras and Dargah Divinity Go Hand In Hand

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The Hijra motto is exemplary and thought and mind provoking.. Sarv Dharm Ek..

All Religion are one and they invoke the Lord or the Holy Saints with the ghungroos on their dainty feet..and be it any place the hijra comes into glittering mystical light at Ajmer Sharif and Haji Malang Dargah.

The hijra invariably will leave everything to be at both these dargahs during Urus time..they come as brides , all decked up, in glory, but they are humble in spite of their grand ostentatious display of wealth..they feed the poor , they give charity and their chaddar to the Holy Saint is the most expensive.

Every vendor beggar malishwala is at their doorstep they give generously, they dont hurt people , they are dignified at the Dargah though some of them come from Red Light areas of Mumbai called Peela House and Kamatipura.

They are the pride of humanity , treated as untouchable looked down upon , ostracized humiliated raped sodomized here they come to the Holy Saint of Haji Malang for protection , and I am sure he loves them more than those who stand outside the Dargah doors dressed as custodians of the Dargah and find fault that I give more importance to the Hijras than the Holy Shrine.

I was shocked when I was accused of this fault , I am not a Sufi adherent , I respect the Holy Saint but my beliefs my personal allegiance as a Shia lies elsewhere..but does that matter , I come to Haji Malang not as a Shia but as a lover of the Holy Saint and Humanity.

What really surprises me that with so much funds so much wealth why the Haji Malang Trust did not create their own website it would have bought the Holy Saint Haji Malang close to all his followers across the globe ..they could do the darshan or ziyarat at the click of a mouse and this would have generated much needed succor to a Dargah infrastructure where there is not a single womans toilet or public bath..

Imagine paying Rs 15 for a pail of bucket but the pilgrims dont complain, and I have never ever written derogatory about any religious place , but it hurts that at the very foot of the mountains is a Wine shop, I mean this is a spiritual destination not a lovers haunt..I have nothing against any business but I have said what I have to say.

And I am happy that by humiliating me in front of everyone just a few minutes before the Dhamal the trustee showed his bias towards me for being friendly with the other set of Ketkars whose guest I am namely Kumar and Abhijeet Ketkar.

I have vowed never to climb the mountains ..and I am also sad and distressed that those who call this place Shri Malangad have done nothing for the comforts of the pilgrims, Haji Malang can become one of the finest spiritual tourist spots on par with Tirupathi and Vaishno Devi..

The Holy Saint of Haji Malang does not oppose anyone's religiosity , instead he makes you believe firmly;y in your own faith whether you are a Sikh Hindu Muslim or any other community.

The edict of the Holy Saint is very simple you leave your car your ego your wealth downstairs you climb the mountain in humility and take back the offerings of love hope peace and harmony.

Haji Malang is exemplary National Integration , Hindu Khadims taking care of a Sufi Shrine , and all are welcome, he gives abundantly without holding anything back..

Along the path to the Dargah are Hindu temples and I pay my respect to all these places as I climb up barefeet.

All my pictures are uploaded at Flickr and I have made separate sets for the Urus of Haji Malang, the Hijras of Haji Malang , The Dargah of Sultan Shah Bab and even the cross dressers so as to give respect to each community.

From Flickr I cross blog to my Hijra Eunuch blog site at Word Press , to my other sites on Blogspot.. and finally Twitter .

And as a blogger I do what I can to showcase the pride of my culture all over the vast internet.

And here at Flickr is the bulk of my pictures of all faith 170000 plus.. and I must tell you that an American Jew Dr Glenn Losack has paid for my membership as a Pro member so my work can be seen by all .. I have no sponsors , a battered bleeding camera but I shoot none the less as a photographer as a poet and as a blogger.

Thanks for passing by...

Qawwali at Dargah Mir Sakhi Sultan Shah Baba Haji Malang

170,862 items / 1,332,044 views

The duty of the qawwal at the dargah is to sing in praise of the patron saint Haji Malang Baba , the main Saint and in between he will sing in praise of Hazrat Ali Imam Hussain and Khwajah Gharib Nawaz.

Its his choice and inspiration , he will sing on request too, but the adult crowds at the dargah of Sultan Shah Baba were missing so his audience consisted of kids of the poligrims who live in the open grounds outside the dargah.. a rocky terrain and real hard survival, they cook here sleep here tiil the Urus of Sultan Shah Baba that was on 20 Feb 2011.

I missed it as I climbed down the mountains in the morning the Urus was at midnight.

Sultan Shah Babas dargah brings in the possessed those under demonic spells and hardcore cases of terminal ill heath.

Its a sad scene here , a total documentary of pain passion pathos holding on to the fragile hope of extended life through prayer piety and devotion and invoking the Holy Saint fir mercy and divine intervention.

The hijras come to this dargah in large numbers.. he is one of their favorite sants.

Dargah of Mir Sakhi Sultan Shah Baba Haji Malang

The Hijra Mother of Prem

She is very fond of me because I always inquire about her adopted son Prem, Prem is a normal male child doing well in school, when he has holidays he accompanies his hijra mother to the Urus.

He is well behaved , polite kind and humble, he touches my feet and gives me a lot of respect like his hijra mother.

Prem Adopted Son of a Hijra Mother

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I have known Prem since he was a little boy, and used to come to Haji Malang with his adopted Hijra mother.

Prem is proud of his mother and is a brilliant student in the 8 standard..He is well looked after by his Hijra mother and her hijra bretren.

Prem is a normal male child..and is the Pride of the Hijra community.. he wants to be a lawyer to fight for hijra and human rights.. what can I say beyond this..

Zanjirwale Bawa and Me

He is in welded steel and iron chains about 140 kgs or more all in the memory of the Shia fourth Imam Sayede Sajjad Zainul Abedin.

He is a Sunni fakir but curses the killers of Imam Hussain.

I have been shooting his pictures since many yeas and is a set on Flickr,com

Two Bawas In Chains

He is in welded steel and iron chains about 140 kgs or more all in the memory of the Shia fourth Imam Sayede Sajjad Zainul Abedin.

He is a Sunni fakir but curses the killers of Imam Hussain.

I have been shooting his pictures since many yeas and is a set on Flickr,com

Zanjirwale Bawa At Haji Malang

To A Devotee of Malang Baba Called Yomesh Khergaonkar USA

170,755 items / 1,331,854 views

I met Yomesh through the internet , he is an avid viewer of my Haji Malang pictures and today I confess much of Haji Malang I shot with his eyes..he only sends me messages during the Haji Malang Urus otherwise I never hear from him at all..

I am posting a few of his messages and sharing his love of Malang Baba wiith all of you.

Thanks for the images of the URS at HaJi Malang...in my living room in New Jersey...

Was there last year...then after Ajmer...during last Ganpati celebrations..enjoy Ganesh after 16 long years....

Next time I will contact u...hope u hv time...then yomesh

Saw ur pictures of Shree Makhdoomshah Baba Urs at Mahim...do u know someone by the name Bhagwanbhai...they call him baba at the Mahim dargah...he lives in Goregaon now...originally from Carter Rd, Bandra..

Extremely well known at Malanggad...with the Muzawars and also the senior Kelkars...

yomesh

He is too old now..they celebrate the URS at his residence..

he gets the Holy Saint in his body...they call it "sawari"...starts speaking in Urdu/Arabic...right from Bakhtwar Shah Baba to Sultan Shah to the greatest boss of "Konkan Region"..."Haji Malang"...

The reason I asked is I read that u sit behind the dargah...he used to too...till recently becoz of ill health...

I am happy to hv come across u...


yomesh


I try to avoid..seeing "the bosses picture -- Shree Abdul Rehman Sahibs" picture...at normal times...might get a "convulsion" for all you know...

The same applies to Sarkar Makdoomshah, Bahuddin Shah Isfahani (Bombay Hospital), "Hind Vali" Sarkar Khwaja Moinudin Chisti and ofcourse the "Super Boss of All" "Sarkar Ghousul Azam -- Jinnewal Inz"...the Master of All...



Regarding behind the dargah -- I meant Mahim dargah--

there is a Kabrastan behind the Mahim dargah...I m told...Bhagwanbhai is/was allowed there all the times including the "infamous" Mumbai riots...


As always some of ur pics esp Haji Malang--my first trip 1974- I was just 3 yrs old then...dirt roads then from Kalyan -- are the best...

my Salaam to U

Let me narrate a story to in short...I met Bhagwanbhai in his native Gujarat in 2007...I approach him and he says...congrats...I say for what...he says dont look at Dad...look at me...u r going to hv a son in ur house..."wife was 2 mnths preg in the USA"...nobody knw wife was preg

Then he approached our devout Muslim driver who had been teaching us how going to Dargahs is "shirk" for him thruout our journey from Mumbai to Gujarat..(we were visiting several dargahs in Valsad etc...he would just wait out)....

he approached him and said..."tum raat ki namaz nahi padate ho..woh pada karo...faida hoga...that guy fell out of his chair"...kept asking who is this character...

When we approached Mumbai...we offered him dinner..he said "no..I am going to pray"...

Anyway now Bhagwanbhai it seems is very old..and keeps saying this mite be his last URS celebration...

He was very close to the senior Ketkars and used to sit with them at times in "Bamanwadi" at the foothills of Malanggad in his "hay days"....

We hv a snow storm and a blizzard...here in NJ...sitting tight...trust everything is good with u and family...

God Bless always

yomesh

Yes sure...u can ask Abhijeet...or his elders...remind them about "Vasantbhai" the Hindu Khadim of old times who passed away from cancer. They will visit an "era gone by"--yet still in the "glorious hills" of "Malanggad".

You can also ask "Yunusbhai" seniormost Muzawar at Haji Malang...next time

If u visit Mahim dargah the first steps on the compound leading to the dargah---the phoowallah on the left side...he is the last phoolwallah b4 u entire dargah premises...sometimes an elderly gentleman with tasbih in his hands sits-- mehndi clad beard. U can ask here too...

Have a great weekend...heading out to make snowman with the kids...

Gnite to u in good olBombay...oops sorry Mumbai

yomesh


Hi Firoze:
Hv been thinking and looking for Hussein Tekri and Jawrah( thats the way I used to spell it uptill now on the internet)....but in vain...

Today thinking about the URS at the Haji Abdul Rehman shrine at Malanggad...that led to You....thinking you will put pictures of the URS....

But what I see now is the pictures of Hussein Tekri on your website....Great....Thnk You...so much....

Yomesh and family !


So now that you have read his messages you will now knbow why I walk barefeet up and down the Malangad mountains shoot Haji Malang with another mans eyes..so back home at New Jersey a Malang Baba devotee can recall all those memories.. and I thought this was important to make a private conversation public as I wont be shooting Haji Malang Dargah thanks to Yunus Bhai of Haji Malang Dargah Trust who humiliated me for giving importance to Hijras at Haji Malang more than the Holy Shrine..

I shoot with my camera , my time my vision and not from the offerings of the Haji Malang Dargah Trust..he perhaps forgot..I dont know why he said this simply because I am more friendlier with Kumar and Abhijeet Ketkar than the others..

For me as a Shia Muslim and not a Sufi adherent I could have just shot the hijras moved away , but ,Malang Baba touched me as he touches everyone else.. he touched me as a human being a photographer and as a poet.

Pain Is A Feeling Only Poets Can Feel

170,755 items / 1,331,854 views

as a photographer
it is your precious
moments
memories
i steal
pain is a feeling
only poets can feel
through your pain
holistically
my own pain heal
haji malang baba
a karmic wheel
your today
tomorrow
he seamlessly
reveals
your fate
with a promise
he seals
as you bow down
you kneel
your sorrow
your despair
your yearnings
layer after layer
he peels
guiding
you through
a new path
without ordeals
as your tears
on the soul
of humanity
congeals
be human
is his earnest
appeal

Main Hindu Main Musalman Hoon

170,678 items / 1,331,486 views

main hindu
main musalman hoon
apki nazren jo bhi samjhe
main shia main sunni
main sufi main insan hoon
main mom ka banaya hua
khuda ka farman hoon
unki rehmat karam
ki shan hoon
ghame hussain
khoon ke dariya
main behte hue
pani ki
main pehchan hoon
main aliwala
main hussaini
malang baba
ke darbar main
auron ki tarah
mehman hoon
apne tohmat lagayi
baba ke dar se
mujhe nikala
apke fatwe se main
pareshan hoon
apni tasviron ke
zariye ghar
main hoon
viran hoon

apke pairon se kuchla hua
main bhi apki tarah
rang se dhala nishan hoon
main bhi ek adhura khab hoon
apke tamache ka main jeeta
jagta jawab hoon

Sakib Abhijeet Ketkar and Me

Sakib Abhijeet Ketkar and Me

Kumar Ketkar Hindu Khadim Haji Malang Dargah

Abhijeet Ketkar Me and Kumar Ketkar Haji Malang 2011

Dargah of Mir Sakhi Sultan Shah Baba Haji Malang

170,678 items / 1,331,437 views

This is my third set in my Haji Malang Series at Flickr.com

Before you climb up the Malangad mountains by foot , no car, cycle or motorbike just rough rocky steep steps to reach the Holy Shrine of Haji Malang you pay tribute to Bhaktavar Baba this dargah is known as First Salami..

After you complete your rituals you climb up to reach the Second Salami to another very famous Sufi Saint Mir Sakhi Sultan Shah Baba both the saints were close associates of Haji Malang Baba and have their respective shrines.

Like the Haji Malang Shrine even Sultan Shah Babas shrine has Hindu Khadims Mr Patil and his son my dearest friend Rohan Patil.

Like Kumar Ketkar and Abhijit Ketkar , Rohan is very fond of me and takes care of me overfeeding me with badam pista kaju, every time I come I find more peace here than anywhere else at Haji Malang, I come here do the Sufii Kaif and become the Shia dancing dervesh..I do kaif on Imam Alis Qawwalis go into a spiritual trance and collapse at the end of it.

A lot of people under demonic spell, possession exorcism cases are here for holistic healing.

This is a rocky area and people are clustered all around in the open..

The Hijras are totally in awe of this bawa and the Sandal of Sultan Shah Bawa on 20 th Feb is a grand affair I could not shoot it as I left early the Sandal begins at 11pm.

The hijra sandals for Sultan Shah Baba are lavish , lots of dance and drums..the entire procession is only on the beats of drums no other music instrument no song ..

I shot this Dargah extensively as Rohan has given me a carte banche , no permission required , just shoot Baba he tells me and spread his message of Peace Love and Humanity.

This was my second home , I stayed at the Ketkar lodge but most of the time I sat and shot people around here , or the hijras who stay at lodges close to Sultan Shah Babas dargah.

I shot a lot over 32 GB perhaps.. and this is my first memory card I am uploading at Flickr.com

The Barefeet Blogger of Mumbai at Haji Malang

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