My Kama Matam- Chehlum in Mumbai 2012

My Kama Matam- Chehlum in Mumbai 2012, a photo by firoze shakir photographerno1 on Flickr.

Every year I cut my head during Ashura my pictures shot by Kim and Viola and Chehlum shot by my son..Ashura I did not get to cut my head with Habib Nassers Anjuman so I did not get a good dagger but Chehlum which was today I had a good dagger and leaping in the air I did my kama matam ritual Tandav on the Soul of Shimr .. that I call metaphorically Dance of Death.. of a Hindu Shia ..

My Chehlum is a very long set of the juloos or procession and later the events at Rehmatabad Shia cemetery..hardcore sword matam kama matam and zanjir mtam.

On the streets this evening were two guys from Kolkatta who cut them selves with a barbers Vastra ..and within seconds were bleeding like a leaking tap..later two guys joined in from Bihjar they slashed their chests horizontally from one end to the other end opening up the skin quite deep.. I have never seen this unique matam in my life.

My wound was deep and is still bleeding as I write this , Marziya Shakir my 4 year old grand daughter would have shot me at home when I returned but she was fast asleep and Nerjis Asif Shakir my 5 month old grand daughter watched me in awe.

This ritual is the heritage of our pain that we call Ghame Hussain , a personal expression of our angst and and our ancestry..I dont glorify nor proselytize or evangelize my faith..as a blogger I document it as a form of Shia way of life affecting adults kids equally with the same divine passion and poetry of pain.