Sakibs Sandal Mahim 2009

Sakibs Sandal Mahim 2009, a photo by firoze shakir photographerno1 on Flickr.

Sakib is a very dear friend, he has a number of florists shops in Mumbai and at Haji Malang.I began shooting the sandals , dargahs rafaees through Sakib and Firoze Rafaee , but it was Fahad Khalil Pathan the son of the late Peshimam of the Makhdoom Shah Baba mosque who introduced me to them.

Incidentally I met Fahad Khalil Pathan during my weekly trips to Chor Bazar and the Kamatipura flea market.We both wear Kerba or amber, and Fahad has a very old and impressive necklace, so we became friends .

Fahad was the person who took me behind the Makhdoom Shah Baba dargah and introduced me to the Chancawalli Rafaees ..and thus began my tryst with the fakirs mendicants body piercers.

I thought this introduction was necessary especially for my friends at Facebook where I post most of my stuff too, I have posted 5001 links at Facebook..and samplers of my Flickr sets..

It was at Sakibs sandal I met Nazim Bhai brother of Peersaab Fakhru Miya Hujra no6..and thus began my Ajmer connection and trips.
Ajmer threw me into the laps of Nizamuddin Dargah.. that I shot during Chehlum in Delhi a long time back.

Haji Malang I try not to miss..there are a lot od Dargahs I have not seen , Meena Datar Unjha, Kariar Sharif, and Tajuddin Baba in Nagpur I would like to visit if I get an opportunity and divine encouragement.

Shooting the Urus circuit is a rare specialty ,its not mere photography but requires the mijaaz, you need to shoot this as a deewana or there is no meaning to the images you capture, I firmly believe I shoot emotions sparkling with life and spirituality..it has taken me a lot of time , a lot of struggle shooting the bawas I became a bawa myself..

And all this I owe to Sakib, and his best friend Abhijeet the Hindu Khadim of Haji Malang.I can live with my hijra friends but Abhijit gives me lodging boarding free..takes care of my comforts.. and climbing the Malangad mountains barefeet is a tough trek mind you, I am a diabetic.

Sakib is a rafaee a fact very few people know.

These pictures of his Urus shot in bad light are a must see, he removed his shirt lay down on a bed of nails, with a nail neck strap on his neck, and a huge boulder was placed on his chest..Sakib is amazing at overcoming pain.

All this was shot on 5 December the Siddi performers were here , and the most unique is the making of the sandal paste..that Sakibs brother and Nazim Bhai jointly prepared , all this was placed in a Palki..


The procession took of from Sakibs brothers house and I shot this till the Food lane , but the most unusual was a boy bleeding has he began cutting his tongue with a sword.

I know if Dr Glenn Losack MD was to see all this he would go berserk...and to shoot Hassan Ganda lifting a 50 kg boulder with his penis well Glenn would even sell his soul to the devil...

Hassan Ganda could make a lot of money but he has renounced to world..women would give him anything to have his progeny but this crazy proud bawa highly opinionated is not interested.

The thing that he has envied and wanted me to present to him is a rare stick curved like a snake with a silver birds head that I have ..but I never could think of giving it to him.. somethings cannot be bought or sold.