Bombay Durgabari Samiti Durga Puja -If Only Durga Put A Bit of Humanity In The People Who Serve Her, a photo by firoze shakir photographerno1 on Flickr.
I have lived in Colaba as a kid studied at Private European School near Usha Sadan, and finished my schooling from Holy Name High School.. All my life I have had great respect for the Bengalis and their culture my favorite novel was Gora by Tagore.
I began shooting Durga Puja 8 years back as a photo blogger and it began with Abhijeet Bhattacharyas Durga Visarjan at Juhu Beach .. and the Goddess grew on me I shot pictures and the love of the Bengalis for Durga .. and I had great Bengali friends Subir Mukerjee Ronit Roy and stalwarts of Filmalaya studios including late Shomo and Joy Mukerjee .
But the closest was late Mrs Rupa Gupta daughter of actor Mr Asit Sen..
I shot Durga her ethos and my two year old grand daughter Marziya Shakir .. shot Goddess Durga on the Nikon D 80 .. standing on a chair she shot Notanpalli Durga Puja Bandra , I caried her to Ram Krishna Mission she stood on a chair shot the Durga here , and totally tired I bought her to Santa Cruz she shot The North Bombay Durga Of The Mukerjee family .. but she loved shooting Subirda because her gave her chocolates .
This year she has a problem in the hand so I am shooting the three pujas on her behalf.
I shot Notanpalli and the guys all were asking for her and when Sagar Bekal my Facebook Friend who has not shot Durga Puja in his life he is a passionate photographer I bought him to Bengal Club and I have a hairline fracture on my left leg, he asked me if there was any traditional puja and I told him about Durgabari Samiti , but I did not want to go there because of my leg but there was a great urge as they were paying tribute to 100 years of cinema and being part of Bollywood I decided to take Sagar with me by train to Grant Road and by ca too Gowalia Tank Tejpal Hall .
Because I wear a turban sartorially look like Alibaba without 40 thieves I presented my Press Card my vsitng card at the Information Desk gave them my background took permission and began shooting this simple but homily Goddess Durga among her loved ones .
I was luck to meet Pradir Chaterjee a volunteer I gave him my car and we were made to feel t home I wanted to go home it was getting late but Sagar wanted to shoot the Sandhi Puja and Pradir gave us permission for the same , my leg was hurting me , at about 12.10 am, a volunteer asked us to leave and not shoot the puja I said fine while leaving on the doors of the Hall I was accosted by two senior officials of the Durgrabari samiit questioned like a common thief what I was planning to do with the pictures I shot I tried to explain to them , but both were arrogant rude to the core and despite giving my visiting card again I was made to look foolish.. now I also told them I was a Muslim promoting Hindu Muslim amity through my blogs but they kept on arguing with me luckily it was 12.17 time for Sandhi Puja they let me go..
I decided never in my life to eve step at this pandal again.
I had Pradir Chaterjees number on reaching home I sent him a message to the treatment meted to me by the heads of their Samiti was it my dress or my Muslim name I dont know but I am a Durga Bhakt .
And so these are pictures I shot , the heads of Durgabari Samiti wanted me to give a copyright courtesy of Durgabari Samiti on my pictures shot here so I dont use them for commercial gain..
And I almost choked on my blog 44000 Hindu blogs shot by me a Shia Muslim from Bandra because in India you are hardly considered an Indian even if you are an Untouchable ..
I did not want to mention this but I am doing it so in future they dont bully innocent bloggers like me who promote Humanity Though the Goodness of Goddess Durga.
Bombay Durgabari Samiti Puja is the oldest in Mumbai 83 years old..
