Chandrakant Bawa of Dharavi

Chandrakant Bawa of Dharavi, a photo by firoze shakir photographerno1 on Flickr.

Chandrakant Bawa is a Hindu Maharashtrian , he is a florist with a tiny stall at Sangam Gully in Dharavi , I met him for the first time , he is touched by the simplicity of the Sufis, and preaches humanity as a message of peace,he is beyond caste or state politics ,he feeds the bawas with the money he earns , he feeds the poor and this is Amchi Mumbai, this is the soul of Maharashtra the land of Hospitality..

He was having his picture taken with me , and it meant a lot to him, he kept pleading with me to give him a copy, and my eyes are moist as I write this..yes I am crying this is what photography is all about..it should touch the core of your existence , it should touch deep down .. this is pure undiluted love..and Chandrakant Bawa thinking I was some very big sage bent down and kissed my hand yes , by that one act I was touched by divinity the god in him touching the man in me..

Yes we are all poets and crying is our birthright the only aspect that proves above all things that we are human.