Friday, June 1, 2012
Dam Madar Malang Baba Wahid Masoomi
Highly eloquent speaks fluent English has written several books on Fakirs and the Dam Madar Order .. he walks from Kolkatta to Ajmer.
But most of the Malangs walk from Delhi via Jaipur to Ajmer for the inauguration of the 800 Urus of Holy Saint Khwajah Garib Nawaz Moinuddin Chishty Al Sabri one of the greatest Saints who has followers from diverse faith caste creed.
The Malangs the Rafaees of every sub order owe allegiance to Khwajah Garib Nawaz.
These Malangs stay in the mountains and among them are foreign photographers that walked with them from Delhi to Ajmer.
Baba Wahid is a very good friend and treats me very well, this was the first time I climbed the mountains barefeet to meet him , well hidden away from the spiritual chaos and fair down below.
Dorothea my German friend has done a lot for the Dam Madar Malangs giving them medicines getting them checked up for Tuberculosis as most of the Bawas smoke and their health is in bad shape.
Ghoongat Ki Ad Main Dil Dhadka
from wikipedia
Ghoonghat or Ghunghat is a Hindi word which describes a veil or headscarf worn by Indian women to cover their head, and often their face. Generally a pallu (the loose end of a sari) is pulled over the head to act as a ghunghat. A dupatta (long scarf) is sometimes used as a ghungat.
The ghunghat varies in styles due to personal choice and tradition. Most wearers cover only the forehead, ears, and eyes; this allows them to see through the garment whilst being veiled. A popular style is to pull the fabric from the side of the face and hold it there whilst talking to males; this forms a quick barrier between the speakers and is the most convenient form of the ghunghat.
In very traditional and rural areas, women use their sari to completely cover the face and neck, concealing their identity to males. There is a small minority of women that use the fabric to cover their whole face, bosom, arms, and stomach. This type of veiling is still popular with Hindu brides and is observed on the wedding day. Many women will use the ghungat as a new bride, until their father-in-law advises to unveil. This is to keep the modesty of the bride.
If the fabric is thick, women cannot see through the material. This poses a health and safety issue, and they usually have to be guided by younger females or peers when out in public.
Traditionally, in some parts of India, women are supposed to wear a ghunghat in front of family elders and men, except husbands and close family members. The ghunghat is used to show respect to elder males of the extended family. In desert areas of Indian and Pakistan, the ghungat is used to keep sand from blowing onto the face.
The ghungat was a popular tradition in the 1950s and has since steadily declined. There has been a resurge of wearing of the ghungat due to popular Indian soap operas that depict this style. The ghunghat is still used in rural parts of northern India, especially in Gujarat, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, and Bihar.
Muslim Beggars of India.
he is a famous
an iconic celebrity
on ajmer streets
his popularity you
simply cant beat
he has no heart
no feelings
no feet
just a mechanism
put in by god
ticking heartbeat
he runs the race
of life his fucked
fate he could not cheat
he is victorious
in his parents defeat
they have become
richer now because
of him they have
something more to eat
fuck everything
fuck the heat
a single life
incomplete
muslim beggars of india
god forgot ..a minority
among his large fleet
god told me make a portfolio of beggars so they get good jobs in the next world
god told me make a portfolio of beggars so they get good jobs in the next world, a photo by firoze shakir photographerno1 on Flickr.
for my services he said he would pay me in the next world too..
Muslim Beggars God Forgot
People hate me for two reasons first it is shooting beggars sioling the soul of humanity.. than the second one is my body bleeding Shia pictures.
But they forget it is my eye my camera my pain my world my ethos my backyard I shoot ..
It is another thing they drool over my hijra pictures this time too bad they cant see it I locked them away from lechers and Flickr thieves ..
And both Flickr old and new Uploaders are a pain in my uncompromising ass
The Story of a Muslim Beggar Has a Beginning But No End
The Story of a Muslim Beggar Has a Beginning But No End, a photo by firoze shakir photographerno1 on Flickr.
Muslims would find it impossible to do charity without beggars ..Hindus too ..so the beggar population is always on the rise.. it is easy money but you have to work long hours without rest.. some of the beggars are genuine but mostly it is organized mafia backed professional set up..
Agents hire deformed kids women toddlers and it is a flourishing racket with everyone involved ..there is abuse which goes without saying, young girls helpless women at the mercy of relatives who force them to beg..I am not an expert but I shoot beggars to expose this criminal attitude and apathy.
The local government does nothing be it Ajmer or any other religious town or city big bucks involved... so you know why they hate photographers who shoot and expose this racket.
Fuck who really shoots beggars , maybe a few foreigners but so called maverick Indian fine art photographer would not shoot beggars and I dont blame them..
I am a beggar I shoot beggars .. I live with beggars I eat with beggars.
I have my deformities too all within my scarred soul.
The Muslim Beggar At Ajmer
At Ajmer there are a lot of beggars mostly Muslims but with a sprinkling of Hindu ladies too..
And I shot a lot of beggars , all sizes shapes and deformities , I am close to a beggar at Dhai Djinn Ka Jhopda I meet him every year he shares his meals made by his wife with me.He is a a professional beggar with badly deformed legs he has a mobile phone ..he lives in Ajmer but is originally from Kolkatta.
I could have shot a lot of beggars but I am barefeet and the burning ground makes it very difficult to wander around.
Dam Madar Malangs of Ajmer
This is the Char Yar Cemetery and graveyard the resting place of the Dam Madar Malangs of Ajmer dread heads with long flowing hair , lost moments fleeting time ensnared ..the dead wake watched and stared pages once they too had read and shared ..
Crumbling walls of time magically repaired fighting evil demonic despair ..black garbs they wear Peersaab Ali Masoomi and Syed Rafiq a very unique pair..dam madar beda par the Malangs of Ajmer
Dam Madar Malangs of Ajmer
Most of the time I would come early in the mornings and sit with..Peer Sayed Masoom Ali Shah Baba Malang Madari Asqanhe never preached or lectured , he talked common sense and ordinary moments in the life of man.
As we talked his Murids or devotees came touched his feet kissed his hand and I shot a few of them..
Somof his devotees would kiss my hand too out of respect and I felt a bit embarrassed I am a one year old Malang Murid of Peersaab.
I have a good equation with the Rafaees I met Hassan Ganda Rafaee half his robust size , with his kids I gave them money.
I met the hijra bawas but no Sada Suhagins , men who dress as women married to a higher divinity and these are married men who just wear women clothes as part of their holistic spirituality.
I was in Ajmer for a few days and I shot the surroundings ,,,
And I made the most of my time in Ajmer .. I shot a lady with two faces and this was the most disturbing pictures I took rapidly from far..
I had an urge to go back and shoot her again but I did not have the moral strength..
And this is a storyboard , a sequence of my thoughts intermixed with the people I shot..
This should be one of my longest series shot on a single camera Canon EOS 60D.
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Shah-e-Mardan Sher-e-Yazdan Quwat-e-Parwardigar Lafata Ila Ali La Saif Ila Zulfiqar , originally uploaded by firoze shakir photographerno1 ....
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Dargah of Hazrat Syed Ali Mira Datar Unava Gujrat , a photo by firoze shakir photographerno1 on Flickr. HAZRAT SYED ALI MIRA DATAR'S G...
