Ashura At Amin Imambada Mumbai 2011

Ashura At Amin Imambada Mumbai 2011, a photo by firoze shakir photographerno1 on Flickr.

I have stopped shooting Moharam in Mumbai completely since two years for personal reasons , and the bigots among my community that have no respect for their elders , totally abusive .. defiant and their acts unpardonable .Bullying is in the genes it does no go easy..

And I did not shoot Moharam for them it was for the Non Muslim and my friends abroad who even today leave everything come down from America to shoot pain.

I am not a Shia because I am a photographer , perhaps not a Shia like you , my parents instilled love of all religion all faith and I am the symbol of their upbringing .

So I shoot Moharam in Hyderabad where the Shias have one Maksad Matam Azadari and I go there to document the Deccani ethos of love of Hussain.

Last year I shot Chehlum in Lucknow .

I only shoot Ashura and Chehlum .. I wanted to shoot Moharam in Kashmir I was short of funds and I had no contacts in Kashmir so I shelved the idea last year.

This year friends are coming from States I shall help them document Moharam in Hyderabad ..for Chehlum some other city I have not decided..

My wife gets called to Karbala every year .. and I feel happy for her ,,

My Karbala is my Karam Bhoomi Hindustan.