Hazri And Possession At Dargahs And The Other Side of Midnight, a photo by firoze shakir photographerno1 on Flickr.
Photography is a lamp visiting dark areas of the mind..and showing the sharp edges jagged ends of the other side of midnight ..the flesh bound in rusty chains from mythological times ..unable to escape the miseries of mankind..
One aspect of my photographic fascination has been shooting possession and it just came as an after thought I have nothing against those that go for spiritual healing at dargahs but there are instances of these hapless people and their relatives being taken for a ride by hoax fraudulent bawas , shamans and the like.
I have shot the hazri loban time at Hussain Tekri Jaorah which according to me is the last destination of lost souls , they come in hordes and as I was here during Chehlum for a few days I did shoot what I could ,I have seen strange stuff I saw a guy at a Holy Shrine who takes on the characterization of a serpent , he was pretty wild when he saw me clicking pictures and reptilian like charged at me .. he was powerful in his dark senses my camera stopped clicking completely I had it repaired in Mumbai it cost me those days Rs 9000 he had not touched me physically..it had gone dead just like that.
So though admonished for shooting this I have climbed trees to shoot the hazri when the spirits visit the body of a hapless women.
And I shot the dark madness of human survival..I saw various forms of exorcism at Ajmer Sharif , I saw exorcism as undertaken by the rafaees .. and than after I became a Dam Madar Malang I saw the Malangs removing the evil spirits from human bodies at Makanpur Urus of Zinda Madar Shah.
My Peer Syed Masoomi Baba is a spiritual healer famous all over India and does it free , there are many who charge for their services ..I met hijra bawas shamans who heal crazy hijra transgender at Ajmer ..mostly I was not allowed to shoot pictures .
And this year I was at Syed Meera Datar Unjha also considered too be the largest place of distressed souls , the khadims here are the exorcists and the healers ,, thanks to Khadim Samad Sab I shot a few pictures of the healing process.
Than at the Maha Kumbh I met Aghoris and Tantriks and one famous tantrik affiliated to the Khamakhya cult Shree Guru Kapoor Khamkya, I met as though we were pre destined to meet me as a Malang and he as a devout Goddess Khamakya worshiper ..a lot of strange things happened which sadly I cannot express on a social media forum.
He was fascinated by me being a Muslim and documenting the Maha Kumbh so he visited me to meet my Naga Guru Shree Vijay Giri Maharaj at sector 5 ,, there were lot of discussions and I will visit the Yoni Temple at Khamakya one day .. he assured me would see my wish was fulfilled all I had to do was call him and reach there without hassles .
I met many Naga Babas and Shri Chandraswamiji, I was invited by Shree Nityanandji too but somehow I could not reach on time ,,but during the Shahi Snan I was with the procession led by Swami Avdesh Anandji Maha Mandleshwar Juna Akhada , before that with my guru I saw the initiation of Naga Sadhus I had hidden my camera did not shoot pictures and dressed as a Sadhu I shot the moment in my Mind.. I had a fabulous Maha Kumbh met old friends took the dip with the Nagas as my Guru was the Kotwal.
So life's strange journey continues , I was at Dewa Sharif and a Malang Urus at Vijapur Mehsana.
There is a lot of hazri at Sultan Shah Baba Haji Malang too..The most fascinating place .. loban time when the possessed are made to inhale the smoke of the loban and go berserk and than gradually calm down...it is a strange world out there ,, I have shot a lot most of my pictures of hijra possession and hijras bathing at the Sangam I have removed from public view it was destined for my eyes only..
