Monday, July 22, 2013

Earlier I Wore Vibrant Colors Now My Dress Code Is Black

The Cat Feeding Lady of Bandra Bazar Road

She is a Christian lady who for many years has been feeding stray cats all over Bandra , she is a very sincere devout animal lover and feeds stray dogs too,, If only people could assist her , as she buys the fish with her own money,, she feeds them everyday and the cats of Bandra wait for her .. when she comes out on her daily rounds.

Strangely I never asked her name , my pictures are stories of my back yard ,,,people whose selfless zeal to serve is more important than their names .

zindagi ek khwab hai...

Hiten The Motherless Child of Bandra Bazar Road

His mother walked away from his father soon after he was born.. and ever since he has been bought up by relatives ..he has a older sister too , both motherless children.

Mother and Child

Once Upon A Time Bandra Bazar Road


the drug addicts
one night stole
his artificial leg
so with only
one leg for
booze he
would beg
he too
disappeared
giving a sigh
of relief
to those
who bootleg

He was a land market near the bazar , begging to drink, and they say he was once from an affluent family, he was here a few years back, than just disappeared...

Ramzan Is Hope For The Muslim Beggar


Earlier I shot pictures as I saw them, now with Aviary editing tool I am cropping and changing the dimension of my thoughts ,, these are old pictures you are seeing in a new context of hope and harmony ... I have removed unwanted areas ..focusing on my subjects so to speak.. and Ramzan does not change ,, at least not for the Muslim Beggar if it did he would be working at some outlet instead of begging , but than who has time generate work for beggars ,getting jobs for unemployed Muslim youth is a bigger question that seeks answers ,,, and this is same for all beggars and youth in general.

Our Education System Is Based On How Many Rocks You Carry In Your School Bag

The Donation Hunters Ramzan Time


From Uttar Pradesh Bihar
far flung areas they come
some dubious unknown
with no credentials
the poor folks they bum
using loudspeakers
that sound like
the beating of drums
huge receipt books
ramzan is time to
fleece the people
for some ..

These Are The Traffic Signal Kids ..Survivors of a Brave New World

16 Century Portuguese Era Grotto At Bandra Bazar Road


The most famous heritage relic is a plaque excavated from the ground and has been restored in the wall next to the modern crucifix.

Every Wednesday is Novena attended by the East Indians , Mangloreans and Goan inhabitants of this area , their numbers have dwindled as many sold their properties and moved to distant suburbs leaving behind their heritage that is being nurtured for posterity.

The Fruitwala Bhaiya Bandra Bazar Road



He sits next to the 16th century grotto of Jesus Christ and is a common face among the fruit seller bhaiyyas in this area , the most famous one sits ahead he has his own stall and his stuff is more costlier too.

The bhaiyyas of Bandra Bazar and the Maharashtrian vegetable sellers get along very well..and now with Ramzan fruit prices hit the ceiling ,,

The Marathi Manoos Who Takes Care Of Jesus At Bandra Bazar Road

He is a devotee of Godess Jari Mari and sits outside this Grotto on Bandra Bazar Road sells vegetables with his wife , he is a very humble man and says Yesu blesses him ..he cleans this Christian place of worship... and is a hardcore Hindu adherent ..

The Bhajiwali Bai Of Bandra Bazar Road


She is one of the very old faces at the Bandra Bazar Market , sitting comfortably selling raw peanuts avlas and local vegetables , she has seen and touched both my grand daughters , and they always salute her when they pass her way ..she has mood swings and can be rude and cranky , if business is bad that is, they dont have stalls like the cobblers in Maharashtra , and these are the real Maharashtrians so to speak.. she has been selling vegetables on this road and close to her sits her daughter and her grand kids all part of her heritage , with no change in their lives ...

Most of the present day Bandra politicians used to run around in shorts in front of her , see has seen them become big saabs ,, but have they seen her .. thats not part of this blog.

Will her life change ,, 2014 elections is round the corner only Time will tell..

The Potter Lady Of St Peter Road Bandra


I have been shooting people in and around Bandra , specially Bandra Bazar road a quaint old fishing village an arterial road that connects to all major roads of Bandra .. this is also known as the Bandra Backlanes , and though actually St Peter Road is a lane that connects to Bandra cross road is not part of Bandra Bazar Road.

This Gujrati lady sat outside Baba Nagar selling matkas clay pots vases , but I have not seen her for several years now and there are many people I shot documented who just disappeared from the periphery of my camera vision.. and sometimes I say must ask the few vendors there about her but forget it completely,

Baba Nagar is a old shopping housing complex I have some nostalgic memories here , and whatever I am today Baba Nagar did contribute to my growth .. so most of these people like the coconut seller , the pani puriwala the fruit seller were known to me ,,,

I shot people as I am a people photographer ,and I shot a lot of Bandra Bazar Road , of the early 90s ..there are interesting faces personalities at Bandra Bazar road , humble people all cogs in a giant wheel.

Bandra Bazar Road is a set at Flickr ,.. the fragrance of feasts , the elections hustle bustle that I shot , and honed my inbuilt capacity as a photographer .. energizing my poetry of life .. and those people that touched me through my camera ..

And via Aviary editing tool at Flickr , working on my old pictures I get a new copy , a new story a new added dimension to old thought.

And I am liking New Flickr I have no complains ,,, I am also enjoying new friends on Flickr and though I am out of Facebook since last Jan I dont miss it much.. and I tweet from Flickr ,, 96000 tweets till date ..

Hey Politicians Of Maharashtra She Deserves A Better Future Than This


give her
her moment
of bliss
education
most of all
not just
selling vegetables
like her mother
her grand mother
that is ..her smile
her fate needs
your support
to go ahead
become a
doctor
a scientist
i am sure
you get the
gist dreams
of a grandpa
with 3 grandkids
these children
of the sons of
the soil pucca
maharashtrians
a rising graph
on the grid

When Bad Times Came



all the silver
on my hand
antique pendants
chunky chains
i sold my wife's
jewelry mortgaged
all her gold
thanks to my
deleted doomed
cosmic fate
out in the cold
a celluloid
slapstick
fell flat
on the
threshold
a dead
film producer
death knell
of my household
a job later
back on tracks
a monstrous
megalomaniac
who would
shout rant
scold
totally
uncontrolled
i left his
kingdom
to be free
uncaring
for his
doled
generosity
a ransom
threefold
its better
to be a beggar
poet than a
fucked rich man
old .. a poet
on hold
fuck all
the money
fuck all
the billfolds

Lete Hi Nam Khwajah Ka Tufan Hat Gaya ..Kashti Main Ake Jaise Samandar Simat Gaya

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