This was shot many years back during the holy month of Ramadhan and the title says , the Holy Month of Ramadhan Has Arrived
And for the beggars it is the advent of spring soaked in the seasonal spirituality of faith and hope.
It is this month that charity reigns supreme , only this month sadly , the most significant month of introspection piety and all good things on earth.
Beggars look forward to this holy month and the offerings are good , people give , and they give generously.such is the nature of mans spirituality..
Early morning the roza or fast begins and this is known as sairi late in the evening the roza or fast comes to n end known as the iftar..
And it is this iftar time the local mosues the markets bazars see a horde of beggars
waiting for charity , people buy the iftar fruits dates etc , ,,and some handover a bit to them.money or in kind.
The rich take care of the poor the poor take care of the very very poor..
The air during Ramadhan is fragrant laden with overwhelming joy of living and giving.
Forgiving too if I may say so, and Ramadhan in Muslim localities like Bhendi Bazar and the slum pockets in Bandra is a moment delirious in hopeful sanctity..
Earlier I took Marziya my grand daughter to JJ Colony where the iftar items are sold and the pungent aroma of tanduri chicken , made her shoot a few street scenes .
Now it is the turn of my 2 year old gran daughter Nerjis more gifted and more adept with the camera than her sibling..
Nerjis shoots beggars , and she does it fluidly than pinching me to give the beggar some money on her behalf , or she will hint I take her picture with the beggar a lesson in innocence and humility.
And the girl in the picture is showing me the stuff she got to take home all the gift of Ramadhan..
Ramadhan touches everyone Muslims non Muslims and Christians too ..in my area..
We send the home made stuff to our Christian neighbors which they return with a plate of kal kal and guava halwa..
Ramadhan Eid is a topic that needs to be elicited as a separate blog, and I will delve on it later , the chicken dum biryani and sheer korma and Eidi for the kids ..
Of course for the beggars the Muslim beggars there is no such joy, they work overtime after the Ramadhan morning prayers end they congregate in clusters outside the Bandra Station Road where the namaz is held or outside the various Bandra mosques.
And as I am not shooting pictures I am taking you back into my archives , reliving the life of the beggars as the poetry of life on the streets of Bandra.
