While everyone among the photographer biradri go to Girgaum Chowpatty on the 7 th Day Immersion , or Visarjan of Lord Ganesha .. I normally made my way to Juhu Beach as it close by and there are no cops hassling you not to go in the waters and most of the beach lifeguards know me also the portrait photographers at the beach.
And for a street photographer Juhu beach is ideal to get close up shots the Visarjan ambiance the artis and even the Hijras from nearby suburbs come here on this very auspicious day for the Hindus.
There is a plethora of passion , emotions and a festivity mood to be shot , and another day I come here is on Gauri Visarjan.. the 5 th day,,and I love shooting her in her finery and Gauri differs in look with every section of Hindu society , the Kolis dress her like a Koli , the South Indians Madrasis dress her in their style and she is very elegant stoic and touches everyone..I gave up booze several years back on a Gauri Visarjan day so this immersion means lot to me , and I shoot Gauri at Lalbagh before she is bought from the shops out there.
I feel the best way of learning photography is to shoot Indian festivals , shoot everything every religion , thereby removing your blinkers and maybe the pictures you shoot of a certain religion might turn out better with your vision .. I always felt this way when shooting the Church or the Hindu feasts including the Maha Kumbh simply because these rituals are a novelty to our psyche and we see and shoot it differently.
