My childhood has been spent at Wodehouse Road Colaba , and it was once when I was very young my Dad bought me here to the Shoe House at Hanging Gardens .That was it.
I discovered Banganga as a photographer late in my 40s and the most memorable outing at Banganga was with late Prof BW Jatkar. and I fell in love with this beautiful Tank.
I came to know about Pitru Paksha through the pictures of a friend Ranjit Shashank my PSI Club senior member and mentor I decided I would shoot it too.. and thus began my tryst with Banganga and Pitru Paksha.
And it became a ritual to shoot the Banganga Pitru Paksha every year , barefeet and from there come to Napean Sea Road Maheshwari House take the blessings of my Guru Mr KG Maheshwari House. And these subsequent Pitru Paksha I have not met my Guru for many years now .that is the only sadness while coming to Teen Batti as this area is called .
And strange it may sound after shooting the barbers , the beggars , my first shot before entering the Tank is of this Pandit Maharaj.
He is a very nice kindly soul , but till date I never asked him his name nor does he know that I am a Muslim.. he treats me as a Hindu and I accept his feelings with humility and due respect... and than I move towards the Tank , all the ladies men who sell the Puja articles know me , greet me ..this time all of them wanted to know why I did not come on 23 Sept the main day of Pitru Paksha ..I told them I did not know about it ,, but I made it today that is 24 Sept ,, The rituals were ending at at about 9 Am,
I was lucky to shoot them and share them with all of you.
