After I had shot him several years back at Mount Marys back steps I never saw him again .
And these are nameless beggars I shot impulsively , I shot them because their lives will never change , they will be begging from one day to the next ,, will there be a ministry of beggars homeless destitute ,, Never .
Beggars are part of our piety , we need beggars to blackmail God who created them , we give alms and hope to get an account of every coin we give ,,this is how I see it ,
I know of people rich who gave away everything and became beggars themselves .. living among beggars and watching the vagaries of the rich man from the poor mans end.
The largest number of beggars I saw at Ajmer Urus seeking alms in the name of the Sufi Saint Khwaja Garib Nawab , his very name suggest the The Holy Saint Of The Poor.
I have begged at the Kumbh with my Naga Sadhu Guru and it is a unique feeling devoid of that egoistic Self ,, eating leftovers as he took me from door to door to beg ,,that was my lessons in humility .
Than begging with the Sufi mendicants body piercing order of Rifais ..I had to become a part of the people I shot , and the money I got I gave to the Murshad ..
And I still have a beggar bowl given to me by a Sufi old monk , he gave it to me and said this bowl will be part of your spiritual destiny .. collect tears in it , as they fall from a Mothers eyes , the Mother of Hussain and the start of Moharam from today ,, brings tears to my eyes too..
And these are old archive images I am bringing out from a treasure chest of memories ..giving them a new lease as BW ..adding my restless angst.. I dont need a camera to shoot images I create imagery with a click of my mouse ,,and one working finger of a damaged hand.
I will be shooting Moharam in Hyderabad the city of love hope and Humility , the Hindus Of Hyderabad their love for Hussain , pulls me towards this city of Pearls ..I have never seen such austerity impassioned love for tears for Hussain.
And this time accompanying me are two world famous photojournalists who want to shoot the Shia ethos of Hussain .I dont know them , we met on Flickr and photographers are a Brotherhood beyond color caste or creed ..we create flowers of Peace from a digital seed ..
And on Day of Ashura
I shall Bleed .. cursing
with my Blood on the
Accursed Soul of Yazid
