Thursday, July 3, 2014

Barbers Heal Their Souls By Cutting You Hair

street side barbers
at the market square
with his head bowed
like taking holy
communion the
man having his
haircut on a squeaky
chair unusual pair
while his hair is
being cut he reads
his fortune from
the fallen hair
like tea leaves
gasping for air
what will tomorrow
bring not another
nightmare holistic
healing power
of the barber
who cuts your
hair ..broken
wings of hope
with his healing
touch on your
scalp he repairs
warmth kindness
love and care

dedicated to a rebel benn bell
my thoughts i bare he might
just remember me when he
has time to spare ,,,

The Muslim Street Barber ..Of Bandra Bazar Road



There are few quintessential barbers at Bandra Bazar , they have a fixed client base , among the shopkeepers and local residents , they have been cutting hair since a very long time , most of them dont go to salons but patronize these barbers .
Despite they being Muslims , they serve all communities and this particular barber offers his experienced service at Pitru Paksha too . They are cheap, honest and humble.

Than there is another set of barbers who sit at Lal Mitti Bandra Reclamation , they offer their services to rickshah drivers and locals from the nearby slums.


My fascination for shooting street barbers is deep, I have shot these professionals in Indian villages cities and towns .

I have shot them near Dargahs, and temples too,

The Mumndan ceremony of the childs first hair cut is very important in some communities , specially Hindus , almost like a birthday party new clothes are made , puja and elaborate offerings of the hair of the child to the deity they worship,

The street barbers are called Hajams , in small villages they are called Naie .. once this profession was treated among the lowest of the low like cobblers , etc.

This information is for my foreign friends who are as facinated wth the strokes of the barber as I am , barbers are creative artists , holistic healers and barbers also perform
Khatna .. circumcision to the new born child among Muslims.

Holding the childs pecker in their hands they divert his attention by making him look upwards than with a deft cut they say ..Lo Chidiya Ud Gayi.. this is an important barber service.

The village barber clips nails , shave armpit hair too.


Shaving The Mystical Indian Armpit




all the perfumes of Arabia will not
match the fragrance of the indian
armpit ,if you travel in the local
bandra to virar train a stink bomb
it hits ..those that stand or those
that sit ,,,you cannot escape the
attacking power it emits nauseating
tinctured kerosene smell mixed
with flit ..some faint hearted new
train travelers prone to vomit
some carry Epsom salt ,,as
fringe benefit the foul smell
they outwit ,,it gets perniciously
unfit ,,if the person is wearing
100 % polyester outfit
dark patches dripping drops
moving in all directions bit by
bit..some say it is eating fish
some say eating meat
causes this bad odour
a thought befits
even eggs the main
culprit ,,.kicking up
a gaseous storm
in the pit ..

all in all the indian armpit
eulogized in sanskrit
passionately poetic
to give it credit .
barring the views
of the non committal
skeptic..insidious
hypocrite

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