Bidding Farewell To Lord Ganesha At Juhu Beach

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.

Nerjis Asif Shakir And Lucky The Labrador

Nerjis is scared of goats , and wary of dogs , though when she was very young Lucky was her best friend as she grew older , she became more ambivalent to his existence .. she watches him from far and will call him out but thats it.

But Lucky has bee part of their growth..both Marziya and Nerjis.

And I still think animals need love and telepathically select and seek out friends mostly children..

Marziya Shakir And Lucky The Labrador

Lucky and Marziya have literally grown up together , he was a pup belonging to Omkar Shelar son of Advocate Ashish Shelar.

Marziya bossed over him from a very early age , and amazingly Lucky was so well behaved that he never jumped or barked , when Marziya came back from holidays he would eagerly wait for her and Marziya gave him her share of biscuits .

As Marziya grew he watched her from far , and these are photos I documented of their friendship..and Lucky is still around . six years from the first time I shot him with Marziya .

So animals have a very special bonding with kids ,,and in another part of a world away thousands of miles away from Marziya and Lucky in Ann Arbor was Jeff Lamb eminent photographer and his dog Sonny ,, who would favorite Marziyas and Luckys pictures ,and this was another form of Love , a mystical love today Jeff is no more alive but his love for my grand daughter has given a tremendous ethereal strength I have tears in my eyes as I wrrite these words and really this post is dedicated to Jeff andLeyla Lau-Lamb.

They say Faith moves Mountains I think only Love can move Faith from one continent to another ,, Miss You Mate ,, Take Care

The Pain Pathos Of The Marathi Manoos

the situation
confusingly
jowl by cheek
havoc wreak
electoral prospects
seem very bleak
this time he wont
give the other swollen
cheek..
farmer suicides
constant infighting
chaotic coalition
the marathi manoos
to whom does he speak
failing law and order
rampant crimes
what does he seek
the guilty rule the
roost bad times
for the meek
as prices peak
the builder politician
nexus harvest reaps
maharashtra has lost
its soul mumbai has
lost its charm mystique
which wave this time
on a losing streak
ab ki bar kis ki sarkar
dreams choked on a
river creek..ask the
skeptic he says
live be merry
mumbai nagri main
sab kuch theek
the only city of india
that gives respect
to muslim hindu
christian dalit sikh
jain parsi buddhist
mutual coexistence
 harmonious unique ..

After Adding Me On Facebook ,, There Are Those Bigots Who Love To Kick My Ass

This is an old post written in 2012 , and I keep deactivating my Facebook account from time to time to get a free lease on life ,,but I miss some very good friends so I return like a rolling stone .

The only words that have changed in my blog below , i have locked up my hijra documentary from the voyeuristic nature of man..I shoot less pictures  I tweak my old pictures via Aviary ,, but my poets angst is as restless as it wa when life began.. I blog to kill pain ..I dont shoot Moharam in Mumbai I stay away from all Shia congregations I shoot Moharam in cities where love of Imam Hussain is greater than  love for bigotry , I shoot a lot of Hindu rituals but even this I have cut down , I shot the Maha Kumbh 2013 .

My Old Blog


Of late I have been deleting all requests from my community , simply because we may belong to the same community , but I have not come to Facebook to make this as my religious platform, I do post my faith but I dont forcefully push it up peoples throat..I may not be as religious as you are perhaps that is your view you only know a part of me through my pictures .. you want to see Shia pictures Shia blogs Shia ethos please join a Shia platform.

I am on Facebook as an extension of my love for photography and above all sharing my world my surroundings my culture that includes my ancestry as a Muslim and as a Indian above all as Humanity .

Why I shoot what I shoot is none of your business keep you religious edicts your narrowness of thought within your friends your home your elders .. I am not going to be ridiculed insulted humiliated because I shoot what I shoot with my camera .. please read my profile both at Facebook and at Flickr that  will save me from ungraciously blocking and deleting your request .. without a message from you I shall not add you at all.. Period .

Earlier I added people who added me I have stopped , I shoot hijras as a social awareness documentary but it is not part of my sexuality so I dont add anyone who adds me because they are cross dressers or aspiring hijras I am not interested .. you want to change your sex go ahead dont fuck my brains I am not a counselor .

If you post ugly comments on  the people rituals I have shot you are blocked reported deleted .

You want to change me first change yourself I am happy with what my parents taught me I had a very different upbringing than those that add me from the neighboring countries or hick towns even those living in cities with pea sized brains ..

I shoot the seasons of religiosity that affect my city during Ramzan Eid I shoot food lanes the Eid Namaz of the Sunni Mosque at Bandra Staion to show  the universality of Namaz on the streets.. during Bakra Eid I shoot the slaughter of goats sacrifice and also Bakra Eid brings me closer to Moharam another important sacrifice . I shoot Ashura  Chehlum Athvi and 21 Ramzan

I shoot  Good Friday I shoot 14 Stations of the Cross I walk barefeet with the Christians ..I owe this to them because my education is their gift ..I shoot Churches Temples Dargahs.

I shoot the Mahim Urus Makhdhoom Shah Baba and Fakhruddin Shah Baba .. only two Urus in Mumbai I shoot this as a photographer enchanted by Sufi Rafaee Mysticism.

I shoot Haji Malang because I shoot  document this place of pilgrimage a destination point for Hindus Muslims and I shoot the transgender here and their documentary, but my documentary is no more for the PUBLIC.. only people I know who are my friends on Flickr.. you just dont become my friend by adding me kicking my butt calling the shots find another compliant Bakra .

I shoot Moharam strictly for the non Muslims my foreigner friends I shoot it so they are aware of our faith and our rituals I am not a Mullah my pictures are words of pain called Ghame Hussain.

I shoot Ajmer Sharif every year as Garib Nawaz is one of the greatest testimony as a lover of Imam Hussain Shah Ast Hussain.

But now Ajmer has another holistic meaning for me as a man of peace I became a Dam Madar Malang ..my teacher is Peer Syed Saab Masoomi ...I document their lives and their love for Imam Ali ..

I shoot most of the major Hindu  feasts festivals in Mumbai .. and when the Kumbh begins I shall join the Naga Sadhus I have a Naga Sadhu teacher Guru from Junagad Akhada Shi Vijay Giri Maharaj.. I havent seen him for many years ..

I used to shoot Mount Mary now my 4 year old grand daughter Marziya shoots it.

I shot the Visarjan of GSB Ganesha hopefully I shall walk barefeet from Lalbagh to Kumbharwada and shoot the Visarjan of Lalbagh Cha Raja fo my Hindu friends ..

And I dont use photography for commercial purpose I dont sell pictures or text .

So I am confused you add me than use me as a punching bag please go punch you parents that were short in teaching you respect for elders etiquette .. and manners .

You have a issue with me or question send me Flickr or Facebook mail I will respond .. if it is necessary otherwise see my pictures move on .. dont add me to your groups and fuck for Heaven sake dont Tag Me at all.. send the post link in a mailbox I will read it..

Lastly I dont drink I dont smoke I dont fornicate but I blog .. I pimp my blogs on the Internet ,, I also pay from my pocket the Internet time I use ..

And once I have completed my debts my responsibilities I wish to renounce this brain dead World of Hate Racism and Bigotry ..

Take Care ...

Beggar Poet

My inner angst against bullies on social networking sites ,, what do they really get ,, they have nothing to offer but hate and adverse comments

Can You Imagine A World Without Photographers

grotesque
scary awkward
a picture was
born much
before the
birth of the
word ,,
a picture
gave way
to feelings
hope much
before the
word was
heard .
creating joy
bliss harmony
dead emotions
it bought to
life a new path
to your restless
angst a new
spirit it stirred

Lord Ganesha Holding Fort On The Sands Of Time

sculpted by magical
hands , he sits on
his royal throne on
timeless sand
people drop a coin
for the nameless
sculptor art begs
too from culture
an irony you must
sensitively soothingly
understand man lives
by the sweat of his
brow wants needs
demands .within
the grain of a sand
lies the mystique of
our beloved motherland
politically ravaged
torn asunder by those
corrupt ruling hands


dedicated to sarah.
a beggar poet's last stand

Mother Why Did You Not Kill Me When I Was Born..

you could have throttled my neck
thrown me in the garbage dump
stealthily silently I would have gone
you had the right to kill me your first born
I would have gone back to the maker
tell him his creation is world full of scorn
no I would rather be unborn. and I have
sworn never to come back  again
darkness at dawn..oh mother for
your martyred misplaced motherhood
i mourn..how i hate to see you begging
on and on..your face i know tears
glistening as a coin hits your humility
your womanhood your fate tattered torn
why did you not leave me at the gates
of the church believer of the book
according to the Gospel of St John

My Changed Attitude Towards Shooting Pictures

Earlier I was trigger happy shot the same thing , the same person and the same events uploaded on Flickr and totally forgot about them I shot shit , my pictures made no sense , and street pictures that I shot did not beg to be noticed as aesthetics or good composition I dont follow rules I shoot into light ,,and I have never been awed by light , I used my camera flash to bring a dead picture alive unashamedly ,,

Now looking at this beggar walking near my house I now know that he is going towards the Bazar mosque to beg, beggars seek God outside the Mosque always .. the believer searches for him within four walls.

That's the irony of being a Muslim beggar ..and I know him , nowadays he wears a raincoat given to him by some generous Miya soul.. he knows Nerjis , Nerjis has shot him too..

There are weird beggars too one of them hooked on to brown sugar wears a skull cap and silently begs at JJ Colony .. there was another one also a junkie who begged at the Bazar and sometimes at the main SV road Bandra Reclamation junction near the Fire Station.
I have not seen him since a long time now.

Have You Ever Talked To A Muslim Beggar

I have started talking to them recently , asking them about their health , welfare ..and the two senior Muslim Beggars Khwajah Bhai and Ali Asghar feel happy ,I ask about their daughters , who take care of them when they disappear from Mumbai going back to their hometown,

Rehabilitating beggars is not part of Muslim society , just give them a few coins take their blessings , and than there are those goys who vehemently hate beggars , humans , they go to  Bandra Talao buy grain for the pigeon, leaves for the goats , flour for the ants bread loaves for the fish ..there are some who buy fancy biscuits for stray dogs at Carter Road feed crows , thee are ladies that love feeding cats ..I have nothing against them but ask them to feed a human child you will get a rebuke ..this world we live in is very biased strange and anti human..it all comes from within the ancestry of our hate ..

I am not a writer or a journo , my sense of grammar syntax unbecoming I became a photo blogger , I need a photo to blog ..my poems are visually impaired , so I added text to round them off,,

I knew a beggar child and her grandmother who lived at Lal Mitti , the child bathed her grand ma , took care of her , and the grand ma begged at JJ Colony and both lived under a truck parked at Bandra Reclamation , now that a huge condominium is coming up they are not to be seen , must have been driven off by the bouncers of the builders , and builders need local hoodlums to keep their turf intact.

And these are images I shot in Ramzan 2011 has anything changed , nothing changes , governments change , but the poor and the beggar are there on the roads ., potholed roads that dont change , attitude does not change but shooting beggars I changed I changed the expansive godly vision of my grandchildren too.. and all my blogs I have typed with that one finger which is death to hide ..the humility of my finger contains the exuberance of my street side beggar driven poetic thoughts ..

Arabs Are The Most Divided People Among Muslims

One Arab state hates the other
Arab state always a state of war,
bullet ridden bombed out scars
no unity no love for the neighbor
by far, if one state is under siege
no help no support like eunuchs
watch the mayhem from far
its the history of a race never
faithful no brotherhood on par
Muslims love killing Muslims
for that ultimate 72 vestal virgins
in paradise a just reward ..
killing Christians Jews all minorities
a new  caliphate built on the blood
of innocent babies ..worse
than  Davids bleeding  star ,,,bodies
brutalized  murdered burnt charred

Bandra Is A Safe Haven For Muslim Beggars

And you dont need to be a Muslim wear a skull cap a chequered scarf or a hijab or a head scarf and you share in the bounty of  Ramzan , and I hate to say this we have been brainwashed by society our parents to some extent , Muslims normally give generously to Muslim beggars , and this bias is inbuilt..

I once saw a huge group of Muslim beggars outside the Wodehouse Church and here the Christian gives in the name of Jesus without breaching caste color or creed .

On the day of Eid at Bandra station an entire group of tribal beggars I know very well cover themselves in hijab and share in the spirit of Ramzan Mubarak.

And perhaps if I was more educated I could have done a thesis on beggars but beggars are human they have needs wants and aspiration .. you wont be surprised if you see the yuppy beggar kids wit mobile phone hitting away on Whats Up.. Unbelievable .!

Beggars to have come a long way , I was once introduced to a very rich builder from a distant suburb, highly generous , wife  decked in glimmering gold.. and my host told me that once upon a time he begged at Mahim dargah, he became a police informer and life took a complete turn..

He is a staunch believer of the Mahim Saint Makhdhoom Shah Baba and believes the Saint made him a rich man overnight , he feeds beggars too..

So there are lots of beggar tales , how many film producers must have become beggars in the olden days lost everything ,deserted by friends family even wife left them to marry the financier I am told .


And people look down us for shooting beggars , and there are those mother fuckers among the Miyas who will taunt you for shooting beggars and not paying them I have heard much vile stuff but it did not stop me from shooting beggars and narrating the plethora of their painful existence be it through pictures.