Once a year I get to shoot them when I go to Ajmer Sharif for the Urus .After I have settled down at the Feet of Fakhru Miya Hujra No 6 my host connected to the Sufi Chishtiya Order .. taken his blessings I than go to meet Sayed Masoom Ali Baba Aqsan Madari head of the Malang order of Aqsan.. their spiritual seat connected to Hazrat Zinda Shah Madar Makanpur close to Kannauj UP ,.. sadly the Uttar Pradesh government has done nothing for Makanpur one of the major annual pilgrimage of this Holy Saint ,, it is an oasis in a sea of fields . the pilgrims bear the sufferings hardships and come here from all over India ,,
I have been documenting the Dam Madar Malangs since 2005 and got initiated into their Order with my Belgian friend in 2011 by Masoomi Baba himself..and visited Makanpur in 2013 - 896 Urus of Zinda Shah Madar .
I have been documenting the Dam Madar Malangs since 2005 and got initiated into their Order with my Belgian friend in 2011 by Masoomi Baba himself..and visited Makanpur in 2013 - 896 Urus of Zinda Shah Madar .
And I can go on shooting the malangs , its is a heady brew for my soul.. And along with the Malangs I shot the Jalali Rafaees of the Rifai Order too.. I have been documenting the Rifais for over 15 years or more ,,mostly in Mumbai and other Shrines that they visit during the Urus circuit.
Meeting the Malangs at Makanpur is an experience that never ends sadly there are no lodges hotels near the Holy Shrine ,, I was lucky to stay in a room of my Malang brother Liaqat Ali Baba ..thanks to Masoomi Babas main right hand Syed Rafiq Ali Baba ,, he is the only one in touch with me on phone ,,
Masoomi Baba is of frail health and stays at Gwalior ..Panihar ..he hardly travels unless it is a major event like Ajmer Sharif ..or other major Urus .
The pictures of the Malangs at Flickr are housed in two sets ,, ""Dam Madar Malangs'" and ""Sufism Rafaees Malangs Dargahs "".. Sufism that I have documented in India their culture , rituals and lifestyle ,,But the Sufism in India is an extension of Sunni Islam..more as a middle path without spiritual strictures or soul lashing Fatwas that we see merely used as a weapon to bully Muslim women and celebrities for a few seconds of news filling pages of our Press ..
I enjoy shooting the Malangs and lately I began shooting their videos .. they are simple people leading simple lives and most of them live in austerity ,, they do exorcism and dua tawiz.. to help possessed souls ,,
I have somehow not been able to go to Makanpur in recent years where on the Main day of the Urus ,the Malangs release their dread heads about 18 feet long holding the great bunch in their hands they do Kaif.. The Malangs are staunch followers of Imam Ali,...
