I start my new series Moharam Ashura in Lucknow 2015 ,, with this image of Hindu Muslim amity ,, After I cut my head with two daggers and start my walk from Nakhas the starting point of the Ashura juloos in Lucknow close to my in laws Abbas and Wasim Qazilbash s house . ..till Karbala Talkatora a distance of 8 km barfeet and in the hot blazing sun.. all the processionists including women children all are barefeet ,
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There are no vehicles on this road from Nakhas to Talkatora you go walking and can come back walking ,, or take a detour from another road to reach Nakhas by ricksha.
When I have walked quite some distance and reach this iconic Hanuman Temple , the head priest of this temple waits for me , he blesses me and with his hand on his chest pays respect to the Azadars of Imam Hussain.. he gives me water and we hardly have time to talk.. he meets me year after year only during Ashura or Chehlum..and we become one in our Indianness that goes beyond our diverse religiosity ,, caste or creed .
After my kama matam this is the most memorable part of shooting and taking part in Moharam Ashura 2015 in Lucknow .
At Talkatora I shot the burial of the Tazias..and the dirge at the cemetery when they are laid to rest on Ashura day ,,this time I shot a lot of videos ..
This is a story board of my Moharam trip from CST Mumbai till Charbagh , it begins from my in laws house at Nakhas i and includes 9 Moharam Ashura and 11 Moharam and my visit to British Residency ,,a lot of street shots and street videos ..
I returned last night ,, from Lucknow ...this is a long series ,, of my visit to my birthplace Lucknow ,, but I have lived all my life in Mumbai Colaba and than Bandra ,,60 years of Mumbai and honestly there is not much love left for Lucknow ,, this is the hometown of my wife and one of my daughter in laws ..
Lucknow ,, the old part of Lucknow Pata Nala where my forefathers lived my maternal grandfather Daroga Nabban Sab descendant of poet Mir Anis ,,has not changed much.. nothing remains just a few faded dying memories ,, just that my parents were born in Lucknow and I was born in Lucknow too ,,,accidental cosmic fate ,, my parents lie buried in Mumbai soil ,
..umr-e-daraaz maang kar laaye they chaar din
do arzoo mein kaT gaye do intezaar mein
kitnaa hai bad_naseeb "Zafar" dafn key liye
do gaz zamin bhi na mili kuu-e-yaar mein
