I fear God and next to God I mostly fear them that fear him not. Saadi Shirazi

The great religions are the ships, Poets the life boats. Every sane person I know has jumped overboard. Hafiz

This place where you are right now, God circled on a map for you. Hafiz

Ek Shahensha Ne Banake Yeh Acche Dinon Ka Mahal Ham Garibon Ki Muflisi Ka Udaya Hai Mazak

Whats The Use Of Being A Hindu Or A Muslim.. If You Cant Think Like An Indian

You Talked So Much About Amir Khan Tolerance Intolerance ,,, The Poor Man Of India Has Nothing To Talk About

on the streets dreaming of good days 
that is what politics is all about masterful 
oratory as he gestures shouts on twitter 
facebook a few words from an actor a
hateful spiteful wrestling bout ,,the bhakts
impassioned ready to kill throw him out
tell me is this is what India is all about ,,
instead of peace hope harmony it is hate
that sprouts ,,god save us from foul mouthed
evil spewing BJP motormouths ,,,this is
surely not what BJP is all about ,,,today
you are in because of a modi wave tomorrow
you may be out ,,hindustan is not just hindutva
within or without ,,,it is devo atithi bhava ,'humanity
humility hospitality ,,,living in mutual coexistence
without fear without threats without any doubt

Shias and Sunnis live peacefully in India, so why don't the Arab countries learn from it?

In a country like India where the majority is Hindu
the Muslims be it Sunnis or Shias live peacefully .
one sect another sect does not bash or bully ,,
the spirit of India is what makes Islam in India .
propound itself beautifully ,,barring a few stray
incidents in a few cities Muslims live happily ,,
Muslims dont kill Muslims in India ,,is a thought
that other Muslim countries must understand see
We In India Muslims practice our Faith freely..
The most tolerant country is India ..to be born in
India  is Gods Gift to man Bohras Agha Khanis Sufis
Sunnis Shias different branches but one family tree

Masoom Ali Baba Qalandari Silsila Panipat

Qalandar (Persian origin, also written as Qalander) is a title given to sufi holy men especially in South Asia. Some famous Sufis with the title Qalandar include Hazrat Lal Shahbaz Qalander and Bu Ali Shah Qalandar. The Qalandariyah also refer to the name of a sect of roaming Sufi dervishes.

The Qalandariyah, Qalandaris or "kalandars" are wandering solitary Sufi dervishes. The term covers a variety of sects, not centrally organized. One was founded by Qalandar Yusuf al-Andalusi of Andalusia, Spain. Some kalandars practiced asceticism and often used hashish, alcohol, and other intoxicants.

Starting in the early 12th century, the movement gained popularity in Greater Khorasan and neighbouring regions. The first references are found in 11th century prose text Qalandarname (The Tale of the Kalandar) attributed to Ansarī Harawī. The term Qalandariyyat (the Qalandar condition) appears to be first applied by Sanai Ghaznavi (d 1131) in seminal poetic works where diverse practices are described. Particular to the qalandar genre of poetry are terms that refer to gambling, games, intoxicants and Nazar ila'l-murd - themes commonly referred to as kufriyyat or kharabat.

The writings of qalandars were not a mere celebration of libertinism, but antinomial practices of affirmation from negative action. The order was often viewed suspiciously by authorities. The Kalendar of the Arabian Nights is properly a holy muslim ascetic who abandons the world and wanders about with shaven head and beard.

In some culture Qalandar's are controversial and viewed as heretic. In other places they are exalted and considered elect holy men. In Persian sufi poetry written in eleventh through fifteenth century there is praise for Qalandars. Rumi for instance wrote:

Bazm-e sharab o lal o kharabat o kaferi
molk e qalandarast o qalandar az u bari
guyi qalandaram man o in del pazir nist
zira keh afarideh nabashad qalandari.

Carousing and ruby - wine and ruins and disbelief,
These are the kingdom of the qalandar, but he is detached from it.
You say "I am qalandar!" But that is not agreeable,
since qalandarom is uncreated.

What is a Qalandar? A Qalandar is called a free spirit who has no wordly shackles and they are different from all ordinary human nature. In popular folk beliefs its considered that one Qalandar possess the power of hundred Walis (saints). Qalandars have discarded the lower human nature and flown to their lord. Qalandars can seem to be strange or act or dress strange. Their personality is different and sometimes bizare, but in reality a Qalandar is in Jazb, a secret reality intoxicated in the love of God and Divine Figures, messengers and saints. They closely resembles to wandering zen buddhist monks in their outward modes and sometime in their fierce madness due to intoxication into 'other reality'. Often time they are given special vision and hidden mysteries of reality are made known to them.

Some define Qalandars as an itinerant sufi, a wandering dervish, who learns and teaches during his travels and wandering.

Qalandar's are sometime considered hidden saints, embodiment of the perfect man (insan-i kamal) who hide themselves in the robe of beggar and wanderer. Although there has been distinction made between those who took the dress of qalandar as a fancy and those whose spiritual concerns are genuine.

The Qalandars deconstructs selfhood. He obliterates identity. He seeks to become "not Me" to himself.

The 13th century sufi Najm al-Din Daya Razi wrote about the figurative significance of the qalandar as: "The student of the path or Morid, must have the attribute of one who courts reproach and the character of a qalandar, but not in the sense of contravening the sacred law and imagining this to be the desired state. "

source
http://www.techofheart.co/…/08/qalandar-wandering-sufis.html

" rel="nofollow">www.techofheart.co/2008/08/qalandar-wandering-sufis.html

Masoom Ali Baba - Qalandari Silsila Panipat

The Qalandariyyah (Arabic: قلندرية, Hindi: क़लन्दरिय्या, Bengali: ক়লন্দরিয়্য়া), Qalandaris or Kalandars are wandering Sufi dervishes. The term covers a variety of sects, not centrally organized. One was founded by Qalandar Yusuf al-Andalusi of Andalusia, Spain.

Starting in the early 12th century, the movement gained popularity in Greater Khorasan and neighbouring regions, including the South Asia.[1] The first references are found in the 11th-century prose text Qalandarname (The Tale of the Kalandar) attributed to Ansarī Harawī. The term Qalandariyyat (the Qalandar condition) appears to be first applied by Sanai Ghaznavi (died 1131) in seminal poetic works where diverse practices are described. Particular to the qalandar genre of poetry are terms that refer to gambling, games, intoxicants and Nazar ila'l-murd - themes commonly referred to as kufriyyat or kharabat. The genre was further developed by poets such as Fakhr al-din Iraqi and Farid al-din Attar.

The Qalandariya may have arisen from the earlier Malamatiyya and exhibited some Buddhist and Hindu influences in South Asia.[2] They condemned the use of drugs and dressed only in blankets or in hip-length hairshirts.[3]

The writings of qalandars were not a mere celebration of libertinism, but antinomial practices of affirmation from negative action. The order was often viewed suspiciously by authorities.

The term remains in popular culture. Sufi qawwali singers the Sabri brothers and international Qawwali star Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan favoured the chant dam a dam masta qalandar (with every breath ecstatic Qalandar!), and a similar refrain appeared in a hit song from Runa Laila from movie Ek Se Badhkar Ek that became a dancefloor crossover hit in the 1970s.

In Pakistan and North India, descendents of Qalandariyah faqirs now form a distinct community, known as the Qalandar biradari

Yes India Is Tolerant ..

yes if we dont like what an
actor says we kill his inner
spirit with malicious poisonous
words on Facebook Twitter we
dont need guns ..paid media
instigates distorts destroys ..
safe from its corner enjoys
the fun..if amir kan had not
said what he said or if another
actor had said it after his ass
they would not run.. so india
is tolerant we give respect to
the needy the disabled crippled
beggars hijras others our country
a generous host a cauldron...
there is a lot that needs to be done
instead of battering a mans freedom
of speech..lets learn to be human

Teaching A Malang Photography On Canon 60 D

Amin Malang belongs to the Sufi order of  Madarriya , he is one of the most daring malangs..he defended the Shrine of Sultan Shah Baba that he takes care of at Vijapur Takia Mehsana district...and he did not allow the tomb to be desecrated , and narrated the memories of the Gujrat riots 2002 ,,

And we met at Makanpur 2013 Urus of Zinda Shah Madar , he is building a huge mosque at Vijapur Takia and in this town the Hindus and the Muslims live like brothers and all participate in the urus of the towns Holy Saint ,,he invited me to Vijapur for the Urus  saying that all the malangs would be coming from all over India including Syed Masoomi baba , and Syed Rafiq baba but none turned up so I left Vijapur disappointed as I am documenting the Dam Madar Malangs , however I took a bus and traveled to Unjha and shot the Holy Shrine of Mira Datar..the largest Sufi mental hospital for holistically curing insane made people , possessed people ,

Teaching Amin Baba photography was childs play.. he said he learnt it watching me avidly shooting pictures ,,

“Raise your words, not voice. It is rain that grows flowers, not thunder.” ― Rumi

Syed Masoomi Baba Aqsan is head of the Dam Madar Malangs a senior monk highly respected revered for his humility ,he is also a holistic healer and an exorcist,..

I have know Syed Masoomi Baba and Syed Rafiq Baba his  main Murid right hand since 2005 ,, I documented their Madarriya order along with the Rifai Silsila ,,

But call it divine interpretation I became a Malang too in 2011 along with a Belgian friend ,, and the Malangs come in great numbers to the Urus of Khwajah Garib Nawaz,, The Greatest Sufi Saint of the Chishtiya Order in India ,,though the Malangs dont miss the Urus of their own patron saint Zinda Shah Madar at Makanpur UP.

Sadly this Holy Shrine close to Kannauj the constituency of Mrs Dimple Akhilesh Yadav .. has no infrastructure , no hotels no toliets , no ladies toilets , gents ladies children defecate in the fields ,,and Zinda Shah Madar is a great Sufi Malang pilgrim center , but it saddened me , bad roads , bad transport and the sufferings of the North Indian pilgrims ,,,Hindus Muslims all come to this Holy Shrine , women are not allowed in the Dargah concourse and watch from far. the Holy Shrine is shaped like the Kaba , and nobody can enter the entrance is a small trapdoor ,,,

If any place fascinated me after Ajmer Sharif it is Makanpur , and I went there in 2013 ,, never been able to go back.. but next year I will be going with my French photographer friend ,,

A Seven Year Old Marziya Shakir Shoots The Magic Of India At Mahim

“You wander from room to room
Hunting for the diamond necklace
That is already around your neck!”
― Rumi


A Sufi Malang grandfather ,and a Naga Sadhu from Haji Malang.. perhaps this was the fist time in her life she was a bit scared shooting the Naga Sadhu ,but I told her it was ok, he was my very good friend , I met him smoking the chillum on the foothills of the Malangad mountains when I visited the Haji Malang Shrine during the Urus ,, and than recently we meet at Trimbakeshwar Nasik Kumbh . they are all devotees chelas of a Naga Sadhu who stands on one leg raising his arm..

But I could not spend time with him I was busy getting clearance for the Shahi Snan from the cops for my Naga Gurus cavalcade the following day ...with one of his disciples a local from Trimbakeshwar ..actually a farmer who does odd jobs for my Guru..

Marziya will remember this encounter later in life .. the magic of the humility of India ,,a tolerant Sadhu samaj a tolerant Sufi mindset beyond sectarian politics ,, All the Nagas who know me are aware I am a Shia Muslim living among the Malangs and have no issue ,,we get along fabulously ,, they smoke hash I dont ,, but I love shooting their pictures and they love being shot by me ,,

The guy behind the two of us is a Sufi Bawa  from Mahim a friend of this Naga Sadhu,.. they  were smoking the chillum when I caught up with them.. and I had bought Marziya to Cafe Irani Chai my friend Dr Mansoor Showghis iconic watering hole for Irani tea and bun maska.

itnaa hai bad_naseeb "Zafar" dafn key liye do gaz zamin bhi na mili kuu-e-yaar mein

Lagtaa nahin hai dil meraa ujday dayaar mein
kis ki bani hai aalam-e-naa_paayedaar mein

kah do in hasraton se kahin aur jaa basein
itani jagah kahaan hai dil-e-daagdaar mein

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

My Thoughts Posted At Facebook

I am a 63 year old man past my prime ,, if I get a friend request from GSB community I add them without seeing their profile ,,if I get a friend request otherwise I see if we have common friends I add them.. If the person is not known to me I send him her a message that I dont know them mostly when they have no profile picture or bio details ,, I would lik people to add me for my photography not for my religion or because I shoot their religion.. I have no time to chat with people ,,unless it is an urgent matter of life and death..
I answer messages I delete block people if they ridicule what I shoot ,, I dont post stupid links , I have my own stuff ,, of my backyard .. be it beggars or garbage or the religious season event in Mumbai.. also dont judge me by what I shoot .,. dont tag me in your fucked political party pictures I am not a Congi or a Bhakt .. nor do I belong to any Muslim party or RSS ,,
I am not a fan of any actor I dont watch TV ..I stopped watching films almost 17 years now but I am connected to Bollywood ,,I read Hindustan Times only.. I never liked Times Of India.. sometimes I read DNA or Midday.
I use Canon 60 D ,,Canon 7D ,both the cameras were a gift by my ex bosss one for me one for Marziya ,, so I will have to wait for a long time for an upgrade ,, I dont own a car or a two wheeler ,,
I am writing all this as someone wanted to chat with me on FB,. and I was in mo mood and on his pushing me to talk I deleted him..
I have no time for irrelevant chat ,, I have nothing to talk about ,, read my pictures ..all my posts are marked for friends ,, the same stuff I post publicly at my other social platforms.
My tweets are not endorsements at all .. I like Twitter I am there since 2008 thanks to Biz Stone the co founder of Twitter who inspired me to blog since 2005 ,
I prefer posting links via Twitter and my archive of 360000 images private public is at Flickr ,
This is for those who added me recently ,,

Guru Nanak Gurupurab Afzalgunj Hyderabad

Nanak Nich kahe vichaar,
Waria na jaava ek waar,
Jo tud bhave sai bhali kaar,
Tu sada salamat nirankaar


Kissi Ne Pucha Tera Gharbaar Kitna Hai
Kissi Ne Pucha Tera Karobaar Kitna Hai
Kssi Ne Pucha Tera Parivaar Kitna Hai
Koi Virla Hi Puch Da Hai,
Tera Guru Naal Pyaar Kitna Hai…


Guru Nanak Gurpurab also known as Guru Nanak's Prakash Utsav and Guru Nanak Jayanti, celebrates the birth of the first Sikh Guru, Guru Nanak.[2] This is one of the most sacred festivals in Sikhism.[3] Apart from Sikhs, Hindus and other followers of Guru Nanak's philosophy also celebrate this festival.
The festivities in the Sikh religion revolve around the anniversaries of the 10 Sikh Gurus. These Gurus were responsible for shaping the beliefs of the Sikhs. Their birthdays, known as Gurpurab (or Gurpurb), are occasions for celebration and prayer among the Sikhs.
Guru Nanak, the founder of Sikhism, was born on April 15, 1469[2] in Rai-Bhoi-di Talwandi in the present Shekhupura District of Pakistan, now Nankana Sahib.[4] His birth is celebrated on Kartik Poornima, the full moon day in the month of Kartik. In the Gregorian Calendar, the celebration usually falls in the month of November, but its date varies from year to year, based on the traditional dates of the Indian calendar.[5] It is a Gazetted holiday in India.
The celebration is generally similar for all Gurpurabs; only the hymns are different. The celebrations usually commence with Prabhat Pheris. Prabhat Pheris are early morning processions that begin at the Gurudwaras and proceed around the localities singing hymns. Generally two days before the birthday, Akhand Path (a forty-eight-hour non-stop reading of the Guru Granth Sahib, the holy book of the Sikhs) is held in the Gurdwaras.
The day prior to the birthday, a procession, referred to as Nagarkirtan,[6] is organised. This procession is led by the Panj Pyaras (Five Beloved Ones).[5][7] They head the procession carrying the Sikh flag, known as the Nishan Sahib and the Palki (Palanquin) of Guru Granth Sahib. They are followed by teams of singers singing hymns[7] and devotees sing the chorus. There are brass bands playing different tunes and 'Gatka' teams display their swordsmanship through various martial arts and as mock battles using traditional weapons.[5][6] The procession pours into the streets of the town. The passage is covered with banners and gates decorated flags and flowers, for this special occasion.[5][6] The leaders spreading the message of Guru Nanak.[5]
Guru Nanak Jayanti 2010 at Pune, Maharashtra, India
On the day of the Gurpurab, the celebrations commence early in the morning at about 4 to 5 am.[5][6] This time of the day is referred to as Amrit Vela. The day begins with the singing of Asa-di-Var (morning hymns).[5][6] This is followed by any combination of Katha[6] (exposition of the scripture) and Kirtan (hymns from the Sikh scriptures), in the praise of the Guru.[5] Following that is the Langar, a special community lunch, which is arranged at the Gurudwaras by volunteers. The idea behind the free communal lunch is that everyone, irrespective of caste, class or creed,[8] should be offered food in the spirit of seva (service) and bhakti (devotion).
Night Prayer sessions are also held in some Gurudwaras, which begin around sunset when Rehras(evening prayer) is recited, followed by Kirtan till late at night.[5] The congregation starts singing Gurbani at about 1:20 am at night, which is the actual time of birth of Guru Nanak. The celebrations culminate at around 2 am.[5]
Guru Nanak Gurpurab is celebrated by the Sikh community all over the world and is one of the most important festivals in the Sikh calendar. The celebrations are especially colourful in Punjab, Haryana, and Chandigarh. Even some Sindhis celebrate this festival.

A Grandfather Speaks Out

When I married on 26 November 77 I did not change much I drank I went on destroying myself when I became a father in 1979 nothing changed much two more kids and my life was as meaningless self destructive as ever but the birth of my first granddaughter 24 Nov changed me I gave up booze completely never touched a drop stopped smoking and my life centered around Marziya she was my penance I took care of her and tried to wash my sins of neglecting all my three kids when they needed me more I could not get out of the bottle .Nerjis came soon after and she brightened my life as a Malang than Zinnia my son Saifs daughter the prettiest doll in our house .So grandfather was a gift of a kind understanding forgiving God and now I know I can die peacefully .
Had my grandmother Nazmi Begum widow of Daroga Nabban Sab descendant of Mir Anis decided to leave India with her step sons and family to take the train to Pakistan we would have died a Million deaths just by the thought of it .
She stayed back at Thwai Tola Pata Nala through the many Sunni Shia riots and was sane enough to give my mother's hand to my dad who worked in Mumbai since 1937 ..my dad was 15 they say when he left Lucknow my mother was 15 when she married my dad and came to live with him in the slums of Kurla Bakhar .I was born in Lucknow at my grandmother's house .
I don't like Lucknow it did not get into my bloodstream I am a pucca Mumbaikar.And now a Bandraite.

The Ex Drug Addict ,,My Tryst With Drugs ,,

I only know one thing I gave up drugs a few months after my marriage in 1977 but sadly could not give up booze it took me many years ,,and I have been both out of booze and drugs since many years now.

I started smoking reefers and chillum with  Keith Kanga Atomic Forest .. when I stayed with Keith before my SSC exams ,, and it became strong once I entered college ,we mostly smoked in the corridors of the archives at Elphinstone College ,, we were born dreamers , our adda for getting hash was behind Rhythm House , close to my friends South Indian restaurant ,..and it was at this time I met some more hardcore friends and the smoking became heavy buying stuff from behind Taj ..sometimes the garden near Liberty cinema ,,, and my friends brother in law was a Kashmiri don at Shuklaji street , he had a rummy club .. they smoked chandul I smoked the chillum , 14 balls with my other friends ,, there were times after a smoke we added sugar to country liquor and jumped into the sea at Gateway crazy days ,, crazy times all came to an end ,, soon enough after I was doped to my gills in my commerce exam finals ,, boozing  would not stop because of these friends where I worked at the Taj.

Now looking back.. I wonder , I saw Porus my best friend chase beers with brown sugar at Wales Bar , he told me to try it out for kicks but I preferred hash..

Porus became a vagrant begging on the streets he lived at Cuffe Parade , a lot of friends became hardcore alcoholics I attended a few funerals ,, my turn had not come yet ,,

Once I gave up hash and began documenting the Rafaees , they smoked a lot , and had one grouse I did not share the chillum.. Hassan Ganda bought the best Afeem from the jungles but it was not for me  I did not partake in his poison.. I simply shot them and photography was what helped me get of booze , it became  a more intoxicating drug.. than what I drank... we came from Colaba to drink at the Pali Auntys joints near Union Park.. jeera and water pickle .. or Danda for fresh country jambool.. and actors came to drink in the house of the Kolis that were booze joints too.

And now after so many years ,there is no urge no yearning for the forbidden stuff that saved me from the gutter and early death and it was my wife who bought me out of this Unknown Zone .. without her I think I would have not made it this far ,,

And married now since 1977 ,, these are stray thought a day before my wedding anniversary.. tomorrow .

ps I went to Muscat in 1980 to get away from booze found there was more drugs and booze in Muscat Muttrah where I stayed ,,so came back defeated back to more heavy drinking and chaos.

Only from the heart can you touch the sky. ~Rumi

Do not grieve. Anything you lose comes round in another form. ~Rumi

The wound is the place where the Light enters you. ~Rumi

There is a fountain inside you. Don’t walk around with an empty bucket. ~Rumi

The breeze at dawn has secrets to tell you. Don’t go back to sleep. ~Rumi

The Ear Cleaners Of Bandra Talao ,

In The Beginning Was The Camera

In 2010 I gave my granddaughter Marziya Shakir a platform on Flickr , including her sister Nerjis though it was impossible to handle 3 accounts .. I gave them both Twitter handles Facebook accounts both deactivated , and their blog platforms on Blogspot .
I documented the life story of all my granddaughters birth and shot their nuances their growth..more of Marziya and Nerjis as I had groomed them both as young street photographers .
Nerjis enjoys chatting with beggars , she advises them to wear clean clothes and they love her chatter and she is 4 she will tell her mom or my wife to give them money ,, she loves the Muslim beggar ladies kids and this time told her mom to give away all her old clothes old toys to them.. so teaching these two kids photography has been a positive change to their lives .. I showed them the Bandra slums ,, took them to tution classes in the slums ,,so they could see life.
Photography did not give me a commercial foothold I never had a desire nor inclination but it served as the best teacher for my grandkids ,, none of her school friends or teachers know about Marziyas prowess with the camera ,, above all the camera changed me too through my grandkids ,,Many a freind warned me no to expose my grandkids to street photography at this young age ,,but I did the lepers , the deformed the cripple the hijras I made them shoot all these people above all I made them aware of other religions , Hindu temples , Churches ,,they have the greatest love for Fr Jaun St Peter Church.. and Easter they would ask me to take them to the Church,.
I dont know much about their future but through the third eye of Shiva I opened their cosmic minds too ,, I was lucky I had 3 great teachers and others like most of you ,, my grandkids had me ,, they trusted me ,, and I tried not to fail them ...when a child sees the world through the viewfinder the entire vision of the world changes ,, the camera has been a catharsis in our house ..
And every photographer that came to my house they would watch him or her and learn their style , and they were inspired by a lot of them.. Marc de Clercq , Glenn , Manuela Kim Violla so many ,,,
And I am indebted to all of them...everyone of them..and to all of you who read my posts ,,see my pictures..
I am missing the birthday girl but than sometimes absence does make the heart grow fonder ..Marziya Nerjis are at their maternal grandparents house for Chehlum.

It Is Beggars And More Beggars That We Prolifically Make In India

Wherever you go in Mumbai.. you cant escape them.. and they come in hordes to beg to re start a new life away from their farmlands their shanties , and Mumbai is a poor dreamers Paradise ,,

And I shoot beggars ,, but I must reiterate though I shoot beggars I document Muslim beggars more poetically being a Muslim myself ,, calling myself Muslim is not an easy one being a Shia Muslim.. a part of the radicalized Muslim world calls us Rafidis Heretics ,, so be it .. I got Hussain and Humanity asymmetrically through my so called heresy.

This beggar father and child doped with a cough mixture I shot at Lalbagh during the Hindu feast of Ganesh Chaturthi at Lalbagh Chya Raja the great icon of secular Mumbai..

And like him on this road leading to Parel Station were mothers with their kids all doped crying out for money help..

During the Urus of Makhdhoom Shah Baba Mahim in the dargah lane you will find a lot of beggars , beggars from Kashmir too, women with hardy husbands and chubby cute kids asking alms ,, the deformed crippled blind lame all come to beg in this famous Mahim Dargah lane ,

Than there is Haji Ai Dargah and its countless beggars in all shapes sizes ,,, adding to their business of begging are the Bawas Malangs and the Sawalis ,, The Sawalis demand money to go back to say Ajmer , so they shout out to the Holy Saint and when the crowd gives them the return fare they leave the place very happy and satisfied.


There are Maharashtrian families that beg near station they have no money to go home and request you to buy them meals and tickets to go home ..and you will Muslim families begging at Ajmer or other out station dargahs in the same manner .. ticket to go home .. even after they get the money they change the venue and beg at another location for the fare.

I paradoxically cant escape beggars , I meet them at ever step of my life ,,there are an integral part of my beggar poets life .

I shoot them from buses taxis ,, I shoot them in trains ,, and I dont know if anyone buys beggar pictures nobody all these years on the net has ever approached me for beggar pictures though people would willingly buy my naked Naga Sadhu pictures or my prolific Hijra pictures ,, but I dont deal in pictures ,,neither buy nor sell.. I shoot original content ,,

Most of the beggars know me bless me and thank me .. some think I am a beggar too and though with a camera in my hand ladies have given me money and asked me to pray for them..

If I was a bit more educated I could have done a thesis on Beggars ..more as a storyboard with minimum words and some poetry.

And shooting pictures to titillate is not my cup of tea I am a photo blogger ,, we are story tellers , we dont use frames on our street side pictures no fucked water marks ,, and you can recognize our pictures much before you see them.. on Facebook Flickr or Twitter .

Beggars is my lifeline to God .. beggars are his constantly lost tribe ,, and we make beggars to appease the professional demands of our religion and misplaced charity ,..

Religion in India is one of the richest business after politics and acting on screen and hey yes beggars are great actors too.. they could set the stage on fire with their dialogues ,,

Happy Toilet Day In India is a Million Light Years Away

A toilet in the slums is totally in the dumps no water to Absolve the guilt of the Indian bum .To shit or not to shit totally stumped.Politically Socially he gets humped a huge chunk of remorse a lump shitting on the tracks as the train comes he jumps.Fuck Donald Trump.

If The Mumbai Police Saw The World Through The Camera They Would See What I See

In Mumbai it is selective policing ,, if the erstwhile Bandra cops came on a photo walk with me they will see the various joints of the proliferating drugaddicts of Bandra ,,on the Bandra skywalk, beneath the skywalk near the Sunni  Station Road Mosque at the exit point near Slaughter House Compound and the main Bandra Juma Masjis near the dismantled escalator ,, did you know that the stupid creators of this public wasted taxpayers money built a escalator that was taken away piece to pierce by the drugaddicts and other scrap scavengers ,,

Why should the Bandra cops see all this they are busy catching innocent kids and beating them up,, but the real dreaded drugaddicts move about freely.

The main adda is behind the garbage bins of the entrance of the dirtiest filthiest ugly slums Shastri Nagar of Bandra ,, you can see them hidden from the public shooting drugs ,, but do the residents locals care ,, they are busy trying to run their homes with rising dal prices ,, standing for hours in a kerosene line ,, life is really really bad for the poor in the slums .

Cops are happy giving protection to those who were elected to protect us from criminals and insensitive bullying cops ,, and perhaps this segment of cops might be a minority but it is bad outsourcing .. measuring their chests height but not their inborn bias , negativity even their hate for Muslims and few other communities ..one CP goes another comes  like a musical chair .. but the attitude of humanity kindness hardly exists in police stations ,, you need a video to go viral to know what the public suffer at cop stations .

And I am not an activist , I have no issue with cops save what I see on the streets of Bandra,,and I dont morph or photo shop my images they are straight from the underbelly of street life that I shoot as a documentarist .. not for money or commercial gain.

I think if cops took up photography I am certain much will change provided they shoot what I shoot and not selfies with film stars and celebrity politicians ,

And finally so many years so many governments and no police reforms , same dingy police quarters ,,same apathy neglect .. I think our representatives should add the police to the Acche Din dreams and Sab Ka Sath Sab Ka Vikas .

Shooting Chehlum In Lucknow ,,2014

This was shot in Lucknow last year in color obviously , blood stands out as protest in color defying both space and time ,, though I have shot Moharam in Lucknow in BW too on Ilford Delta 100 ASA ,, It was my personal favorite but I dont shoot film anymore I prefer shooting color and than tweaking a few pictures BW ,, as my enduring efforts at fine art so to speak.

I dont wont ever use Photo Shop.

And Moharam in BW might look like a man inked for the wrong reasons .. in Mumbai inking is another political pastime ,, but shooting a mans bleeding in BW is inking his resolve his anger his pain that has lived since 1400 years .. along with the throaty chant of Ya Hussain.. it never ends it will never end ,,

Moharam Chehlum is the 40 day of the Martyrdom of Imam Hussain grandson of the Holy Prophet , and in memory of the Battle of Karbala with the Caliph of the Umayad Dynasty accursed Yazid,,

After Chehlum gets over the Shias celebrate Athvi when Moharam officially comes to an end ,,, the next day . or dawn the Shias celebrate the victory of Good over Evil burn effigies of the Killers of Imam Hussain .. and appesae the Mother of Imam Hussain Princess Zehra daughter of the Holy Prophet of Islam.

Th most prolific Athvi celebrations in mourning take place in Lucknow with the Chup Tazia and the burial of the same and a lot bloodletting at Kazmain..

The Anjumans from allover Lucknow come to the Roza of Imam Hussain at Kazmain... people come here do matam and cry, huge tears that I tried to shoot also in BW ,,,

But this year I might not be able to go to Lucknow for Chehlum and hope to be there for Athvi.. cutting my head with Baney Bhais anjuman on the streets ,,,

In each moment the fire rages, it will burn away a hundred veils. And carry you a thousand steps toward your goal. ~Rumi

In All Humility I Am A Street Photographer ,,

what i see
i shoot
i poeticize
what my
cosmic eye
saw you have
no right to
criticize
i did not
borrow
your camera
your vision
your blinkers
nor your myopic
eyes ,,i am
merely a poet
a street photographer
in disguise ,,i try to
capture fleeting moments
in flight ,,i shoot color
i transform it as BW
my world in spectral light

The Sufi Cult of Sada Suhagin Mousa Suhagin..

The Sufi Cult of Sada Suhagin Mousa Suhagin..
Men who dress as women married to their Holy Saint ,,