“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.