Vasai Fort Vasai Gaon 2015,,,

Ambubachi Mela Khamkhya 2016 ... Set At Flickr

Flickr Khamakhya

The Sufi Path of Peace and Humanity

I joined the Dam Madar Malang in 2011 ..and it was more as a photographer to be able to document their Order life style from within I was happy with my Faith and whatever I was bequeathed by my mother's Shia womb.

And yet as subjects of my photography the Malang both Masoom Baba and Rafiq baba knew me since 2005 and had my Belgian friend not shown a desire to becoming a Malang I would have carried on as usual .

So my first pilgrimage was to Makhanpur in 2013 at the Urus of Zinda Shah Madar I shot extensively .

And the Malang respected me most of all Rafiq baba who never called me by my name but as Maulaiee ...he knew I cut my head during Moharam Ashura and Chehlum.

I always wore black clothes ..it was my personal dress code I wore saffron when I came to the Kumbh or like the recent Ambubachi Mela .

My second Malang pilgrimage was when a Malang called me from Delhi and said Masoom Baba had invited me to the 40 day memorial service of his nephew and his spiritual heir at Panihar Gwalior .

And in Panihar it was the Hindus felicitating the Malangs and their Murids coming from all over India .

It was the Hindu ladies their menfolk helping in preparing dishes for breakfast lunch and dinner ...and the Hindus call the dread head Malang chief Masoom Baba the Altar of Lord Shiva .

This touched me immensely and when I went to document the patron Devi of the village her temple on a Mound ..the head priest had tears in his eyes he touched my feet and he said Sir you made us happy ..and I could not control my tears and than I told them they should not thank me but a young boy Shahnavaz from Masoomi Babas's family who bought me here .

This is the India I shoot away from Dadri Muzzafarnagar places that have been divisively destroyed and politically two brothers of one family divided for ever as Hindus and Muslim's .

I became a Malang to savor love and most of the Sufi streams are extensions of Sunnism ..never bothered me I believe in live and let live .

The Malang a few of them did not take it easily to my Shia background but than they finally decided I was more photographer than Malang or Sunni or Shia .

And I too kept my judgement .

Recently I was taken for a very big ride by a Murid of a Malang brother he made two wedding suits and after delivering it to him in Ajmer I came to his village to see that he tries out in my presence ..and he did not pay me but said that he would put the money in my account ..these were highly ornamented suits and embroidered embellished as per their instructions ..I was given 5 grand as advance on delivery of both the suits ..

I reached Mumbai and the person called me he had problems would pay me next month I agreed ...when next month came no sign of my money and he is a very rich guy he said he needed more time ...than I called my Malang friend who had introduced me to this con man ..
The Malang is a toughie from Chomu village and I got some part of my money he deducted Rs 5000 from my bill for gifts he had given me at Ajitgadh 2 safas and a cotton dhoti..

Can you imagine ...I had given him some very expensive quartz necklace as gifts too that he returned to my Malang friend . I told my Malang to keep it for himself .

And one has to be wary to the kind of friends we make ...I learnt a lesson ..

So this is life on a slow track...

In bed recuperating ...

Not a very happy morning for the Shakir in Bandra .

This morning in Lucknow just across from her house at Nakhas my mother in law got knocked out by an auto rickshaw he drove over her and fled ..my wife was totally shattered when she got a call from her sister her mother's hand has come out from the sockets and the finger all smashed up she has survived serious condition in hospital so wife has taken a flight to be with her she had a tough time as there are no Lucknow trains today ..

She should reach in some time now .

What can I say her father us bedridden with a serious terminal lung disease .

Than this ...

The Dancing Hijras And The Tantric Hijras Of Khamakhya