9 Moharam Zanjir Kama Matam Nakhas 2015

9 Moharam Zanjir Kama Matam Nakhas 2015

9 Moharam Zanjir Kama Matam Nakhas 2015

My Tribute To My Gurus On Guru Purnima

Today first time after I had lost control of my emotions at the Funeral of Mr KG K.g. Maheshwari I had wept incessantly ,, and from that day I never spoke to anyone in his family ,,

But today I called up his wife Mrs Maheshwari to pay my tribute to his soul on Guru Purnima Day..

Where can you get a Guru like Mr KG Maheshwari today ,,

Just not possible ,,

Guru Purnima is an Indian and Nepalese festival dedicated to spiritual and academic teachers. This festival is traditionally celebrated by Hindus, Jains and Buddhists, to pay their respects to their teachers and express their gratitude. The festival is celebrated on the full moon day (Purnima) in the Hindu month of Ashadha (June–July) of the Shaka Samvat, as it is known in the Hindu calendar of India and Nepal.[1] This day marks the first peak of the lunar cycle after the peak of the solar cycle.

The celebration is marked by ritualistic respect to the guru, Guru Puja. The Guru Principle is said to be a thousand times more active on the day of Gurupurnima than on any other day.[2] The word guru is derived from two words, gu and ru. The Sanskrit root gu means darkness or ignorance, and ru denotes the remover of that darkness. Therefore, a guru is one who removes the darkness of our ignorance. Gurus are believed by many to be the most necessary part of life. On this day, disciples offer puja (worship) or pay respect to their guru (spiritual guide). In addition to having religious importance, this festival has great importance for Indian academics and scholars. Indian academics celebrate this day by thanking their teachers as well as remembering past teachers and scholars.

Traditionally the festival is celebrated by Buddhists in honor of the lord Buddha who gave His first sermon on this day at Sarnath, Uttar Pradesh, India. In the yogic tradition, the day is celebrated as the occasion when Shiva became the first guru, as he began the transmission of yoga to the Saptarishis.[3] Many Hindus celebrate the day in honor of the great sage Vyasa, who is seen as one of the greatest gurus in ancient Hindu traditions and a symbol of the Guru-shishya tradition. Vyasa was not only believed to have been born on this day, but also to have started writing the Brahma Sutras on ashadha sudha padyami, which ends on this day. Their recitations are a dedication to him, and are organised on this day, which is also known as Vyasa Purnima.[4][5][6] The festival is common to all spiritual traditions in Hinduism, where it is an expression of gratitude toward the teacher by his/her disciple.[7] Hindu ascetics and wandering monks (sanyasis), observe this day by offering puja to their guru, during the Chaturmas, a four-month period during the rainy season, when they choose seclusion and stay at one chosen place; some also give discourses to the local public.[8] Students of Indian classical music and Indian classical dance, which also follow the Guru shishya parampara, celebrate this holy festival around the world.

Hindu legend[edit]
This was the day when Krishna-Dwaipayana Vyasa – author of the Mahabharata – was born to sage Parashara and a fisherman's daughter Satyavati; thus this day is also celebrated as Vyasa Purnima.[5]Veda Vyasa did yeoman service to the cause of Vedic studies by gathering all the Vedic hymns extant during his times, dividing them into four parts based on their use in the sacrificial rites, and teaching them to his four chief disciples – Paila, Vaisampayana, Jaimini and Sumantu. It was this dividing and editing that earned him the honorific "Vyasa" (vyas = to edit, to divide). "He divided the Holy Veda into four, namely Rig, Yajur, Sama and Atharva. The histories and the Puranas are said to be the fifth Veda."

Yogic lore[edit]
In yogic lore, it is said that Guru Purnima was the day that saw Shiva become the Adi Guru, or the first Guru. The story goes that over 15,000 years ago, a yogi[9] appeared in the upper regions of the Himalayas. Nobody knew what his origins were. But his presence was extraordinary, and people gathered. However, he exhibited no signs of life, but for the occasional tears of ecstasy that rolled down his face. People began to drift away, but seven men stayed on. When he opened his eyes, they pleaded with him, wanting to experience whatever was happening to him. He dismissed them, but they persevered. Finally, he gave them a simple preparatory step and closed his eyes again. The seven men began to prepare. Days rolled into weeks, weeks into months, months into years, but the yogi’s attention did not fall upon them again.
After 84 years of sadhana, on the summer solstice that marks the advent of Dakshinayana, the earth’s southern run, the yogi looked at them again. They had become shining receptacles, wonderfully receptive. He could not ignore them anymore. On the very next full moon day, the yogi turned south and sat as a guru to these seven men. Shiva, the Adiyogi (the first yogi) thus became the Adi Guru. Adiyogi expounded these mechanics of life for many years. The seven disciples became celebrated as the Saptarishis and took this knowledge across the world.
Guru Purnima is held sacred in the yogic tradition because the Adiyogi opened up the possibility for a human being to evolve consciously. The seven different aspects of yoga that were put in these seven individuals became the foundation for the seven basic forms of yoga, something that has still endured.

Buddhist history[edit]
The Buddha went from Bodhgaya to Sarnath about 5 weeks after his enlightenment. Before Gautama (the Buddha-to-be) attained enlightenment, he gave up his austere penances and his friends, the Pañcavaggiya monks, left him and went to Isipatana (Sarnath). After attaining Enlightenment the Buddha, leaving Uruvela, travelled to the Isipatana to join and teach them. He went to them because, using his spiritual powers, he had seen that his five former companions would be able to understand Dharma quickly. While travelling to Sarnath, Gautama Buddha had to cross the Ganges. When King Bimbisara heard of this, he abolished the toll for ascetics. When Gautama Buddha found his five former companions, he taught them, they understood and as a result they also became enlightened. At that time the Sangha, the community of the enlightened ones, was founded. The sermon Buddha gave to the five monks was his first sermon, called the Dhammacakkappavattana Sutta. It was given on the full-moon day of Asadha. Buddha subsequently also spent his first rainy season i.e. Varsha vassa at Sarnath at the Mulagandhakuti. The Sangha had grown to 60 in number (after Yasa and his friends had become monks), and Buddha sent them out in all directions to travel alone and teach the Dharma. All 60 monks were Arahants.

अखण्डमण्डलाकारं व्याप्तं येन चराचरम् ।
तत्पदं दर्शितं येन तस्मै श्रीगुरवे नमः ॥

akhaNDamaNDalaakaara.n vyaapta.n yena charaacharam
tatpada.n darshita.n yena tasmai shriigurave namaH

Salutation to the noble Guru,, who has made it possible to realise the state which pervades the entire cosmos, everything animate and inanimate.

....... ॐ .......

अज्ञानतिमिरान्धस्य ज्ञानाञ्जनशलाकया ।
चक्षुरुन्मीलितं येन तस्मै श्रीगुरवे नमः ॥

adnyaanatimiraandhasya dnyaanaaJNjanashalaakayaa
chakshurunmiilita.n yena tasmai shriigurave namaH

Salutation to the noble Guru, who has opened the eyes blinded by darkness of ignorance with the collyrium-stick of knowledge.

....... ॐ .......

गुरुर्ब्रह्मा गुरुर्विष्णुः गुरुर्देवो महेश्वरः ।
गुरुरेव परंब्रह्म तस्मै श्रीगुरवे नमः ॥

gururbrahmaa gururviShNuH gururdevo maheshvaraH
gurureva para.nbrahma tasmai shriigurave namaH

Salutation to the noble Guru, who is Brahma, Vishnu and Maheswara, the direct Parabrahma, the Supreme Reality.

....... ॐ .......

स्थावरं जंगमं व्याप्तं यत्किंचित्सचराचरम् ।
तत्पदं दर्शितं येन तस्मै श्रीगुरवे नमः ॥

sthaavara.n ja.ngama.n vyaapta.n yatki.nchitsacharaacharam
tatpada.n darshita.n yena tasmai shriigurave namaH

Salutation to the noble Guru, who has made it possible to realise Him, by whom all that is - sentient and insentient, movable and immovable is pervaded.

....... ॐ .......

चिन्मयं व्यापियत्सर्वं त्रैलोक्यं सचराचरम् ।
तत्पदं दर्शितं येन तस्मै श्रीगुरवे नमः ॥

chinmaya.n vyaapiyatsarva.n trailokya.n sacharaacharam
tatpada.n darshita.n yena tasmai shriigurave namaH

Salutation to the noble Guru, who has made it possible to realise Him pervades everything, sentient and insentient, in all three worlds.

....... ॐ .......

त्सर्वश्रुतिशिरोरत्नविराजित पदाम्बुजः ।
वेदान्ताम्बुजसूर्योयः तस्मै श्रीगुरवे नमः ॥

tsarvashrutishiroratnaviraajita padaambujaH
vedaantaambujasuuryoyaH tasmai shriigurave namaH

Salutation to the noble Guru, whose lotus feet are radient with (the luster of) the crest jewel of all Srutis and who is the sun that causes the Vendanta Lotus (knowledge) to bloosom.

....... ॐ .......

चैतन्यः शाश्वतःशान्तो व्योमातीतो निरंजनः ।
बिन्दुनाद कलातीतः तस्मै श्रीगुरवे नमः ॥

chaitanyaH shaashvataHshaanto vyomaatiito nira.njanaJ
bindunaada kalaatiitaH tasmai shriigurave namaH

Salutation to the noble Guru,who is the ever effulgent, eternal, peaceful, beyond space, immaculate, and beyond the manifest and unmanifest.

....... ॐ .......

ज्ञानशक्तिसमारूढः तत्त्वमालाविभूषितः ।
भुक्तिमुक्तिप्रदाता च तस्मै श्रीगुरवे नमः ॥

dnyaanashaktisamsasuuDhaH tattvamaalavibhuuShitaH
bhuktimuktipradaataa cha tasmai shriigurave namaH

Salutation to that noble Guru, who is established in the power of knowledge, adorned with the garland of various principles and is the bestower of prospority and liberation.

....... ॐ .......

अनेकजन्मसंप्राप्त कर्मबन्धविदाहिने ।
आत्मज्ञानप्रदानेन तस्मै श्रीगुरवे नमः ॥

anekajanmasa.nprapta karmabandhavidaahine
aatmadnyaanapradaanena tasmai shriigurave namaH

Salutation to the noble Guru, who by bestowing the knowledge of the Self burns up the bondage created by accumulated actions of innumerable births.

....... ॐ .......

शोषणं भवसिन्धोश्च ज्ञापणं सारसंपदः ।
गुरोः पादोदकं सम्यक् तस्मै श्रीगुरवे नमः ॥

shoShaNa.n bhavasindhoshcha dnyaapaNa.n saarasa.npadaH
guroH paadodaka.n samyak tasmai shriigurave namaH

Salutation to the noble Guru, by washing whose feet, the ocean of transmigration, endless sorrows is completely dried up and the Supreme wealth is revealed.

....... ॐ .......

न गुरोरधिकं तत्त्वं न गुरोरधिकं तपः ।
तत्त्वज्ञानात्परं नास्ति तस्मै श्रीगुरवे नमः ॥

na guroradhika.n tattva.n na guroradhika.n tapaH
tattvadnyaanaatpara.n naasti tasmai shriigurave namaH

Salutation to the noble Guru, beyond whom there is no higher truth, there is no higher penance and there is nothing higher attainable than the true knowledge.

....... ॐ .......

मन्नाथः श्रीजगन्नाथः मद्गुरुः श्रीजगद्गुरुः ।
मदात्मा सर्वभूतात्मा तस्मै श्रीगुरवे नमः ॥

mannaathaH shriijagannaathaH madguruH shriijagadguruH
madaatmaa sarvabhuutaatmaa tasmai shriigurave namaH

Salutation to the noble Guru, who is my Lord and the Lord of the Universe, my Teacher and the Teacher of the Universe, who is the Self in me and the Self in all beings.

....... ॐ .......

गुरुरादिरनादिश्च गुरुः परमदैवतम् ।
गुरोः परतरं नास्ति तस्मै श्रीगुरवे नमः ॥

gururaadiranaadishcha guruH paramadaivatam
guroH paratara.n naasti tasmai shriigurave namaH

Salutation to the noble Guru, who is both the beginning and beginningless, who is the Supreme Deity than whom there is none superior.

....... ॐ .......

त्वमेव माता च पिता त्वमेव, त्वमेव बन्धुश्च सखा त्वमेव ।
त्वमेव विद्या द्रविणं त्वमेव, त्वमेव सर्वं मम देव देव ॥

tvameva maataa cha pitaa tvameva, tvameva bandhushsha sakhaa tvameva
tvameva vidyaa draviNa.n tvameva, tvameva sarva.n mama deva deva

(Oh Guru!) You are my mother and father; you are my brother and companion; you alone are knowledge and wealth. O Lord, you are everything to me.

....... ॐ .......

Documenting Faith Religion Rituals of the Diversity of India

Doing Kama Matam at Shia Girls College Nakhas ,,, 2015

Followed by a Juloos on 9 Moharam . Kama zani and zanjir matam,,,


As you are all aware I am trying very hard to recover from a serious leg injury when I accidentally fell at Khamakhya while shooting the Ambubachi Mela the greatest Tantric fair in Assam and India,
I returned to Mumbai on 30 June but my leg because of my diabetes is not fully healed ..I can walk but the pain is awful/ so I am chained to my restless bed.
I had to kill time and so I went to my image archives I have 3 hardrives ,,,all full ,, one had a lot of image data it got corrupted ,
All my images close 4 million are at Flickr .. all in various sets since April 10 2007 ,, as I have a pro account I have unlimted uploading so Flickr is my main platform..
I know a lot of common people may not access Flickr ,,and so I began making slide shows of my storyboards ,,of whatever is with me on these hardrives ,,Its a tedious task..but as I have a great response to my stories on my You Tube Channel..I began adding my slideshows as videos of images that I had kept out of public view at Flickr ,,
So this is the Lucknow Moharam set shot in 2015 ...
Now I prefer video shooting the events but I am not very adept in continuity and stitching and overlapping ,, so my stills to have a very different dimension and I have bought them to the fore as a video.
I first tried the You Tube video editor but I found it tedious with stills ,,slow and a painful ... than my son suggested Windows Movie Maker and that is what I have used with my image sets ,,
It is simple and easy for me as I type with one finger of a permanently damaged hand.
So I have in a way extended the shelf life of my images at Flickr ,, and You Tube is one of the most powerful platforms if you have a storyboard and a story to tell.
Now whenever I go to shoot a religious event I shoot over 60 videos and stills that can be seamlessly stitched together .
Now all this I have created playlists ,,,Shiasm Hinduism Sufism, Transgender Other Ethnicity Beggars Ear Cleaners Street Barbers ,
All this is India ,, I shoot the sincere humility compassion of India as seen through different faiths religions and belief.
Luckily I give importance to all religions I disrespect none nor do I proselytize my own faith ,,
And I got a message at Flickr ,,, A person who is my follower on Flickr is coming to India ,,as he is excited about the India that he saw on my timeline ,, and he touched me deeply he wants to bring his wife too.. if they could spend a day with me in Bandra ,
And I must let you onto a secret it was photographers like this who came home and added to the photographic curiosity of Marziya and Nerjis ..they watched observed and they learnt at an age where no camera club teaches ... photography at grassroots level from the age of 2.
My grankids have relocated left Mumbai for good the lessons they learnt shooting the streets of Bandra will be part of their growth.. and upbringing ,, Photography is the only great textbook of Life ,, it gives religious importance to Man Humanity and his Surroundings ,,
Every religion faith has its resonance ,,,all are beautiful provided your parents taught you the value of Beauty ,, even in the Beholders eye .
Happy Morning from Bandra ,,
The above image was sent to me by my dear friend Jalal Kazim of his uncle Maulana Agha Roohi Sab.. I normally cut my head kama on 9 Moharam but than Agha Roohi sab cuts his head too on the same day ,, so I decided to shoot him and cut my own head on the streets of Nakhas with 2 daggers on Ashura morning.
Shooting Agha Roohi sabs kaa matam is tough highly crowded and I have decided to gift him my Kama .. which cuts open the flesh in one stroke ,,
I am sure Jalal will accept on his behalf as a gift from me ,, the kama Agha Rohi sab used this time was not upto the mark and it was frustrating to say the least,
My kamas are specially made and by my good friend Raj Tilak..from Pushkar ...and he brings tears to my eyes when he says Firoze Bhai when you cut your head I feel I am cutting it too for Imam Hussain.
So now you know why I shoot Hinduism as passionately as I shoot my own Faith in blood sweat and Tears ..
Jai Pushkar Ji ..Raj Telik.

Remembering Mr Rajesh Khanna on his 4 Death Anniversary

Marziya and Nerjis With Mr Rajesh Khanna