Documenting Hope And Hindutva On The Banks of Banganga Pitru Paksha 2017

I have been shooting Pitru Paksha at Banganga Walkeshwar for many years the Hindu Brahmins North Indians paying homage to their departed ancestors here .

This morning I was in two minds about shooting this iconic Hindu festival a day before Navratri..it has rained very heavily and I have no contacts with anyone at Banganga I had a contact of Praesh Gurav who lives near the Banganga tank but I lost his number

However I dressed up in my Sadhu Fakir attire barefeet I set out by train to Grant Road a share cab to Banganga,

First I shot the religious tonsure to add to my set Barbers of India ..I am doing a documentary on street barbers ..it was raining so it was tough handling the camera and the umbrella.

After that I entered the Banganga and was saddened by the absence of a Sadhu who I shot since I began documenting Pitru Paksha his son told me h had expired .

I shot the rituals on the tank almost everyone knows me but hardly any of the Pandits there know that I am a Muslim..so this Pitru Paksha through the eyes of a Muslim fakir or Malang .

I shot for about 2 hours the light was beautiful but I know when to stop.. I shot 3 videos and than exited the tank..I am accident prone I slipped hurt my leg again ..walked up the steps shot the beggars again the barbers and finally took a share a cab to Grant road a train back to Bandra ...

Photography is not just hanging a camera around your neck and going out to shoot pictures it is much more it is a solemn monent when you and the camera become one through the Third Eye of Shiva.

This is the feeling that enters my soul when I am shooting the Kumbhs Khamakhya or other Hindu feast..

Photography while shooting Shiasm or Sufism it is the power of Imam Ali..

Ali imam-e-manasto manam ghulaam-e-Ali , Hazaar jaan-e-giraami fidaa-e-naam-e-Ali.

Haidariam qalandaram mastam, banda-e-Murtaza Ali hastam.

Peshwa-e-tamaam rindaaram , Kay sag-e-koo-e-sher-e-yezdaanam.

Kabhi deewar hilti hai kabhi dar kaamp jaata hai, Ali ka naam sun kar ab bhi Khaibar kaamp jaata hai.

Shaah-e-mardaan Ali, Ali Ali Ali, Ali Maula Ali.

Ps These are my cell photos my Camera photos at Flickr

Amchi Mumbai..

The Beauty of India lies in the Beholders eye
The only beautiful place on Earth is Amchi Mumbai....
it gives without holding back everything under the sky ..
for me as a poet it is the only place where I would want to die ..
i told my sweet wife to give my body to Medicine so somebody could have my heart my kidney even my camera eye.
words that as soon as they slipped out of my mouth made my sweet wife cry ..

how can you be cruel she let out a sigh before you I want to die .both of us once born in Lucknow..now an integral part of our children's dreams and Mumbai .

.to touch others less fortunate than us we try..battered wings we heal so they too can fly soar with hope in this glorious city of Mumbai ..

Be Human Bhai
Hindu Muslim Buddhist Sikh Isai .

picture shot by 6 year old Nerjis
a product of Mumbai...