I searched for Jesus in the Church

but he was away from all this opulence
he had broken away from the cross ..
a healer it made sense ..I found him
among the beggars dressed in tattered
clothes feeding a little child ,,sitting on a
broken fence ..I think it was Jesus for a
second I held mystically by the power of
my lens ..than he disappeared leaving
the poetry of my soul in suspense ...

The sartorial silhouette of a story teller from #Bandra. The Lama of Peace.

Caught on the net..

Dark somber memories
I try to forget the day she
And I met.. It was raining
She was shivering her clothes
All wet.. This was love at first sight
Different from the one on the internet..
The time was set..
A heart to let.. Her soaking eyes
Her cascading hair inkjet

Was Jesus White or Black

A question
I humbly ask
Theologians
I do not wish
to take you
to task..
please for
once let down
your frivolous
sinister mask
in a pretentious
spirituality
that you bask,,


what came first
Water Jesus or Flask
Water waiting to be
tuned into a wine cask

My Backyard Bandra Bazar Road

I have a backyard that is an insult to Hon PM @narendramodi jis magnum opus #SwacchBharat
at a @BJP4India citadel called #BandraBazarroad #Mumbai
Shows #BMC s poor garbage management.
I shot 150 videos of this site no response..

@CMOMaharashtra

Videos

i Have Shut my Facebook Account ,, Targeted Shia Harassment

As a Shia I am targeted even  by  Sufis

A faith I promoted vigorously as a Malang ..

I have renounced my Malang status and Khilafatnama 

I have decided to give up Makanpur and my Khilafatnama

I have decided never to got to Makanpur at all I have decided to be what I am a a Shia born Muslim as one of the Malangs has been very insulting writing adverse remarks about my Shia faith on my Facebook post.

I spoke to Syed Masoom Ali Baba and Syed Rafiq Ali Malang that I do not want to be part of a Malang culture that insults other cultures I sent a message to Syed Zafar Mujeeb Madari his family are the custodians of Makanpur Dargah and the rogue abusive insulting Malang Roshan Ali belongs to their Order ,,

I have promoted Sufism I have promoted Hinduism as a photographer I dont think I can take this targeted harassment for being a Shia ..

I have already given up Ajmer for Good.

I think I am better of documenting Hinduism and other faiths at least they dont insult me ..I dont shoot or document diverse faiths for money I do it to show India as the only country that preaches Humanity above Religiosity and I am not talking about the fringe as they are not the representing the Hinduism that I shoot ,,

I am deeply hurt ... I did not become a Malang to be abused humiliated even during the Chadiyan the group of Madaris I walked with openly insulted me for being a Shia ..

And when I came to Ajmer or Makanpur I did not come as a Shia but as a person promoting the Sweetness of Sufism..


I have shut my Facebook Account tonight

Once Upon Time With Gambhir Singh At Bandra

Sometimes I ask myself instead of living the life of a vagrant a street drunk why did Gambhir Singh not go back to Khumbong .
He was not running away from the law so why did he torture his mind his body his soul living on the mean streets of Mumbai.

He was an enigma what were the dark secrets that held him captive chained rigorously to a bottle of country hooch.

I knew Gambhir Singh but I never asked him those questions I did not probe his self guilt ,,,I gave him money in good faith I gave him money for food without once questioning him if he would use this money for booze .

I was not a devils advocate ..having been an alcoholic for a long part of my life I understood Gambhir Singh better I knew he carried a heavy cross ..I had once carried it too..

There were times I thought I would take him to my house but he used to be heavily sozzled so our friendship remained on the streets of Bandra .

His mornings began walking below my house to the Bandra Bazar and he regaled people wit old songs he would ask only Rs 1 ..he was never greedy for money and all his uprightness came from his culture his humility ,, he never ever forgot even in his drunken state that he was a Manipuri ..Manipur kept his soul intact it did not allow him to perish and Gods shadow loomed over his head ..
When I think back in retrospection Gambhir Singh left his mark on the people he met people who gave him food money ,, they remember him the hawkers of Bandra Bazar the shopkeepers and they are happy that he changed his life it changed not through my viral video but through his Karma .

Through the return of this prodigal son forgiven reunited he displayed the love of the people of Manipur the way they reacted spreading a red carpet on his arrival at Imphal airport ,, their love made him a celebrity and his family took backstage holding back their tears he came back into their lives like the drops of fresh rain on their parched souls .

I could not change my life how could I change Gambhir Singhs life..I dont have a magic wand but all in all photography when used as a motivation with a holistic purpose can change peoples life ,,,

CNN BBC Der Spiegel wanted me to tell them about this phenomenon this Destinys child called Gambhir Singh of Khumbong ,,

He put Manipur on the map he Made Manipur a catchword for Love a new direction towards Hope and Humanity ..

And these are old images shot in Bandra he was comfortable drinking he did not hide the fact he drank.. he did not rob steal he begged for a living.

And whatever one can say about Mumbai ..Mumbai nurtured him kept him alive Mumbai was Gambhir Singhs safe haven it gave him the strength to survive and it was this magic of Mumbai that made Gambhir Singh an overnight celebrity and Manipurs new Rockstar .

Gambhir Singh calls me and thanks me and I thank him too I reunited Gambhir Singh with his family after 40 years and Gambhir Singh reunited me with God the Most Merciful Benevolent .

Will I meet Gambhir Singh in Khumbong one day perhaps I keep his memory alive by wearing the leirum Manipuri traditional scarf presented to me me by Officers Priyobartan Singh and Officer Amitabh Singh of Patsoi Police station on behalf of the Government and the beautiful loving people of Manipur.

GambhirStory

Ramzan Mubarak Aya Ramzan Mubarak Aya

These are the words that you hear on the streets of Bandra at dawn sung by the Awakeners Muslim mendicants who do selfless service waking up Muslims to start their fast and Sehri.

For 11 years I sincerely documented the season of Piety Charity that we call Ramzan where poetically speaking God comes down on Earth to be with his loved ones.

His lost tribe of beggars and you will find them outside every Mosque during Taravee.
Mostly women and children and somehow I think Ramzan is the Feast of the Poor the homeless fasting and united in piety and prayer.

I have documented Muslim beggars and this lady in the picture for over 11 years too as I mentioned in earlier posts she has a daughter and two sons her husband is physically challenged does cutting of threads of readymade garments.

To supplement the family's income she used to beg below my house on Friday's.

There are many like her and this period of Ramzan gets them free ration clothes etc.

Earlier I shot the Iftar time of the poor.. The hawkers and even beggars I used to break my fast with the beggars of Bhendi Bazar.

Memorable memories.. Ramzan is a beautiful month that inspires love forgiveness and tolerance and Ramzan keeps even the hot headed Muslim anger in check.

Those who are fasting have to bear all this in mind not eating food water is one aspect of Ramzan.. But being respectful responsible honest truthful charitable are some of the virtues of Ramzan.

Some of my Hindu friends to show their solidarity with Muslims fast too for week or two and this is the greatest power of Ramzan joining Hearts and Souls.

Ramzan a Muslim feast adds hope and love to the surroundings I know Hindu friends who offer Iftar items to beggars outside the Mosque.

That is one reason I love Mumbai the spirit of a collective ethos and togetherness.

My perspective as a human and as a photographer has been Hindu Muslim amity one cannot live without the other..

Our politics in Mumbai is not marred or tarnished by hate for any community.

So in a way this is my first Ramzan post I chose this mother and her child as the Ambassador s of Peace and holistic healing.

Ramzan

The Room With A View ... Falcon Villa Chapel Road

In 2001 when this building was built allegedly on a plot that I am told was a one plus one structure belonging to one of the Falcons with Reddy builder ..the lawyer a Muslim lady living at Falcon Village showed me the picture of that old structure ..

The complainant also a Falcon wrote a post about this illegal building that it was choking the gutters causing unhygienic environment to her property ,,she sent this to Hon PM Mr Narendra Modiji .on his page in 2016 ..

She had got the details from the RTI ..and her main intention was to get this illegal structure demolished ..I only feel sorry fo the residents who got gypped conned ..why did H ward building officials allow this building to come up in the first place ..and Mr Reddy had already come under the scanner one of the buildings opp Kalpana Medical Bandra Bazar was demolished too for being illegal.

I knew Mr Reddy he was a Municipal contractor and when he was constructing the illegal building near Kalpana Medical Bazar Road he was trying give me a shop for my fashion store as surety for a loan of Rs 5 lacs ..I was not interested nor did I have that kind of money....and I think this Falcon builder  Reddy is the same guy .. he was later I saw moving around in a white Merck too.

The residents of the demolished Falcon Villa are sleeping at our Tennis court and using the MET toilets young children women old ladies ..few Muslims too in the Holy Month of Ramzan.

The Gaothan of the humble East Indians original inhabitants of Bandra was robbed usurped by politician builder nexus ,, demolishing old East Indian bungalows giving them peanuts as compensation and thus in the late 80 s 90 s began repair permission outrageously ugly 1 plus 2 edifices ..called channel buildings in collusion with the crooks in the H ward Bandra Municipality one of the channel building was my old house 21 De Monte Street Kamla Bai Sadan.. the builder of this channel repair permission is a famous builder now.

Most of Bandra Bazar Chapel Road and other Gaothan areas were blatantly destroyed thanks to the lenient silent view of Congress satraps ..they did not care at all..The last stand of the East Indians did not work they were pushed further to Uttan Vasai Nalla Sopara .. The Church watched hands folded helpless by the biblical edict Render To Caesar what belongs to Caesar and to God what belongs to God ,,

Most of the famous Christian lawyers had the rich builders politicians as their clients so the East Indian residents pride honor could do nothing .. they just gave up the fight ,,

Than the Wheel of Politics turned Congress was booted out ..Congress Free Bandra bough in BJP progress and development ,, and yet the poor owners of houses in Bandra are at the mercy of the mandarins of H  Ward ,,

Will the officials of H  ward who allowed these illegal buildings to come up 20 years back and who did nothing  but abetted in this illegal construction activity  ..be taken to task by the erstwhile Government of Mr Devendra Fadnavis ,, will the house owners get their money back  or will they get justice ,,

I  reiterate I am not a social activist I dont belong to any political party but yes I am a Bandraite not by birth but by choice ,,,so I shot their video images to reach out to all of you ..

Will The Government do something to stop corruption in this low income building sector ,,

The local representatives are silent ,, even God above is Silent .

Tears on the Soul of Bandra ..

My Flickr Stats on 15 May 2018 - 108513 Views

The Falcons Fight

Falcons 
Among themselves 
Fight with all their 
Might but it is residents 
Who suffer deprived of 
Their Human Rights. 
Once they had a home 
In this building now 
Homeless feel their plight 
A 20 year old structure 
The BMC found out it is 
Illegal height of height 
Why did they not stop 
The illegal construction 
Money has no color 
Black or white.. The rogue 
Elements of BMC should be 
Booked on hindsight 

The greatest corruption in 
Bandra gaothan happened 
During the Congress Rule 
Repair Permission Building 
On stilts a horrible sight 
The local representatives 
Congress Satraps gave a 
Free hand builder politician 
Nexus destroyed the East 
Indian ambiance heritage 
Overnight... 

Who is Wrong who is Right 
Injustice harassment 

Selective bias by the BMC 
For the minorities no respite 

Sab ka Sath Sab Ka Vikas 
Progress Development takes 
A back seat.. God save us from 
Dark Ages lead us into Light.

The Rise and Fall of Falcon Villa

When it was built in collusion
With rogue Municipal officers
And the builder involved
Now after 20 mystery is solved
Marked as illegal the builder
The rogue Municipal officers
Of all sins absolved..
The poor residents who paid
Money now rendered homeless
Sweat Blood Tears in the drain
Ruthlessly dissolved..

The local representatives silent
Do not want to get involved..

If it was the slums their vote bank
To appease them they would
Rotate and Revolve