108 Year Old Syed Masoom Ali Baba Asqan Madari..

Loved revered by his followers held in high esteem by the Hindus of Panihar where he stays he has built clinics schools for them they call him an avtar of Shiva because of his dreadlocks ..long hair.

For them he is the pride of Panihar promoting love peace humanity between both Hindus Muslims in mutual co existence ..

Presidents ministers flock to him but he lives in austerity as I mentioned earlier I met him in 2005 at Ajmer Sharif he liked me and I respected him ..all my foreign photographer friends were totally in awe of him many drank the pyala from his hands and along with a Belgian friend I too drank the pyala ..my purpose was to document them truthfully sincerely and so I became a Malang in 2011 .

Many journeys later and in 2017 he surprised me making me his Khalifa at Makanpur ..and he is one face I can go on shooting it mesmerizes me fascinates me the calmness the holiness and his sanctified grace ..

He is felicitated by his Khalifas at Makanpur and Khalifa Iqbal bhai from Runiza does it beautifully offering him a shower of rose petals sweets turban cloth his new garments ..

His confidante companion is Syed Rafiq Ali Baba Masoomi my Murshad from Gujrat .

I dont think anyone has documented the Dam Madar Malang as I have prolifically and poetically ...

Both Syed Masoom Ali baba and Syed Rafiq Ali baba call me Maulaiee .. follower of Ali.

Twice a year I meet the malangs both at Makanpur and Ajmer sharif ,,,I cannot deny I love shooting them..it has nothing to do with their spiritual ideology or mine own..

I was lucky to shoot them both at Vasai East when they came for the funeral of one of their Khalifas at Kurla .

My connection with Syed Masoom Ali baba is cosmic..I bask in his humility and I found peace and though a Shia Muslim I partake share the sweetness of the Madarriya Silsila and Sufism..through my pictures ..my pictures are cryptic words seeking you out ,,, 

I learnt photography I honed it as a holistic art shooting diverse faiths in bloom in this beautiful garden India . country of my birth and my worth...

 “You are not a drop in the ocean. You are the entire ocean in a drop” – Rumi

Documenting Sufi Monks of India And A Note on You Tube Trolls

posted at You Tube community tab


I began documenting Sufism from Dargah of Makhdhoom Shah Baba ,,and I chose the Rafaees who sat at the Mahim dhuni as my subject of observation ..

These were Rafaees who sit here every Urus of the Holy Saint and are from Chand Shah Wali Dargah Andheri East.

Their Murshad was late Sikandar Wali baba through him I discovered Haji Malang several other dargahs of Mumbai.

I visited Ajmer Sharif in 2005 thanks to Peersab Fakhru Miya Hujra no 6 I began documenting the Chishtiya Silsila ..I stayed at Peersabs house ..

It was in 2005 I met Syed Masoom Ali Baba Asqan Madari and Syed Rafiq Ali Baba Masoomi I began documenting them too..

I met late Noubat Ali Baba Jalali Malangs at Jalali Chowk Sola Khamba Ajmer I shot him till his death in 2017.


It was in 2011 I took bayt of the Malangs from Syed Masoom Ali Baba with a Belgian photographer and my documentation of the Malangs began  at Ajmer and Makanpur ..

My quest for Sufism was not my quest for spirituality it was the need of my camera and my love for photography ..and my photography was non commercial ... the camera was my main tool of education.. learning showcasing diverse faiths in India living in peace hope and harmony .

As my dress code was very colorful from the beginning being a Bollywood stylist I could easily fit in with the bawas monks etc..

I loved silver jewelry rare holistic sticks and I only wore turbans  it was part of the drama of my life ,..

I must mention and I hope You Tube management takes note that the You Tube trolls without faces or profile are nothing but dangerous cyber bullies who attack your posts because it goes against their own religiosity or narrow mindedness .

If I could I would block commenting here but I moderate the comments most abusive vulgar and inappropriate I simply report and block..so I have the last laugh .. all your hate I dissolve without it ever seeing the light of day.

Whether I am a Shia Sufi its none of your business ..I  live in India and Hinduism is my cultural inheritance and I m a born Indian proud of my country and my roots .

So I hope You Tube makes it mandatory to get rid of these abusers trolls haters bigots ..

Or please close down this community forum.. of goodwill and exchange .


I too can abuse but I wont as it would reflect disgracefully on my parentage and my upbringing..and my seniority and my Indianness .

That is one reason my You Tube comment box has been completely disabled it has no place for your ignorance your lack of etiquette ..and your madrsa type one track mind of hating Shias Sufis and Hindus ..


We seek from God the ability (to have) good manners,*
(For) the one lacking good manners is deprived of the grace of the Lord.
The one lacking good manners doesn't keep himself (in a) foul
(state)alone, But he sets fire to every region (of the world).  Rumi
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