I Respect All Religion But Durga Debris On The Beach Is A Greater Desecration

Those who immerse Goddess Durga go away .. after the festivities but all the Pandals that bring Durga for Immersion should hire  people  and see that Durga is duly respected with her remains collected and removed accordingly ,, Our Municipality believes only in Lakshmi as Money and not as Durga .

During Ganesh Visarjan everybody from college kids to school kids come to clean Juhu Beach but sadly I have not seen the same respect for Lord Ganeshas mother ,, Jai Ambe Mata Gauri or Goddess Durga..

As a Muslim as a concerned Indian I feel at loss as a poet it hurts me and over the years I have never shot Goddess Durga in this state , it would be insulting my own Mother and her Motherhood.

Please do something ..Durga Visarjan should mean respect and not leaving the Mother in this state of Neglect .

I would never hurt another mans religion or I would not be shooting pictures at all.. this is with great pain I took this shot to bring a message home to all of you and authorities concerned ..

The dumpers on the beach to remove garbage do not have the same sensitivity as you and me .. for them everything on the beach left behind is garbage but for me you it is our heritage lying on the beach.

As A Photographer I Want Others To Shoot The Beauty Of India Culture Rituals Customs

People normally complain there is nothing to shoot , and spend a fortune visiting other places to search for pictorial content ..but they are the lucky ones with money time and the camera .

People like me use necessity as the mother of Invention , we may not have that surplus funds , or financial support or sponsor , but God gives us festivals seasons that are at hand to be shot .And one of them is Durga Visarjan after Dasshera ,

Most of the photographers rush to Shivaji Park to shoot the burning of Ravana , I used to shoot it once but more than that I loved shooting Ramlila at Shivaji Park the recital the performance and meeting the artists backstage.

But nowadays I go straight to Juhu Beach to shoot Durga visarjan or Immersion and this series I shot in 2012 ,, I am reposting it as Black and White ,,

It is not easy removing color from one of the most colorful feasts looking at the faces of the Bengali beautiful women on Sindoor Khela , looks better in color the bounty of red auspicious vermilion.

But art is beyond color too ,, it goes from one emotion to another and honestly I enjoy shooting Gods through the eyes of their people followers and believers .

Goddess Durga is the essence life breath of the Bengali as an amateur photographer I tried to capture it sensitively and diligently ,,hoping to inspire others to shoot her too.. dont let your camera rust .. let it live bring Durga home from the SEas through your pictures ,,


Bolo Durga Maiki Jai.

Hindu Festivals Like Durga Puja Add To Family Bonding Family Unity And Strength

If you happen to come to Juhu Beach by chance by accident and you dont have to be a photographer , just shoot feel with your eyes , the culmination of Joy among the people who are here with their favorite Deity Goddess Durga or Goddess Ambe Mata Gauri..

The adults men women children faces covered in vermilion , children ecstatic to be on the beach.. some of the very poor ones live in the slums and bringing Durga for Immersion is a great escape for them.

The most joyous community by large are the Bengalis and mind you without disrespecting them some of them I have met hate photographers , are curt impolite and I have seen them at their worst behavior , highly possessive about Durga , and if you have a Muslim name like mine sometimes even with a Press Card it is difficult to explain the reason for shooting their Goddess and spreading the Message of Peace .

And it is not just a few Bengalis even my own community you have hotheads , who hate you shooting their rituals in a public place ,.but I shoot cosmic plurality I shoot cosmic hope as an Indian ..my being a Muslim does not restrict my vision as a beggar poet and a street photographer .

I shoot a few Pandals where I know they wont be abusive I faced an ire at the oldest Durga Pandal in Mumbai their inhospitable attitude  after telling them about myself and my connection with Sonnar Bangla and Sonnar Ma Durge luckily I was with a Hindu friend  ,, I was literally thrown out because of my Muslim credentials and my attire nothing else not even a note of apology ,,this is the Bengali arrogance in some hot headed racist Bengalis I had to mention this to those who think the pictures I shot come easy no they dont but those pictures that I was destined to shoot even racists bigots cant stop me from shooting..

The Life Of A Juhu Tourist Photographer ..

This is a very ironical situation and makes me sad of my assumptions ..and you dont have to agree with me ,,

The photographers at Juhu Beach are mostly migrants , they have come from distant places , bought a camera and shoot the local tourist as Juhu Beach or Juhu Chowpatty which  is  Mumbais pride and No1 Tourist spot ,, badly managed and no effort made to keep it pristine clean .. politicians are busy touching those schemes that generate profits and most of the schemes are moneymaking apparatus..

Not a single politician even those that are photo enthusiasts have tried to help the Marathi Manoos learn photography , give him the push impetus to become photographers and earn money like the migrants and living in Mumbai for last 60 years I know that the Marathi Manoos is not lazy , most of the graphic designers creative artists are Marathi ,, but yes they dont come from a rich background they need financial support vocational guidance ,, and yes they cant afford the fancy exorbitant photography schools and the one premier Institute JJ  .. is not enough for a city like Mumbai.

We are self learners but yes we could afford cameras and photography  demands a good camera body lens ,, the market is competitive now but 30 years back photography was a rich mans laid back hobby.. shooting on film I shot on Velvia Asa 50 and Ilford Delta,  photography  was expensive , filters , flash etc..upkeep servicing processing printing..

Digital changed it completely ,, and mobile phone made it accessible as an inspiration the feel of a DSLR  is the real thing..the throbbing of the camera body the ,,and though I am now after burning my fingers not a equipment accumulating guy , I still envy those with better cameras why not I am human and not financially well off and photography is not my primary source of income.. I am a hobbyist and this love for photography turned   my grandkids into  photographers too.. they will never fear the Camera ever like I did at the age 40 something..when I began my tryst with Shivas Third Eye .


So if photography was taught to those unemployed youth I am sure they could be absorbed in many fields of documentation , but many photographers in Mumbai only think of their self interest , many could become good photo journalists and not be shooting shit that the newspaper photographers churn out to justify their salary.. some of the pictures in DNA HT and Midday are horrid with total lack of originality to say the least , I dont read and never will The Times Of India Bombay Times or Mumbai Mirror ..there are more crap artists there , and its time newspapers sourced good pictures from bloggers and amateurs .

The worst place to find good photographers and I say this with a heavy heart is Camera Clubs .. that have now become personal fiefdoms of old rusty crotchety one  leg in the grave fine art photographers ..I was a product of a Camera Club I saved my creative soul from burning in hell I became an incorrigible photo blogger .

I well not talk about myself my body of work is at Flickr ,,, and I learn everyday every minute as I favorite my friend followers photostreams ,,I dont want to be a photographer like anyone of them.. I dont want Explore I am happy  seeing their work taking inspiration and I make it a point that Marziya 7 and Nerjis 3 see their work,, I too have a leg in the grave but I am using my time to educate my family tree to the better aspects of great good street photography ..


So seeing a tourist  Juhu photographer shooting a couple in love holistically healing their love is more important than a few bucks he will make for an instant copy of their memorable visit to Mumbai during Durga Visarjan.

The most important lesson in photography is Humility ,, it you dont have it your importance as a photographer is zilch meaningless ,,Arrogance in a photographer is the cancerous disease that even Time wont heal.

This is dedicated to my dearest friend the simple unassuming Kelly Rae ,, she shoots what I will never be able to shoot .. she shoots the hidden treasure in the souls of Man and Woman.

Do visit her photostream.. my best friend Fred Miller began his day taking in the breath of her picture he did it till the end drew near .. He was a hardcore Kelly Rae Fan... like me.

If I had a bit of Kelly Rae .. within my soul evil dragons I would slay.. what you call poetry I call juggling of word play,,