Once Upon A Time At Ramkund ,, Nasikh Kumbh Mela

If you are in a group of friends there is a lot to shoot at Ramkund  below the Press and VVIP enclosure ,,provided you dont get intimidated by the cops ,, who have this habit of treating photographers like swatting flies ,,

I shoot alone , and it is best no constrains no compulsions and being alone has its many advantages ,,you shoot what you have to do , and shoot what you were destined to shoot .

I am in Mumbai but for some reason my soul is lurking between Ramkund and Trimbakeshwar and imagine I shot Kumbh Mela in 2003 and now after 12 years it seems nothing has changed ,,

Even in 2003 I shot the Kumbh alone .. and in 2015 I was as alone as I was in 2003 ..I had a contact in Nasikh but I did not contact him..as I was here for only a few hours ,, but to really shoot Ramkund from one end to the other end you need a lot of time and patience too.

I did not know any Sadhu among the Vaishnav Akharas  at Tapovan ,,,but than the only salvation was everyone I met respected me because of my Sadhu attire ,,,necessity is the mother of invention ,,,

Sadhu Takes My Picture As Keepsake

he was not aware
that dressed in saffron
garbs i was a sadhu fake
my thirst as a photographer
thus disguised i had to slake
the camera cannot give you
pictures ,, pictures you have
to make inhibitions you must
forsake ,, what god gives you
you must take ,,re invent
remake dont take a break
dont wait for opportunities
create them for gods sake

How Can You Be A Good Photographer If You Dont Rob Souls

The World of Sadhus Nasikh Kumbh Mela 2015

Jai Jai Siya Ram

The Vaishnav Sadhus Nasikh Kumbh Mela Ramkund

If I had more time I would have gone on shooting the intense faces of the Sadhus but I had to move on to Tapovan a huge sprawling estate of Vaishnav sadhu Akharas .. and I had to rush back to Trimbakeshwar before the roads closed for 29 Shahi Snan..and I was tired hungry and limping due to a leg injury ,,

I hardly ever use my 55 -250 lens but here I used it  generously and as I was dressed in Sadhu garbs I did not have any problem as such ,,I poetically shot Sadhu faces ,,

I did not see such faces at the Sadhugram Trimbakeshwar  where I stayed , there were more young faced Maharashtrian Naga sadhus ,, here at Ramkund and Tapovan there were weathered faces old faces and if you are into portraiture this is the ideal places .
I dont know anyone at Ramkund Nasikh where I could stay overnight ,,so I shot all this in a few hours ,,I do not like staying in hotels ,, for more reasons than one , the rates during the Kumbh are steep.. and I cannot afford it ,,,

I Did Not Shoot The Kumbh,,, My Pictures Are Optical Illusions

i had to leave the kumbh
come back to my urban
collective chaos ..my fate
was  a slave hidden within
the captivity of four walls
neither profit nor loss í was
simply what i was limping
my way to my destination
remotely out of course
held by a spectral force
shooting pain despondency
forced labored remorse '
a donkey within the ,,
the silhouette of a horse

The Mind Reading Sadhu

he penetrated the
beggar poets soul
with the molten fire
in orbs posturing
as eyes he knew i
was a muslim in
my sadhu garbs
my disguise ,,he
took my press card
read it twice ,, i was
scared he would get
angry but he was nice
hope and hindutva
a message of universal
peace i promoted he
mystically realized ,
a smile that broke
the ice , go in peace
malang baba  hari om
dam madar beda par
he was solemnly wise
we were two sides of
a coin perhaps guru bhais

I Shoot What You Dont See

the cosmic eye  of shiva
embedded in my camera
lens sets moments free
optical illusions of life
breaking the chains as
they flee ..hands holding
the soul of humanity
batata wada pao.. for
the rich to give to the
poor and the sadhus
 as misplaced charity ...

some pictures give birth accidentally to street poetry

Bam Bam Bhole Nath..Har Dam Par Tumhara Sath

Shooting Hope And Hindutva At The Kumbh Mela As a Message Of Peace And Humanity

I Shoot The Myriad Faces of India

Oh Foreigner Welcome To India ,,The Land Of Mystical Salvation

The Kumbh Is A Fathomless Sea Of Faces

faces readable in silence
wrinkles lines as phrases
dreams the cosmic eye of
the beggar poets camera
chases lost tribes races
every moment held in a
stupefying glance every
moment leaves indelible
thoughts and traces '
illusions within illusion
embraces ..dive deep
down another illusion
surfaces..human masks
entwined with godly faces

I Get Blessed by the Naga Sadhu

The Nagas Are Coming . Har Har Mahadev

As a photographer my genre is peoples photography with relevance to culture rituals occult possession and exorcism..I have shot the genre beyond the borders of caste color or creed ,, I shoot Faith as it moves Mountains that come in its way,, I am fascinated by the Naga Sadhus ,, shooting the Maha Kumbh 2013 Nasikh Kumbh 2003 and Nasikh Kumbh 2015 was easily falicitated because of my connection with my Naga Guru Shree Vijay Giri Maharaj Juna Akhara ,, perhaps I am his only Muslim disciple ,,and highly privileged for being part of this greatest event on Earth.. My Guru invites me much before the Kumbh begins ,, and I am indebted to him as a photographer ,, he gives me shelter a place to stay and has never asked me for a penny though I contribute what I can in all humility and gratitude ,, his disciples go out of their way to help me respectfully even the Nagas in his fold call me Malang Baba nobody calls me by my name ever ,,

These are pictures shot on the streets of Trimbakeshwar on the day of the 29 August Shahi Snan.. it went off very smoothly thanks to the Nasikh adminstration and the Maharashtra Police and the pilgrims and residents ..

My First Bottle of Water On Shahi Snan Day

I was shooting the Shahi Snan for 4 hours and I desperately needed water but there was no drinking water inside the Kund ,, and when I stepped out of the Kund I saw this half open shop and bought a bottle ,,I have till date posted 2500 images at Flickr ,,My account is marked Safe and all my frontal nudity pictures of the Naga Sadhus are restricted at Flickr ,,

I strictly follow Flickr guidelines and at Facebook I follow their terms regulations as regards my nude Naga Sadhu pictures ,,

At Ello only those who want to see Adult content can see my pictures and Ello has a much better display and viewing ..

I am lazy I have hardly posted any of my stuff at my Kumbh Mela blogspot site .

I still have a lot of pictures to upload and only God knows if I will go back again to shoot the next two Shahi Snans at Nasikh..I have to get in touch with my Naga Guru Shree Vijay Giri Maharaj 18 Madi Juna Akhara.

Documenting Nasikh Kumbh Shahi Snan Trimbakeshwar 2015

I Shot This By Sheer Cosmic Accident .. The Naga Procession Neel Parbhat

I had come here with two Bollywood technicians they wanted to take a dip in the Trimbakeshwar Kund and both work in the light department and are disciples of my Naga Guru .. they  both live near Film City Goregaon like my Guru .

It was Sunil who spotted Bhagwati Giri and was about to introduce me to him , but I already knew him from Maha Kumbh he had taken us on a boat on the Sangam.. he told me about this procession that was going to start close to where I stay at Sadhugram.. but I got the timings wrong ..

On my return back to base I called Bhagwati Giri he told me the Naga procession would start at  10.30 am but it started much early and I thought of skipping it but than followed it on a bike and shot this long trek barefeet till Neel Parbat ,

Bhagwati Giri is a very well connected  Naga Guru he had introduced us at Allahabad Maha Kumbh to the Sabapati and other important Maha Mandleshwars including Shri Kalyan Anandji of 18 Madi Juna Akhara .

And after this the following day I shot the Shahi Snan procession including the Holy Dip of most of the Akharas of the Naga Sadhus ,,

For Me The Kumbh Was A Face - Book

i shot faces
as they gave
me a curious
look.. for a
sadhu they
mistook this
beggar poet
a camera the
third eye of
shiva got
them hooked
cosmic connections
two souls thirsty
drinking from
the same precious
brook.. adding them ás
memories to my lifes book