Urus of Haji Abdul Rehman Shah Malang Baba ..Haji Malang Baba

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First Time in 13 Year I Miss the Urus at Ajmer Sharif

I first visited Ajmer Urus in 2005 along with Ajmer Urus I shot Taragadh and Pushkar ...

This year I could not make it for Chadiyan annual pilgrimage walk of the Malangs that starts from Bu Shah Qalandar Panipat and Kalliar Sharif Uttarkhand and all the malangs rafaees qalandaris meet at Dargah Bakhtiar Kaki move to Ajmer on foor over 550 km in 13 days ,,,

I was to start from Panipat along with Haji Masoom Ali Qalandari and his son my hardcore fan Mehtab.

I had taken a film staring Danny sab that has been delayed I could not move out ,,much as I tried .

I thought  I would go for a few days to shoot the Urus 2018 but than Khwajah ji wanted me to shoot the Farmers March and do Mr Pehlaj Nihalinis film and my meeting with Chichi Govinda at ND Studios Karjat was very important moment in my life .. we were meeting after more than 15 years .

And Pehlajji is family I did his  film Andhi Toofan directed by B Subhash I did Dannyjis  look and costume.

I worked with him for many films from his Chiragdeep International.

And this image was shot in 2006 when I visited the Grave of the Hijra Saint and his biological son near Taragadh I had climbed the rocky mountains barefeet.

I have learned so much from God that I can no longer call myself a Christian, a Hindu, a Muslim, a Buddhist, a Jew. The Truth has shared so much of Itself with me that I can no longer call myself a man, a woman, an angel, or even a pure Soul. Love has befriended me so completely it has turned to ash and freed me of every concept and image my mind has ever known.
Hafez

Even God Cant Save You From Venomous You Tube Trolls Racist Bigots

Documenting The Madarriya Silsila ,, Oldest Sufi Order of Zinda Shah Madar


posted at You Tube ..where I get abusive comments for documenting Sufism .

I love photography its not my source of income ,,I am a fashion stylist for Bollywood but my passion is documenting different religions faiths living harmoniously in India .

I am a Shia Muslim I shot Moharam Ashura Chehlum in metro cities of India.

The first Sufi order I shot at Mumbai Chandshah Wali rafaees who come each year at Mahim Dhuni during the Urus of Makhdhoom Shah Baba and later Urus of Fakhruddin Shaha Baba Mahim .. I shot this motley group for over 20 years .

I visited Ajmer first time in my life in 2005 I shot the Chishtiya Silsila thanks to Peersab Fakhru Miya Hujra no 6 .

It was this time that I met the Malangs at Sola Khamba Ajmer and I was fascinated with their simplicity humility and hospitality ..the lived austere lives and both Syed Masoom Ali Baba Asqan Madari and Syed Rafiq Baba Masoomi recieved me kindly at their Asthana at Char Yar masjid Ajmer .

I became a malang in 2011 as a photographer I wanted to document them from within..and these were followers of Ali like me I was given the Khilafatnama in 2017 by Syed Masoom Ali Baba at Makanpur ,

According to Syed Masoom Ali baba over 400 foreigners became his murids and some drank the pyala and I refused to take credit as I simply documented them but did not proselytize or promote their order .

I have showcased the malangs for over 13 years and I walked from Delhi to Ajmer last year 550 km in 13 days a ritual known as Chadiyan,.. this year I am stuck with a film assignment so could not make it .

I document all faith but I follow my inner instincts I follow truth liberty justice and hope harmony prevails in our country ..I only shoot India India people India culture ..entwined in myriad branches .

I dont know why people have to abuse me threaten me troll me on this platform.. I am not a radical Muslim I am not a fundamentalist those who try to teach me true Islam should first go and teach those across the borders who kill Shias Hindus minorities ,,, instead of harassing and targeting me .

I mean how can you live with so much hate if what I follow is heresy according to you fine but my heresy has made me human and a Hussaini ..

So chill take a pill..

For those who want my cell number email I am a private person I am not into socializing at all.
I am on Facebook ..I dont add friends I delete all requests .
I am on Twitter Flickr and You Tube ,,,
I am a hardcore peaceloving Mumbaikar .

I am not a Sufi Bawa but I dress up like a monk that is my sartorial identity ...
most of my Gurus friends wellwishers are Hindus and I believe in mutual co existence ,,

You should not judge me by what I shoot I dont shoot porn I dont shoot videos to hurt people's sense or sensibility .

There are more fake guides, teachers in the world than stars. The real guide is the one who makes you see your inner beauty, not the one who wants to be admired and followed.
Shams Tabrizi —

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

My New Set Bismillah Shah Baba Rafafaee VT Station Mumbai

This is my new set extension of my documentary on Qadri Rafaee Silsila in Mumbai ..

I was invited to the Urus of Holy Saint Bismillah Shah Baba at VT by Nasir Bhai rafaee he asked me to be at the venue by 10 pm.

I decided to take a bus 1 no BEST from LalMitti Bandra reclamation I must have waited for an hour no sign of bus than I checked on the BEST bus timetable it showed the last bus from here to RC Church at 8.30 pm so I thought I might as well take a cab.. just as I was contemplating a white SUV stopped by a person seated next to the driver called me handed me a note saying pray for me and smiled and left . in my hand he had given  Rs 500..

So I get alms without begging ...I immediately took a cab to VT Station ..

Now a flashback my father early 50s was going through  very hard times and though a devout Shia .he began visiting various Sufi dargahs of Mumbai.. he had lost everything he was totally vanquished in some deal he had lost all his money ..and my dad sought the help of Bismillah Shah Baba VT..we would overhear about his faith in this Holy Saint ..my poor mother was spending most of her time invoking Hazrat Abbas at the dargah at Pala Gully Dongri.

We stayed those days in the rented servants quarters of Later veteran actor Nawab Kashmiri at Khatau Bhuvan Wodehuse Road.Colaba .

The bad days faced by my family did finally go away ...and I was thus visiting the Holy Shrine of Bismillah Shah Baba first time ..respectful to the memory of my dads struggle dduring my childhood days

I met the respected heads of the Qadri Rafaee silsila of Baroda Syed Jamaluddin his brother Syed Kamaluddin and Gaddi Nasheen Nayyar Baba at the Shrine ..members of the Rafaee order had come from Baroda Surat BiliMora Bharuch along with the daf musicians .

I shot the mehfil at the Shrine met the trustees committee members volunteers I was introduced to them as Malang Khalifa of Syed Masoom Ali Baba Asqan Madari Makanpur I was felicitated a garland and shawl placed round my neck.

The event ended past 1 am I decided to take a taxi and also drop a friend at Sewri..I reached home paid the taxi driver Rs 300 ..so the entire Rs 500 I got as alms I paid as my conveyance .

I had not eaten wife was asleep she is not well so I made an omelet and pondered over the benevolence of the Holy Saint who called me as a reminder to  the memory of my father at the foot of his Shrine ,

First I will post the mobile photos and later the images shot on my Canon 60 D,

I hope the Holy Saint helps me pay off my debts to a few friends and upgrades my camera almost 6 year old .


“Do you know what you are?
You are a manuscript oƒ a divine letter.
You are a mirror reflecting a noble face.
This universe is not outside of you.
Look inside yourself;
everything that you want,
you are already that.”
― Jalaluddin Mevlana Rumi,

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103 Urus of Hazrat Syed Haji Abdur Rehman Shah Baba Qadri Dongri 2018

First Day of Urus

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