Last evening I went to Shivaji Park to shoot the oldest Pandal known as the Bengal Club Durogotsav. Before I entered the Pandal I passed the Kali Mata temple , which was totally packed , people head bowed , placing offerings to Kali..
The Pandit gave me a smile as he remembered me from last few years that I have been coming here to capture the Bengali ambiance and love of Durga.
About Kali
www.iloveindia.com/spirituality/goddesses/kali/index.html
Goddess Kali
Kali is one of the many forms of Shakti. Maha Kaali is the fiercest of all goddesses of Hinduism. The word Kali has its roots in the Sanskrit word "Kaal", which means time. And nothing escapes from time. Goddess Kali is sometimes referred as the goddess of death. But actually Kali brings the death of the ego. Even in the scriptures, she has killed demons but not anyone else. Kali is also not associated with Yama (the Hindu God of Death). Kali is considered a form of mother too. Maa Kali is one of the few Goddesses who are celibate and practice renunciation.
Goddess Kali and Lord Shiva
Goddess Kali and Lord Shiva, both are regarded to inhabit cremation grounds. Devotees go to these places to meditate with the purpose of overcoming the ego. The cremation grounds emphasize the idea that the body is temporary. Kali and Shiva are known to stay in cremation grounds because it is our attachment to the body that gives rise to the ego. Kali and Shiva give the idea of liberation by dissolving the illusion of the ego. The corporeal frame ultimately vanishes but the soul still remains. This is emphasized by the scene in the cremation grounds.
Maa Kali - The Compassionate Goddess
Maha Kaali is the most compassionate of all the forms of goddesses as she provides salvation or liberation to her children. Kali is equivalent to Shiva because both of them are the destroyers of evil fake and unreal. It is considered that with the glimpse of Maa Kali, ego trembles with terror seeing its own eventual demise in her.
People who are attached to their ego would not be able to receive the idea of Kali and she will appear in a wrathful form to them. But people, who are engaged in spirituality, removing the illusion of the ego, will find Maha Kaali in a different form. Maa Kali will appear as sweet, affectionate, and overflowing with perplexing love for them.
Maa Kali - The Image
Goddess Kali has four arms and hands depicting her immense strength. In two of her hands, she holds a sword and a fresh severed head, representing a great battle in which she defeated the demon Raktabija. The other two hands are there to bless her true devotees, suggesting that they will be saved as she will guide them here and in the hereafter.
Kali wears a garland made of 52 skulls and a skirt made of dismembered arms because the ego comes out of identification with the body. It suggests that physical body is false and spirit is the only reality. Her black or sometimes dark blue skin represents the womb of the unmanifest from which all of creation is born and into which all of creation will ultimately return. Therefore, the concepts of color, light, dark, good or bad do not apply to her as she is the pure, un-manifested energy, the Adishakti.
Goddess Kali is seen standing with her one feet on Lord Shiva who is pure formless awareness Sat-Chit-Ananda (being-consciousness-bliss) while Kali represents "form" eternally sustained by the underpinning of pure awareness.
Kali Aarti
Goddess Kali Arti completes the worship or prayers made to the Goddess. It is believed that Kali aarti provides a completion to the Kali puja.
Sunday, September 27, 2009
Kali Mata Mandir at Bengal Club Shivaji Park
Flashback
lost in the wilderness
of a romantic bus stop
a love life once idyllic
now flippity flop
holding the heart
of loneliness
pain revolving like a top
dreams washed away
on the rocks of carter road
memories non stop
the pesky hijda
the intruding eyes of the cop
life once full of fun
now a full stop
a woman's life aging
in a post marital
antique shop
the love of life
once a Sallu look alike
now a bank teller
white collared slop
a wife also
a domestic prop
from the corners
of the corridors
of despair
the neighbors
eavesdrop
what you sow
is not what you reap
a bad seed brings forth
a bad crop
tears that fall from
moistened eyes
like raindrops
to my great friend David Hazell
a poetic satire on married life...
Living in Peace at Mori Road Mahim
Mutual coexistence is the core essence of faiths living side by side in Mumbai.. and this was visible at Mori Road Mahim..
It is vested interests that create a wedge between people of different faiths , live and lets others live too, is my message to politicians before they begin their onslaught for the Assembly seats.
I am proud of the very fact tha I was born as a Muslim here in India , a land of plenty a land of hospitality and land of universal Peace.
Yes India is shining not because of politics because it is all of us that have made it possible with our restrain our tolerance and our collective will.
The Muslims of Mori Road to chip in and shoulder to shoulder usher in a deity that embodies Mother ..and what are we without our Mothers.. zilch.
We live through the memories of our Mother living or dead .. and even if they have passed away their legacy lives in our childrens hearts and soul..
Yes this is Mumbai a city a paradise embedded in our quintessential soul.. whether we are migrants or sons of the soil or Marathi Manoos or Am Admi.
Jai Ho
Saturday, September 26, 2009
My Diabetes
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My late mother Shamim Shakir had diabetes , I was diagnosed with borderline diabetes about 15 years back, it took a turn for the worst as I was an alcoholic too, I gave up booze almost 10 years I have never touched a drop since than , nor do I smoke or do drugs.
I was being treated for diabetes at Nanvati Hospital those days thanks to my dear friend Mr Prakash Pange we shared the same doctor.
However I continued with my medication , till I began cutting my head with a sword for Ashura Moharam rituals , at Lucknow in a segment called Athvi I bled for a very long time I had cut open a blood vessel , but without any injection or medication the grievous wound healed in two days.
I continued cutting myself and also walked on fire a ritual called Ag Ka Matam.
It was at Delhi during Chehlum - Moharam while cutting myself again , someone grabbed my sword from my hand thereby cutting a vital tendon of my hand ..this turned gangrenous on my way to Mumbai, my blood sugar was over 500 so I went to SL Raheja Hospital , and was treated by Dr AG Talwalkar ..
{The wound healed but permanently damaged my right hand I type with one finger of this hand and shoot pictures too , it has taken the shape of a Cobras hood..}
I had to take insulin to bring my sugar down or have my right hand amputated..
I continued with the insulin but stopped visiting the hospital completely..blogging made me stop walking too..I used to walk at Carter Road.
In June this year my son in law Assad Dadan, coaxed me to go for Ayurvedic treatment , I was hesitant but gave in , the lady doctor Dr Rekha J Paralkar of Chembur , was treating him for kidney stones and had successfully got rid of his stones in 3 days simply by intake of Ayurveda medicine.
I met Dr Rekha Paralkar and began my treatment 16 June 2009 ..She promised to bring my blood sugar down and get rid of my dependence on Insulin..gradually.
My blood sugar when I met her was
fasting 179
pp 374
the next visit
fasting 155
pp 162
9 july
fasting 81
pp 192
on 31 july 2009
fasting 96
pp 192
Than came Ramzan where my blood sugar goes haywire I completed 30 days of fasting ,
my blood sugar
yesterday was
fasting 82
pp 150
I take a tablet and a green powder before breakfast and before dinner ..prescribed by her, all my Allopathic medicines she had stopped .
My insulin dosage has reduced considerably from what it was
morning 10 unit
evening 4 unit..
I have placed my faith in her , and on myself too..I am not writing a testimonial for her but this kind lady has helped me a lot I still dont walk ..though my photo shoots could be considered marathon walks in a way..
I shoot pictures to share my cultural inheritance I dont sell pictures and photography as a blog has made me connect with some great people like you..
I would have gone insane without blogging.. It is addictive there is no denying it and can play havoc with family life too..I have manage to walk the tightrope without falling off balance..
This year has not been conducive to me personally or professionally.
Abhijeet Bhattacharya- Ma Durga's Chosen Son
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abhijeet_Bhattacharya
Abhijeet was born as Abhijeet Bhattacharya in a middle-class family in Kanpur, the youngest of four siblings. He passed his class X (Ten) from Ramakrishna Mission Higher Secondary School, Kanpur and Class XII from BNSD Inter College Chunni Ganj, Kanpur. Although his parents were against the idea, he went against their wishes and became a singer. He is an established singer in Bollywood, having done extensive playback singing for actor Shahrukh Khan. Nowadays, he also appears as a judge in reality shows based on singing contests on TV.
[edit] Career
Abhijeet left home for Mumbai in 1981 to study Chartered Accountancy. Due to his fascination for singing and music, he decided to pursue a career in playback singing and quit Chartered Accountancy. Despite being gifted with a melodious voice, he struggled for a long time.
After his long struggle in Mumbai, he received a call from Rahul Dev Burman to sing for Dev Anand's sons debut film. Abhijeet also sang with Kishore Kumar, his idol, in the same film.
In the 1990s, Abhijeet established himself as a notable playback singer. His first notable hits were the songs from the film Baaghi, composed by Anand-Milind - Ek chanchal shokh hasina, Chandni raat hai and Har kasam se badi hai. Then in 1994 when he gave hits in movies like Yeh Dillagi, Anjaam, Raja Babu and Main Kihildi Tu Anari.. there was no looking back.. He became a hit machine along with his competitors Kumar Sanu and Udit Narayan he was among the top 3 play back singers of 90s and finally won the Filmfare Best Playback singer Award for Yes Boss in 1997.He went on to give hit numbers in the movies Baadshah, Yes Boss, Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge, Josh, Dhadkan, Chalte Chalte, Main Hoon Na
Some of his songs such as Kurta phaadke from Anari No. 1 did not do well with the public.
Abhijeet has given his voice for actors such as Shahrukh Khan, Sunil Shetty, Jackie Shroff, Anil Kapoor, Akshay Kumar, Govinda, Sanjay Dutt, Sunny Deol, Saif Ali Khan, Bobby Deol, Salman Khan, Aamir Khan, Hrithik Roshan, Ajay Devgan, among many others.
Abhijeet left home for Mumbai in 1981 to study Chartered Accountancy. Due to his fascination for singing and music, he decided to pursue a career in playback singing and quit Chartered Accountancy. Despite being gifted with a melodious voice, he struggled for a long time.
After his long struggle in Mumbai, he received a call from Rahul Dev Burman to sing for Dev Anand's sons debut film. Abhijeet also sang with Kishore Kumar, his idol, in the same film.
In the 1990s, Abhijeet established himself as a notable playback singer. His first notable hits were the songs from the film Baaghi, composed by Anand-Milind - Ek chanchal shokh hasina, Chandni raat hai and Har kasam se badi hai. Then in 1994 when he gave hits in movies like Yeh Dillagi, Anjaam, Raja Babu and Main Kihildi Tu Anari.. there was no looking back.. He became a hit machine along with his competitors Kumar Sanu and Udit Narayan he was among the top 3 play back singers of 90s and finally won the Filmfare Best Playback singer Award for Yes Boss in 1997.He went on to give hit numbers in the movies Baadshah, Yes Boss, Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge, Josh, Dhadkan, Chalte Chalte, Main Hoon Na
Some of his songs such as Kurta phaadke from Anari No. 1 did not do well with the public.
Abhijeet has given his voice for actors such as Shahrukh Khan, Sunil Shetty, Jackie Shroff, Anil Kapoor, Akshay Kumar, Govinda, Sanjay Dutt, Sunny Deol, Saif Ali Khan, Bobby Deol, Salman Khan, Aamir Khan, Hrithik Roshan, Ajay Devgan, among many others.
He was recently seen as a Judge in a reality show called Star Voice of India. Mr Abhijit , refused to judge a contestant in an indian Idol (Singing show), only based on his place of birth was outside of india. He simply stated he can't judge him. As a reaction to his gesture the singing partner for the Artist , who Abhijit refused to judge , told him if you will not judge my Partner , I will not like to be judged by you I would rather get 0 marks from the fellow judge but its far better then , getting marks form a biased judge.[1] Abhijit also violated the honor of being a judge since he was personally biased on his judging he never listened to the singing rather he was more interested in nationalities of people. [2]
[edit] Non-film music
After his success in playback singing, Abhijeet decided to try non-film pop music. He released two albums, Main Deewana Hoon and Tapori No.1. The albums did not achieve commercial success. Later he launched Aashiqui, which was appreciated by the audience. Recently, he has launched a pop album, called Tere Bina, whose songs and videos are chartbusters.
On May 3, 2006, he released another non-film album called Lamhe, which was well-appreciated. Currently Abhijit is a judge on the Sa Re Ga Ma Pa - Little Champs show.
[edit] Notable songs
* Dil Tujhpe Aa Gaya--1991 -Dil Hai Ke Manta Nahin
* Ole Ole -94 - Yeh Dillagi
* Main Khiladi Tu Anari -94 (title track) - Main Khiladi Tu Anari alonwith king of melody Udit Narayan
* Haan mujhe pyaar hua pyaar hua allahmiya- Judaai
* Zara sa Jhoom loo main -95 - Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge
* Wada Raha Sanam -90 - Khiladi
* Darwaza Band Karlo -93 - Darr
* Meri Jaane Jaana- Mohabbat
* Woh Ladki Jo Saab Se - Baadshah
* Title song - Baadshah
* Tum aaye to -2000 - Phir Bhi Dil Hai Hindustani
* I'm The Best - Phir Bhi Dil Hai Hindustani
* Kuch to Baata - Phir Bhi Dil Hai Hindustani
* Tauba Tumhare Ye Ishare -2003 - Chalte Chalte
* Suno Na - Chalte Chalte
* Title Song - Chalte Chalte
* Chaand Taare -97 - Yes Boss
* Main Koi Aisa Geet - Yes Boss
* Title Song[Sad]-2004 - Main Hoon Na
* Mere Khyaloon Ki Malika -2k - Josh
* Tum Dil Ki Dhadkan -2k - Dhadkan
* Roshini Se - Asoka
* Raat Ka Nasha - Asoka
* Aye Nazaneen - Dil Hi Dil Mein
* Teri ankhen jhuki jhuki -96 - Fareb
* Shaher Ki ladki - Rakshak
* Jhanjhriya - Krishna
* Pyaar Se Pyaar Hum Ab To Karne Lage -01-Raaz
* Ishq chupta nahin chupaane se - Bewafaa
* Aisa koi zindagi mein aaye - Dosti
* Tan tana tan tan tara --98 - Judwaa
* Sandesa Aya, Jab Tak Hai Saans, Kabhie Kabhie Sapne - Kaafila
* Dhoom Taana -07 - Om Shanti Om
* Dil le le-Khiladi 420
* Yeh Dillagi--94-Yeh Dillagi
* koi nahi tera jaisa-Keemat
* main rahu naa rahu meri aawaz -2006-lamhe
* Ek Chanchal Shook Haseena -90-BAGHI
* Deewana Deewana Main Tere Liye-Daraar
* Lahma Lahma Doori -06-Gangstar
* Badi Mushkil Hai -94-Anjaam
* Ah a e O oh O -94-Raja Babu
* itna mujhe pata hai-Khiladiyon ka khiladi
* Bharo meri mang baro-Sabse bada khiladi
* jab tak rahega samosa main aloo-mr and mrs khiladi
* Maine to khai kasam-Awara pagal deewana
* Tumhain kaise main batoo-Dastak
* Aankhon main base ho tum-Takkar
* Jhanjarya-Krishna
* Tum dil ki dhadkan main-Dhadkan
[edit] Awards
* Filmfare Best Male Playback Award (1997) for Main Koi Aisa Geet Gaaon (Yes Boss)
* Screen-Videocon Award for the best singer in 1997 for Chand taare in Yes Boss
* MTV Life Time Achievement Award.
* Uttar Pradesh Gaurav Samman[3]
[edit] Personal life
Abhijeet is married to Sumaati.[4] The couple have two sons.
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Shah-e-Mardan Sher-e-Yazdan Quwat-e-Parwardigar Lafata Ila Ali La Saif Ila Zulfiqar , originally uploaded by firoze shakir photographerno1 ....
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Dargah of Hazrat Syed Ali Mira Datar Unava Gujrat , a photo by firoze shakir photographerno1 on Flickr. HAZRAT SYED ALI MIRA DATAR'S G...
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Phir Saal bhar ke baad Gam-e- Shah Ayega, Zinda jo Rahega wohi ye Gam Manayega , originally uploaded by firoze shakir pho...
