I stopped searching for light as I got used to darkness

For my Friend Hassan Ali Shirazi

every morbid minute

every scandalous

second every horrid

hour ..held me captive

deathless .. my life

from one station

to the next station

of the cross in abysmal

mess ..i was a wanderer

who lost his own address

was it my dead mother

in an angels dress

not white pitch black

her silhouette i tried

to caress ,, she whispered

hold on for a while

dont get stressed

in the womb of

my misfortune

you were blessed

the heart is a stalker

lives and destroys

its own nest ..

i heard a whimper

in my chest ,,

the mind is a devils

workshop even at rest

The Flute Playing Sadhu

One thing if you love shooting faces , people , beggars , than the Kumbh is the best place to hone your skills as a street photographer.

And if you love shooting rituals , customs monks Sadhus Nagas and Aghoris and Tantrics than Kumbh is in your backyard.

And if you befriend a good Sadhu , from a  reputed ashram, than it becomes all the more easier.

When I shot the Nasik Kumbh I did not know anybody , no contacts nothing , but than I met Shri Vijay Giri Triveni from Juna Akhara who has his ashram near Film City Mumbai I became his friend stayed with him at Sadhugram Trimbakeshwar  on the eve of the Shai Snan shot the ling kriya , sadhus pulling a car with their penis ,,

I could not accompany him to the Shai Snan Trimbakeshwar tank but pushed my way through and shot part of it ,,seems a long time now .

And so the contact that I built at Nasik helped me shoot the Maha Kumbh, and I did not want to shoot the Maha Kumbh as a photographer so I became a part of them.. on the Basant Panchmi Shahi Snan my Guru dressed me up as a Sadhu with ash on my forehead I shot the Kumbh as a
Sadhu..

There was someone else who helped me a lot I can only say a prayer for her she is not alive and I hope  God Grants her Freedom from everything..

I shot her pictures her  short lived life at the Maha Kumbh ,, but have removed them from public domain..


"We do not know which weight is worse to bear
our conquering them or their conquering us."
-Bhagavad-gita 2:6

#WakeUpAkhilesh The Cycle Needs To Be Repaired ..

raped murdered
hung from a tree
eyes accusingly
stare ..dead they
are still scarred
agonizingly
silent ..a pain
with you they
share ...a father
i am sure you
do care ..
victim of
circumstances
by cosmic fate
ensnared ..
women in
uttar pradesh
are not raped
because of
what they wear
boys will be boys
make mistakes
even angels fear
to dare ..

The Naga Sadhu

on a winter cold morning
on the banks of the ganges
a naga guru pensive sad
i shot all alone in a crowd
flooded by old memories
of earlier kumbhs  agony
ecstasy of his thoughts
i tried to capture decipher
each one of them in the
fishermans net i caught
at that very hallowed
solemn spot ..

a muslim  photographer poet
held by a slender thread in a
cosmic plot ..overwrought
his cultural inheritance that
had pulled him from mumbai
his jouney into a saffron world
of vermilion tiny dots the chant
of har har mahadev from  the
soul of his camera on to your
hearts he bought .amrit nectar
of humility humanity as offerings
from his guru he got ..for once
his caste color creed he forgot

shot after shot after shot..stealing
curds from Krishnas pot ,,,,

Basant Panchami Shahi Snan Maha Kumbh.the winds whispered beggar
 poet ,,once home forget me not ,,,
we are born we die become air
fire water wind ..mankinds lot .

Shooting The Naga Sadhus At The Shahi Snan Is a Risky Business Too

Basant Panchami Maha Kumbh

On this auspicious God sent Day while heading towards the banks of the Ganges for the Royal Bath or Shahi Snan , the Naga Sadhus are over excited , some of them high in spirits , rushing adrenalin , and if you are not cautious you can be attacked by a few volatile hot headed sadhus , either with their sticks or even the swords or trishul..perhaps because some press photographer , or foreign photographer steps in their way making them all the more agitated .

As  I was dressed in white and looked like a Sadhu I saved a lot of  unwary photographers from getting beaten..but than the photographers the crowds and the stupid cops of UP are over excited too, the cops have no inkling about handling the Naga Sadhus , they are abusive rude and insulting to the foreign photographers ..and we talk of Devo Atithi Bhava..there is no Press Stand here at the Sangam , preferential treatment for VVIP photographers is possible , you have to pull strings in high places .

I pity the Photo Blogger but because of his ability to become a reptile in such situations he gets away with some good shots too..

I was with my Guru a Naga Sadhu and Kotal Naga Cop so I was lucky  to be at the right place right time..

There is no discipline , here at all badly stage managed , and absolutely no disaster management on this side of the banks.. whatever lifeguards etc are on the boats of the baks  a small place left for the Holy Dip , in which even the crowds keeps pushing in

Most of them are Bhakts of the various Akhadas with their families ..

All in all I had a Great Maha Kumbh..

Women In Uttar Pradesh Even God Cant Save ..#wakeupakhilesh

kehte hain aurat ko devi
karte hain uska gang rape
darakt par usko phansi dekar
karte hain use pesh..
going to the dogs ..
womens safety in unruly
uttar pradesh ..tears on
the soul of womanhood
on our bharat desh..

in rape van winklish stupor
somnolent beneath the surface
#wakeupakhilesh

The Maha Kumbh ...The Greatest Event On Earth In India ..

Kumbh Mela is the greatest pilgrimage and festival in the Hindu religion. The event is a religious and cultural spectacle which occurs once in 12 years attracting participants from around the globe to take a dip in the holy waters of Ganga, Yamuna and the mystical Saraswati. Maha Kumbh Festival 2013 was   one of the biggest congregations in the history of mankind.


When Guru (Jupiter) and the Sun are in the zodiac sign Leo(Simha Rashi), the Kumbh is celebrated in Trimbakeshwar, Nashik.
Next Kumbh Mela will be held at Nashik in year 2015.


Nashik Maha Kumbh Mela 2015

Nasik Kumbh Mela

The Kumbh Mela is the most eventful and significant spiritual get-together for Hindus in India. It is held once in every Twelve years. at Four important pilgrim centers take turns to host it. These are Nasik, Allahabad, Ujjain and Haridwar. Every 12th year, the Kumbh Mela is held on a grand scale at each above cities. This grand celebration is called Puran Kumbh.

Nashik is the centre for Kumbh in the state of Maharashtra. Millions pilgrims go to the Nasik Kumbh Mela and take a dip in the holy waters of Kushavarta and Ramkund. The Kumbh at Nashik is believed to be the most sacred festival of all.

The Sadhus who visit the Kumbh in large numbers reside in the Tapovan which is situated at the left bank of river Godavari.

Climate In Nashik

The climate in Nasik is pleasant throughout the year except for the summer months from March – Mid June. The summers are very hot and the maximum temperature can go up to 42°C and it is advisable to avoid going to Nasik during this time. Nasik enjoys medium rainfall from June to September and it is a good time to visit. The Winters are from December to February and the climate is pleasant. This is the best time to go there.

Since Nashik is one of the important cities of Maharashtra, it is well-connected by road, rail and by air with all parts of India. It is 185 Kms away from Mumbai and one can reach there via NH-3. Pune is 220 kms. Deluxe and luxury buses are available from Shirdi, Pune, Aurangabad and Mumbai. There are two airports near Nasik – Pune and Mumbai and both are 175 Kms from Nashik. Nasik is well-connected to many cities and towns via railway, since it is one of the important stations of the Central Railway.



The Story behind Kumbh

The holy water Amrit had to be protected from the demons. The demigods hide it at different places namely Patllok, Swargalok and Mrutyulok. They were on the earth (Mrutyulok) for twelve days of demigods which is equal to twelve years of earth for them. The gods stayed on the earth with the Amrut for twelve years. Therefore, the Kumbh Mela is celebrated every 12 years at four places where drops of Amrut had fallen.
The Kumbh Mela is celebrated depending upon the position of the stars and planets. When Guru (Jupiter) and the Sun are in the zodiac sign Leo(Simha Rashi), the Kumbh is celebrated in Trimbakeshwar, Nasik. When the Sun is in the zodiac sign Aries(Mehsa Rashi), the Kumbh takes place at Haridwar. When Guru(Jupiter) is in the zodiac sign Taurus(Vrishabha Rashi) and the sun is in the zodiac sign Capricorn(Makkar Rashi), it is celebrated at Prayag. When Guru(Jupiter) and the Sun are in the zodiac sign Scorpio(Vrishchik Rashi), it is celebrated at Ujjain.

Shri Shankaracharya had once appealed to his disciples of the Vaidik Dharma to come together at the time of the Sinhastha Kumbha Mela, while he was recognizing the importance of the Kumbha. The devotees and pilgrims along with people from various religions and sects assemble for the kumbha adter following Shri Shankaracharya’s appeal.

The next Kumbh Mela at Nashik will be celebrated in the year 2015. The festival will start on 14th July and will continue for a year.



Date-2015DayEvent
14th July 2015TuesdayFlag hoisting of the main ceremony at Ram Kunda
14th August 2015FridayFlag hoisting of the Akhara at Sadhugram
29th August 2015SaturdayFirst Shahi Snan
13th September 2015SundaySecond Shahi Snan
18th September 2015FridayThird Shahi Snan
For more information on Kumbh Mela, follow the link to the facebook page  Kumbh Mela


nasik kumbh