About The World Of Rafaees ...

I was always fascinated by diverse ethnicity that makes up the weft warp of unseen India .. its only some photographers like me who are passionately dedicated to shooting them , documenting their lifestyle customs rituals I do not proselytize their order nor their religious beliefs I am only interested in them as a person or people photographer .

And I had to overcome their fear of the camera , the reason why I was photographing them and all this much before I came on the net and began photoblogging their way of Life .

I was not going to deface their ethos into a coffee table book and honestly I shot them for myself..I met many hurdles and I can reiterate it was not easy shooting them I did not take notes on their Order , nor did I go out to journalize their history .. I simply wanted to shoot them and because my sartorial persona matched them in more ways than one they reached out to me as I reached out to them.

I did not indulge in their love for the chillum , I was a smoker once but had given up drugs and booze.. and this order is strictly not into alcohol.

Ganja Hashish opium.. is what some partook that is why at the Dhuni you met hardcore drugaddicts becoming Murids of the Bawas to get free hash.. a few asked me to contribute for the hash but I refused instead I gave money for tea milk or food .. no drugs .

Perhaps this attitude and my own lifestyle made me enemies with some of them ..and I came to the Dhuni during the Urus barefeet , after my work was done and walked back from Mahim to Bandra every night ..it was tough getting a cab.

I tried not to shoot the hangar ons or the local boys ,as my attention was only on the Rifais , their moods , temperament , their style of cooking on the Dhuni no kerosene no gas .

Rich food mostly dal rice chapati and vegetables but if someone donated a goat than it was mutton korma and pullao.

I had documented the Rafaees under various Murshads the first being Late Sikandar Wali Bawa .. but there was a short fused misunderstanding he had me banished from this group, I returned after a gap of one year thanks to a few friends under the new Murshad Handi Sai who knew and respected me a lot .. He visited my store those days and I already told you that part of the story , but before he died I met him at Haji Malang he had overdone the drug part and was in bad shape , and when I met him at the Rafaee Chowk.. I could visualize vultures hovering over his body , I fled from there leaving him aghast at my sudden flight ,,

Than I came to know he died at Kota Rajasthan..


I went to the Dhuni during the short tenure of Barsati Baba Amanat Ali ..


And than the group splintered Farukh Bawa,Hassan Ganda Faiyaz Ali all going their different  ways but we met at Jalali Chowk Ajmer Sharif Urus .

And in 2011 I became a Dam Madar Malang and began documenting the Madarriya Order , this order fascinated me more than the Rifai Silsila .

And I met the head Rafaee Mehboob Ali of Mumbai , a tall famous figure I knew him from Mumbai ,,,and this was my documentary on the Chancawalli Rafaees based out at the Dargah of Shansawalli At Andheri East.

This year sadly I could not meet them as I was in Lucknow during both the Mahim Urus .


These are pictures from the past most of the guys are dead ..and the person in the picture is Murshad Late Handi Sai..
May His Restless Soul Rest In Peace.

Wishing You All A Very Happy 2015 ..Thanks For Visiting My World Of Poster Cards

Piercing The Head With A Sharp Rod .. The Rifai Silsila

After he had inserted the rod into his head people who gave him money placed it into the rod at the other end.

And I never saw this Rafaee again..this shot at Mahim in 2005 and there was a time I could not stay away from these events ..

As a photographer I was clueless I shot many things , birds bees , flowers , waterfalls sunrise sunset but eventually as time elapsed shooting religious festivals , Urus , I took more interest shooting street life street pain all as part of my repertoire .

And it dawned on me thanks to late Fred Miller that I was a street photographer a genre I shot but could not club myself in.

And poetry juggling with words on a few pictures became part of my visual history.

I wanted to shoot the underbelly of religious ritualism , possession exorcism without hurting or ridiculing the people I shot , and though I was a Shia born Muslim I smoothly paved my way into this form of Indian Sufism  called Rifai Silsila ..and these were not easy folks to shoot , they had their spirituality a unique life style  ..I met resistance from some who thought I was shooting them to expose their smoking hash , others thought weird things but one common thought I was shooting all this to sell pictures and make money.

And I suffered this ignominy silently , till I bought Late Handi Sai to my design studio , showed him my actual profession those days , and he looked at my world of glitz and gloss Bollywood glamour , took me aside and told me seriously ,, you should become a Rafaee .

I smiled , and respectfully told him I liked their rituals but was happy cutting my head with real blood during Ashura and politely refused his kind offer .

Till he was alive Handi Sai considered me a good Murid friend wellwisher I had lots of rejects sleeveless jackets , shirts kurta pajamas that I gifted to him to give to his group that were poor and impoverished ..So it was this bond this trust that gave me access to their world cut off from the mainstream.

And than years later in 2011 I became a Malang with my Belgian friend , and there was no need to become a Malang but I guess it made it easier to document this Sufi group, followers of Ali.. and lived an austere lifestyle .

And similarly I met the Nagas at Kumbh Mela befriended them , and attained a Guru a learned man a teacher who had become a Naga Sadhu a man adept in Islamic scriptures I took him as my Guide shot The Nasik Kumbh and the Maha Kumbh thanks to Vijay Giri Maharaj of Juna Akhada .

But one person who really fascinated me with his Tantrik knowledge grasp was Kapoor Khamkhya from Hardwar affiliated to Goddess Khamkhya . I met him at the Kumbh , and did not have much time .. but we keep in touch and I hope to shoot the Khamakhya temple with him in Guhawati  Assam.


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Wishing All Lovers Of Imam Hussain Eid E Zehra Mubarak

EID E ZEHRA OR EID E SHUJAH 9 RABILAWAL

Eid-e-Shuja', also known as Eid-e-Zahra, is the day of Eid for most Twelver Shī‘a and marks the end of the mourning period after the events of the Battle of Karbala. It is celebrated on the 9th of Rabi' al-Awwal of the Hijri calendar. Eid is an Arabic word meaning "festivity", and Shuja' means "brave" or "courageous". It stands for "Eid of the brave and courageous companions of Hussein ibn Ali" who fought in the battle of Karbala. Eid-e-Zahra stands for "Eid of the family of Fatimah". According to some Shi'a traditions, this is the day when the heads of the key murderers in the battle of Karbala, Umar ibn Sa'ad and Ubayd-Allah ibn Ziyad, who were killed by Mukhtar, reached Imam Zainul Abedeen and brought a smile on his face[citation needed]. Many Shi'a prepare for Eid by applying intricate designs called mehndi to hands and wear bangles, usually each meaning different things. This event doesn't fall on a specific date of the gregorian calendar since the holiday is based on the lunar calendar.

Significance[edit]
The two-month period of Azadari (mourning) reaches its conclusion with the death of the 11th Twelver Shī‘a Imām, Imam Hassan Askari on the 8th of Rabi al-Awwal. The day that follows, according to some Shi'ite tradition, is considered the greatest Eid (celebration) for some followers of the Twelver Shī‘a sect. Also known as Eid-e-Zahra, this day honours the daughter of Muhammad as a day of great joy and happiness[citation needed].

One of the events which is marked on this day is the believed beginning of the Imamate of the 12th Twelver Shī‘a Imām, al-Hujjah ibn al-Hasan, though highly disputed among several Twelver Shī‘a sects, such as the Ismā'īlī and Zaydī Shī'ī sects, who each believe in a different number of Imāms and, for the most part, a different path of succession regarding the Imāmate.

This is also believed by some Twelver Shī‘a traditions to be the first time that the 4th Imām smiled and rejoiced[citation needed] after the events of Karbala in which he saw his entire family and friends killed by Ibne Ziyaad, Umar ibne Sa’d, Yazid ibne Mu’awiyah and others. It is believed that on the 9th of Rabi’ul Awwal of the year 67 A.H., Mukhtar sent the head of Ubaydallah Ziyad to Imam Zainul Abedeen who was in Makkah at the time[citation needed].

The Muslim Mother Begs On The Streets

as the year ends
a new year will
dawn merriment
for the rich the
poor have nothing
to eat ..baby hears
the sounds of
dancing feet
crackers are
bursting all
around on
the death of
an old year
a new year
competes
to enter
in blazing glory
at sharp 12
lights go off
happy new year
they greet
lingering kisses
winter warmth
so sweet

for the poor
there is no new
year .. just pain
a cosmic circle
of eternal misery
complete ..

the rich with a click
of a button all problems
delete .. pretty neat

while rich fat laid back muslim society
builds mosques madrsas the poor
muslim watch their wretched fate in defeat

Bleeding Rain - Ya Hussain Moharam Ends With Athvi

On 31 December Shias will take part in the Athvi or 8 Rabilwal mourning when Mohram officially ends after 2 month 8 days .

In Mumbai there are Athvi processions at Govandi  and at Malad where scourging and kama matam is performed one last time in memory of the Martyrdom of Imam Hussain.

At Mehmoodabad Sitapur District it is led by the Raja of Mehmoodabad and his family , traditional tazias Amary and scourging on the way ,, but the most important aspect of Mehmoodabad Athvi is Zuljana the stallion representing the steed of Imam Hussain is released and he rushes into the crowds reaches the Roza of Imam Hussain.. and places his head on the shrine.

The most iconic is Lucknow Athvi .. that starts with the Chup Tazia procession from Nakhas , a silent mournful dirge of Ghabrayegi Zainab and past memories of its founder late Bakar Sab a very humble man, who wept , covering his face with a hanky.. stand out .

The Chup tazia with fortified security passes through the streets of Lucknow and is buried at Kazmain with a lot of matam.

While on the way to Kazamain Shrine Shia anjumans come to pay their last respects to Imam Hussain , and here among all the melee you will find Baney Bhai with a huge bag of swords daggers on his humble back urging and reaching out with his soz as the Kama Matam begins , with frenzy never seen before .

I had called Baney Bhai to my in laws house before leaving for Lucknow and handed him my contribution..as this man does everything on his own..and it was with Baney Bhais Anjuman that I had first cut my head during Athhvi..and I am unwell since last 15 days in bed with a serious viral infection but yes I will certainly miss Lucknow Athvi..


The following day after Athvi .. the Shia dress up colorfully mostly red and the day starts with cheers and curses on the killers of Imam Hussain and doubly on the enemies of Ahle Bayt ,

Effigies are burn at Kazmain and every Shia house , there is song dance among the kids , and Shia distribute Gul Gule sweet pancakes ..This day 9 Rabilwal is know by the Shias as Navi or Eid e Zehra.

Mushairas are held people chew pan with red lips and the happiness is in the air in Old Lucknow and at Makbara Gola Ganj.

And I am left with stray memories ,,,