View allAll Photos Tagged Mumbaikar
all night
they keep coming
walking talking
in cars and cabs
every kind of commuter
on motorbikes and scooter
men women children
neuter
burkha clad ladies
mini skirted dolls looking cuter
even a student along with his tutor
the newly engaged along with her suitor
the cybernetic nerd
minus his computer
cusrow bagh bawas
dhobi talao macks
shivaji park bongs
antop hill mallus
unglikar, khujlikar
mumbaikars too
goras and bohras
standing
orgling
very long queque
gorging
tandoori chicken
kadai chicken
bheja frry
gurda kapura
gurda kaleji
seekh kabab
boti kabab
bater teetar
firni
malpuas
kheer
last a
pani kam
cutting chai
aroma of
bhartiya
brotherhood
minara masjid
a steaming cauldron
of love beyond religion
better understood
169,900 items / 1,320,214 views
Before the Amary Athvi Juloos reaches the corner where the bloodletting zanjir matam and kama matam take place , little kids begin their scourging on the streets itself, and this is a euphoric , seamless without me glorifying the ritual of blood.
The kids I must reiterate are totally involved , the very young ones are with their parents or guardians but the older kids are out here on their own, there is no parental pressure or guidance as this ritual is part of the Shia ethos at all levels whether you are a rich or a Shia from the slums.. the blade cuts both ways.
Mind you in Juloos such as these or for the matter any Shia Juloos there is hardly any media coverage..hardly any photographer . just a few stray guys doing video recording for private reasons.
The Shia organizers dont believe in media , they want the juloos to begin and end without any communal skirmishes , and here I must mention earnestly without prejudice or bias that other communities support the cause of Hussain.
The Hindus Sunni Muslims Christians watch from the sidelines as the juloos makes its way to its end.
So as a Shia , as a photographer who shoots all religiosity with sincerity and the same emotion and passion as I would be shooting Lal Bagh Chya Raja or the 14 Stations of the Cross barefeet on Good Friday I shoot the Shia processions during Moharam or otherwise.
I chronicle Mumbai the city of my Inheritance its multi colred culture, I am as much a Hindu as much as you are a Muslim , a thought I believe in , because every religion is bound to Humanity and over personal ideology respect and mutual coexistence and tolerance is the keystone of a Mumbaikar from Amchi Mumbai.
As Shias we are products of our surroundings too, how we translate our spiritual angst is what matters the most, predominantly the Shias of Mumbai are very cool headed and peace oving people , they do what they do, they cut their bodies a form of expression expounding the tragedy of Karbala , the genocide the inhuman manner in which the Holy Prophets grandson Imam Hussain was killed in cold blooded murder by the custodians of Yazidi Islam at that time.
So Islam too though universal in Peace and Brotherhood has a few chapters reeling in blood , persecution hate and bigotry.
What the Shia is trying to translate by his blood letting his matam that Karbala should not repeat itself, and Terrorism is the greatest enemy of Humanity cloaked in any form or disguise.
Imagine a 1400 yea old protest from one generation to the next unbroken as it continues , a banner of revolt as red as the Shias blood on the soul of Humanity by subsequent Yazid and his followers.
This is in short a treatise on the Shia ethos angst that the majority does not want to see ..every corrupt nation or its despotic ruler falls in front of the popular will of the people.
It is people that make or recreate History.
So as a poet I picturize the pain of the Shias , I shoot the coming of Age of the Shia child, the Shia motherhood that produces and keeps the flame alive of Azadari and love of Hussain.,
I shoot all this as a street photographer a canvas that reads as photo blogs.. mind you I shoot without proselytizing my Faith , I dont believe in conversions I respect the Mothers womb the only place you were a human before you become a bigot.. or a faithful believer of Humanity irrespective of your caste color or creed.
So see my world through my camera eyes.. I dont wish to change your views your own religious opinions..my blog is a blog of peace and the source of my blogs is as human as the tear that falls from my eyes we call it Ghame Hussain.
And with this set Moharam will be over , but than it is a state of our Choice and the struggle continues against Oppression and Persecution.
I will shed my black clothes wear saffron the color of my culture and the metaphor of my surroundings.. so dont blame me if the poet in me calls himself a Shia Hindu..
Yes I shoot Hope and Hindutva too as a message of Peace and Humanity.
This slogan of the masses of a migrant diaspora , is what the King of King of Mumbai Ganesha seems to say.. Mee Mumbaikar.. I am a Mumbaite.
And the Raja in his worldly splendour laden with Gold, Silver , precious stones is a humble Mumbaikar at Heart..He becomes one with all, the rich men the poor man even the beggars too..who stand for over a day in a serpentine line to get his Darshan..The volunteers or the foot soldiers of Lal Bagh Chya Raja are exemplary, polite, courteous , and ever helpful, giving all they have got to the Lord..
For them the Lord is everything, and so the atmosphere is congenial, pervading with a spirtual serenity..unseen anywhere else perhaps at the GSB Seva Ganesh Mandal..Both are territorial Kings of their Space ..but the largest space is in the Minds and Hearts of their Devotees..
As a Sufi thinking Muslim, as a Shia Pandit me and my camera eye misses nothing..
Lal Bagh Chya Raja is the Mascot and Lucky Talisman of a cosmopolitan city of Mumbai..and when he moves out of his Domain towards the final Immersion at 9 am and reaches Gigaum Chowpatty next morning at 4 am..
He passes through Muslim localities where the Muslims garland him, respect him, this is Tolerance for the greater good,beyond cheap Fatwas of Bareilly clerics who live in Caves and in Dark Ages.. This is not a single Salman Khan, but all the community , giving a farewell to the spirit of Mee Mumbaikar..
Being a Muslim in Mumbai, is a very special feeling, I know Muslims who climb the pyramid to break the Dajhi Handi, I know Maharashtrians who grab my scourging blades to shed blood for Imam Hussain on Ashura, yes I am crying as I write this, if this feeling of oneness labels me or my Hindu friends as Heretics so be it, it is better to live as a Heretic than die the death of a fundamentalist Dog..
There are Muslims of the Jamati kind who taunt me whether I have become a Hindu, I remain silent but honestly I am a Hindu since birth, born in Hindustan my nationalistic cultural identity..But I am a Muslim that Allah knows and my family knows..Why cant we be less bigotted and more human friendly is a cry that escapes from my lips..
So I shoot pictures , go great lenghts to show and share as feelings with all of you, I am not just a Shia I am a person of the world..and I intend to remain like this tiIl my death.The neo Islamists can stick to their beliefs , the neo Shia Wahabbis can also stick to their beliefs..I am happy at my end of the World ...
I have over 8000 pictures on my homesite that I have not bought to Flickr..a daunting task, and 11000 pictures posted here perhaps not on my homesite..
But Flickr is my homesite by default now..
I dont go and defecate my views on Flickr members pictures, I dont condemn their Faith so I dont see why or with what right they abuse me here as a Shia person or as a Muslim..I do not promote Shiasm , but yes I shoot pictures of all Faith..if your Faith is stronger than mine more pure, more closer to God you should not be worried by the words of this Shia heretic..
I shoot what I see and Truth cannot hide behind false Dogmas..
Its rainy season (Monsoon) in India. The Green lush rain fresh background with the Coir rope in foreground. Could'nt resist clicking it.
CSMT Bound Fast Bombardier Local waiting for signal clearance at Diva outers..
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Rake no.5305-06/Kurla..
The Bridge stands among the crumbling rocks of a Portuguese Fort , spanning across the Mahim Bay.
The bay that seperates dreams (Town) from reality (suburbs) of every Mumbaikar
and the bridge attempts to bring them closer :-)
It has not rained sufficiently for past few weeks and every Indian's eyes are locked on to the sky.
Crops are failing, Drinking water supply is running low, Economy is facing reduced growth, Hope is fading while Government is holding fingers crossed.Food Prices are breaching new inflation levels while Earning is reducing.
You can call it El Nino or Global Warming or some stray high presure buildup but it is definitely a hard time.
I Pray and Hope for Change in Luck and in the vision of our Federal/State Ministries. We have taken Mother Nature for granted for too long. Not any more.
Lets change before it becomes irreversible.
HDR image processed using Photomatix Pro Trialware
Photo taken at Inorbit Mall, Malad, Mumbai on an evening.
All Delhi wallas are Mumbaikars today. Click here to read the full story at The Delhi Walla.
*Picture by Arko Datta
CR's Retrofitted Local which has completed it's codal life kept in Nerul siding which are now waiting for scrap..
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Rake no. 3040-53 & 3022-43
236,640 items / 1,979,597 views
garam
garam
pani kam
chai
bhuta
in the rains
naram
naram
women
dripping wet
at chinchpokli lane
the flyiing
umbrellas
the flying skirts
growing up pains
sandra from bandra
mary jane
watching
the fun uncle joe
ogling
though
the window pane
aunty
inside
is watching
an old flick
of michael caine
growling at
mouse clicking
but not pen
pushing poet
neighbor Alfie's
great Dane
uncle saby
has eloped
with his Russian
girlfriend
to Ukraine
fr jauan
from st peter church
marathi speaking
mumbaikar jesuit priest
from good old Spain
darryl loyola sharyar atai
asif baig his musicians
bheja frying
our brains
This picture was sent to me and to Dr Glenn Losack MD as an email attachment by my dear friend Habib Nasser , Habib is really hurt like all of us , for what happened to Mumbai..
The people from all section of society are disgusted to say the least and feel let down by the erswhile politicians of our country, and the state leadership..
This is the first time that the corporate sector the intelligentsia and the common man are demanding answers..from the powers to be..
The politicians are safe with their contigent of body guards , black cats and private body guards where as the person at the CST station is shot down in cold blood..
We lost our brave police personnel including the valorous officer of the NSG..
Innocent people lost their lives at both Taj Palace and the Trident..
The Nariman House terror attack was a disaster , with Moshe two year old son of Rabbi Holztberg and Rivika made orphan..in a single night .. a kristalnacht..
The NSG took 9 hours to reach Mumbai a delay that cost lives , unecessary lives..
The scapegoat heads have startedt o roll , but the system the main culprit remains the same..corruption , political apathy inept governance lack of police reforms all this mentioned at the debate on TV 18 today..
I dedicate this poem to the spirit of a fed up Mumbaikar
we the people
of Mumbai
are fed up withan inept leadership
a disastrous slip between the cup and the lip
9 hours delay terrorists shooting from the hip
60 horrifying hours our conscience whip
from karachi with love on a hijacked ship
the coastal guards let them zip
to badhwar park into the darkness
a meticulously planned trip
blood on the soul of our indian nation drip
changing the sartorial home minister
with the dynamic finance minister
a political comic strip
why we as a nuclear nation cant
be more prepared and better equipped
once and for all forget
Indo Pak friendship
a betrayal with our name
wriiten on the fedayeens catrridge clip
allah ho akbar
shooting helpless men women children in the back
a misguided spiritual ego trip
the silence of the minaret
as hopes dip
as Indians our living guts rip
For us Mumbaikars garden is a luxury. For example I live in a typical working class Maharastrian society, have the luxury of a small patch of public garden bang opposite my society. Although it is rare that I step inside the place, I do like to go and take a walk when it is all empty. Some times I like to sit there early mornings and just watch the world around me jump start their day. I love to feel the wet grass under my feet and enjoy the early morning fresh air. In short greenery is a luxury for us Mumbaikars with the construction jungle spring up on every patch of earth in the city. Some of us find alternatives by setting up miniature garden in side small earthen pots and set it up on the edge of the balcony. I am one of them. It is not exactly a jungle but I have an aloe, a fern, a show plant and a money plant which I had flicked it from my neighbor who stays in the ground floor. (They say it brings in money if one flicks the plant).
Last weekend I realized that I need to add some color to my so called miniature garden and bought in these beauties. I don’t think I can explain them any better but these beauties remind me of Bipasha Basu singing "Beedi Jalai le" in between a bunch of men.
mumbai.metblogs.com/archives/2007/09/bipasha_basu_singing...
There, from the serene, tranquil water rises a tower, that shines like ice crystal. It is Minas Hydros.
Ok, its the effect of excess LOTRing.
Pretty tough to catch but fun n thrilling to catch
was able to capture just one okay one after investing half an hour.. I expect and hope to try and capture more lightning shots, but till date none came close to that day. That eventful day for hours, Nature was at its extraordinary best. Everywhere I could look there were ligntning bars...
Still I wait patiently for nature to bestow its kindness again and to improve upon my first lightning shot..
An ordinary day in a life of a mumbaikar begins like this... Local trains of Mumbai are like veins and arteries of the city connecting the whole city with an awesome network..we cannot do without them!
I have about 300 plus photos to upload to this series and some pictures still in my camera..this mother and daughter depict the peaceful nature of the Tamil diaspora in Mumbai.Well entrenched with the Maharashtrian culture ..these are Mumbaikars too contributing their bit to the city and the community.
I get along very will with the Tamils and nothing can stop me from shooting them.
The only regret I have is that Lord Iravan does not grant me the wish of going to Vilupuram to shoot the Koovagam Eunuch festival at Koothandavar.
One day perhaps ..who knows.
I got a call from my friend Heena Hijra she was upset I had not visited her at the Mumbai Cages since a very long time.
Much of my time has gone in uploading these pictures , and Subash my camera friend managed to sell my rotten dead in coma Nikon D70 after two years for Rs 5000 ..This is the worst camera from Nikon and they ripped us all in Third World countries by dumping the most fucked camera on us.
Mumbai is absolutely like an oven , it had rained last evening so it is abnormally hot and humid to say the least, I bathe thrice and change my clothes the same number of time..
137,827 items / 1,066,880 views
Ever since I became a blogger I have shot the Independence day and our Republic day , my love for my country's flag its ethos and its values , despite all the knocks scams my country cannot be blown away by a few a handful who rob her relentlessly under one scheme or the other.
Most of the time the hand that raises the flag is the hand that has done the maximum harm and it is between them and their conscience.
These are pictures I shot on 15 August but could not post them as I felt I needed to showcase the Indi Blogger Meet I attended for the first time at Sea Hotel Princess Juhu.15 August 2010.
I shot and posted 329 pictures ..I added a few of the youngest blogger ever Marziya Shakir two and a half year old street photographer , and I added her pictures solely on the criteria she shoots like a Pro , she is a up and coming street photographer ,her arsenal Nikon D80.
Many a times I feel like a child in her presence and I think God has been overtly kind in handing her to us as the keeper of our Heritage.
We are second generation Mumbaikars and Marziya is a Pucca Mumbaikar ..our first of the third generation , as she has been bought up by the fisher women of Bandra , she is also known as Marziya Koli .
She has grown in their laps and she is not scared of jumbo prawns lobsters or any kind of fish dead or alive.
She might be the first person in my family to speak and understand the Koli language ..her favorite is Manjula Koli who has been very close to her since she could barely walk.
So what is a Blog?
A blog in my case is a picture that becomes a giant of a tree , as I am not bought up in the tradition of a writer I write a blog , blog is rant if it read as a rant , blog is hope a blog is the beginning of a new life a blog is writing about a grand child that belongs to me but also belongs to all of you.
I wrote a lot of shit when I began blogging all housed in my archives photographerno1.com I kept them alive , because it is part of the change a blog bought into my life the six or seven years I have been a blogger and you are a blogger on which website you blog I began with Buzznet the best , Blogspot brain child of Biz Stone now founder member of Twitter who works off a yacht in the high seas..he is amphibian rare specie called a micro blog.
After this I joined Word Pres till I discovered Flickr and my life changed I became a Pucca Idiot of blogger at Flickr ..
137,827 photos / 1,066,910 views should suffice in three years at Flickr.
So the Indi blogger meet was a good therapy for my soul meeting other bloggers off line and specially Renie Rnvin web architect and founder.
He just sent me a message I share with all of you,...and I have begun my fast as I write this..
Hey Firoze!
It was good to meet you - and thanks for ALL the pictures and the very nice blog post!
By the way - your granddaughter's an absolute angel. I can see why you've taken so many pictures of her. I have a nephew, and he's my fav photo subject. :-)
He added
Hey by the way - do you mind if I post some of your pics onto our facebook page?
Also - please add your pics to the IndiBlogger group on Flickr:
www.flickr.com/groups/indiblogger/
Thanks!
Keep blogging,
Renie Ravin
My reply to him written a few minutes back..
I give you a carte blance to use my pictures of the Indi Blogger meet that I shot in Mumbai..
I may have been a Indi Blogger member but you baptized me with your love and your devotion to a very good cause.
Unfortunately I am not into groups at Facbook or Flickr ..so I wont be able to add those pictures you can addd any you want..
I am bad with names but your team is the jewel in your crown.
I thank them sincerely.
I liked your HDR though personalty I run a mile from sunsets insects etc preferring to shoot the dregs on the face of mother earth , who have defaced her completely.
If you talk to Gul Panag give her my regards I did not to want to go overboard trying to shoot but she is one hell of a model of the women of substance ..
I like that you are a zoologist ..I am a zoologist in a different way it is the animal in man part of my thesis..
have just got up for my fast..if you are from Chennai you might know the Denison family I am very close to Robert Denison of Bangalore Management Academy..
I a a diabetic sometimes I can barely see what I write or shoot but I manage ..
Take care Bro
Firoze Shakir
So in short a blog a rivulet of words that becomes a stream that ends into the ocean of you heart and I moderate my blogs so my bias should not infect the pristine purity of the ocean of your heart..
This blog has as yet not sold its pictures text or words.. even when things were rotten bad and gloomy I sold my Nikon ED 2.8 80 -200 Lens for R 15000 to go and shoot the Urus of Ajmer Sharif , the ambiance of peaceful Islamic Sufi Path of peace , the hijras the beggars and all.
I am a beggar too and the alms God gives me generously are not pictures but photo blogs.
So now you know what is a blog and a piece of news or a column of chaos in a newspaper..and now you know I shoot photo journalism as a blogger and not as a photo journo..,
I shoot the same thing over and over again too like them but yes I shoot it differently .. not as a photographer but as a poet.
Photography is poetry even if you are not a poet in some cases.