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I start my new series at Flickr.com Ajmer Urus 2011 and one of its sub divisions will be Dam Madar Malangs of Ajmer .
I was initiated as a Dam Madar Malang by Baba Masoum of the Dam Madar Sufi order of Makkhanpur Delhi, though he heads the Gwalior group..
I have been shooting Baba Masoum Madar a Baba with 40 feet dread hair tied in a turban, since I first touched Ajmer through the grace and bounty of Peersaab Fakhru Miya Hujra No6 ..
Peersaab Fakhru Miya introduced me to Sufism, the Chishtiya Order and the Holy Saint Khwaja Garib Nawaz Moinuddin Hassan Chishti al Sabri..one of the greatest Sufi saints of India his philosophy his teachings his piety and above all his love for Hussain touching Shias like me too.
Every year I am faced with herculean problems at home and work that make my trip to Ajmer for the Urus utterly impossible but somehow the Holy Saint beckons me with broken wings fragmented hopes and I shoot his domain barefeet..
My dear friend Marc De Clercq was the person who inspired me to become a Dam Madar Murid of Baba Masoum Madar and Baba Waheed Madar from Kolkatta, it was Baba Waheed Madar who told Baba Masoum Madar to make me a Murid instantly, so Baba Masoum Madar called me the next morning gave me a bowl of water and sugar and asked me to trace my finger in it and drink the contents ..I did and I became a Dam Madar member with a brand new Sufi name Firoze Masoumi Madar
In all humility gratitude I placed my silver ruby ring on the finger of my Peer and surrendered my pride my ego my outer shell away .. I am a Fakir with a beggar bowl of a camera.. and images as poetry of my journey of life.,.
Marc de Clercq too became a Murid of Baba Masoum Madar he is now known as Marc Masoumi Madar.. and Marc Madar and I are now Peer bhais.. we are brothers spiritually and photographically..
My travelogue is long but a storyboard nonetheless ..
I used to call Marc a Dam Madar much before he became one as he used to walk all the way from Delhi to Ajmer with the Dam Madars ..he has walked for two years with them.
We shot a lot of stuff together but the best one the toughest one was climbing down Taragadh and Marc trailing behind me , my feet bare bleeding walking over rocks precipice to reach the Graves of the Hijra Saint and his biological son at Khada Pada close to Taragadh..this was my toughest trek, I had come here several years back in red djellaba and shot this place barefeet too.
Marc and I parted as I stayed at Peersaab Fakhru Miyas house , I shot hijras rafaees malangs hijra bawas beggars , I collapsed many a times in a trance like condition.. at Moti Katla too.
I shot the Chatti eve at Peersaabs house and the Chatti celebrations at his hujra.
I met dear Facebook fiend Syed Salman Chishty shot the dargah from his terrace.. ,
I shot the Dhai Djinn ka Jhopda too.
I missed a few friends Gopal Haji Saabs mother expired so he was not there nor the eunuch kids or Babita.
I met Laxmi Narayan Tripathi my hijra Guru..this was an eventful meeting as we never meet in Mumbai ever.
My legs are in very bad shape and the few days I stayed at Ajmer I did not take my diabetic medicine I never carried it in the first place..
And my one and only regret the hijra beauty goddess I love the most I could not shoot her, Khushi she was not there till the time I left Ajmer.
I shot Naina Raveena Simran and many hijras including Basanti the Gypsy Hijra..I shot a Sada Suhagin too..
But one person I am lucky to have met is the President of all Hijras transgender of Jammu Kashmir , I was touched by piety her simplicity ,Sarah Haji she has performed Hajj twice done Ziyarate e Karbala and she has invited me to come and shoot Ashura in Jammu ..this year..
This lady is a devout Hussainiyat loving trans gender cultured and lover of Fine Arts..
So this is my new set at Flickr.com..I get tired with words just see the pictures ...
Tags: ajmer urus 2011 malangs of ajmer dam madars sufism khwajah garib nawaz chishtiya order ajmer sharif urus Dam Madar Beda Par
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189,493 items / 1,502,219 views
My journey to Ajmer Sharif starts from here
Tags: ajmer sharif uris 2011 train journey mumbai to ajmer ajmer sharif urus sufism
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189,493 items / 1,502,219 views
Tags: ajmer sharif uris 2011 train journey mumbai to ajmer ajmer sharif urus sufism
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189,499 items / 1,502,230 views
I was with a group of guys Saeed Bhai Dawood Bahi David and others we shared meals and had a good journey to Ajmer Sharif..
Tags: ajmer sharif uris 2011 train journey mumbai to ajmer ajmer sharif urus sufism
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189,499 items / 1,502,230 views
Tags: ajmer sharif uris 2011 train journey mumbai to ajmer ajmer sharif urus sufism
© All Rights Reserved