195,564 items / 1,595,452 views


As both my cameras are at the technician I may not be able to post the picture of my first fast which I will begin tomorrow , the picture you see on your computer screen was shot last year , and my sairi will be almost the same home made roll and some kheer and a black cup of tea.

What has changed from last year to this year is I dont shoot my thigh with insulin anymore I gave it up completely nor do I take the herbal powder ,instead a tablet and Ojamin tonic for the pancreas that was suggested to me by a Vaid at Latur at the house of Mr Madhusudan Buthada.. quite effective in my case.

So this will be the picture to start my new series Ramzan Mubarak 2011 ... holding a thread to Ramzan 2010 too..I dont feel helpless without a camera but it does feel strange , had I my camera on my person today I would have gone to shoot the hustle bustle of Chand Rat at Pydhonie shot the hijras with their drums begging from the shopkeepers I would have gone barefeet towards Bhendi Bazar Mogul Masjid but than I cut my day dreaming coming home shooting the streets without my camera on Chand Rat accompanied by my dear wife ..

And I got a call greeting me for the beginning of Ramzan from my goof freind Zain Hussain from Dubai..And so I wish all of you without sarcasm without satire a very Happy Chand Rat Ramzan Mumbarak 2011 .

Let the bombs explode elsewhere we cant change that let the killing of Muslims by Muslims continue we cant change that let scams corruption continue we cant change that and my best advise to Mr Anna Hazare for getting rid of his anxiety of the joke pal bill and the joke pal fast is to undertake a Ramzan fast and taste the sweetness of the Almighty .. and usher in Hope Harmony and Brotherhood too.


136,664 items / 1,059,052 views last year first fast Ramzan 2010


I began my first fast of Ramzan a few minutes back, I am a frugal eater a pizza made by wife , some kheer sweet dish, a cup of black tea..before I began eating I took my insulin and diabetes medicine.

And as I began my fast I come to terms with myself my dehydrated fate and the cosmic reality of my existence within a drop of tear.

And I shot this to show you my table within the proximity of a blog..

I have downloaded new street pictures to my comp,I shall upload it later in the day.

And with this my last blog before I hit my head on a boulder of a pillow I wish all of you Ramazan Mubarak.. and a thought for all those buried in the cloud burst all over India Pakistan and China.

May they find immediate relief help and sustenance from God and mankind.

Tags:   ramzan mubarak first fast ramzan mubarak 2011 ramzan ramadhan mubarak 2011 muslim ethos ramadan mubarak 2010 ramadan

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Since Saturday 30 July 2011 tragedy hit me in the guts hard and strong, both my Nikon D 80 s died n their sleep.. I called up my dear friend Sundar Vetkar ace camera technician of Bohra Bazar to be told he was in Ratnagiri.. his hometown.


Sundar Vetkar is a great human being , whenever I give him my camera to clean the CCD or some minor flaw he wont charge me , and if he does it is a very nominal amount, his reasoning is that I use my camera to champion the cause of Humanity and I dont make money through my photography so he says in all simplicity he is ashamed to charge me..and he humbles me this great man .. greater than me in his humility... he humbles me with his words his kindness his love for me.

Yes this is a purely Mumbaikar quality..

So all of Saturday and all of Sunday I did not shoot a picture I watched both my grand daughters Marziya Shakir unwell at home and a little 14 days tot Nerjis Asif Shakir and didn't shoot her too..


I am hopelessly clueless shooting pictures of people by sticking the mobile phone on their smudgy faces ..

This evening I called Sundar Vetkar and he had come back from his hometown told him the malady of my ailing cameras , he asked me to come over to his tiny cubicle under a staircase at Bohra Bazar..in town..

Wife dear is fasting since four five days they open their Ramzan account before us men , accompanied me in the cab, I sat in the front and she at the back..Khan Saab was our friendly driver.. as I shut the doors of the cab, and passed Mori road basket weavers he said Firoze Bhai aren't you taking your usual shots I nodded I was shooting , only he could not see me camera .. he looked confused at this new invisible technology.. the traffic was bad as there was an accident at Mahalaxmi and the traffic was diverted via Arthur Road Jail .

I saw the pedestal of Khada Parsi the metallic boobed mermaids and I gorged the scenes the homeless sitting waiting for Ramzan and the elusive rain touched Ramzan Chand.. the chaos we took potholed roads and the JJ bridge I dont shoot potholes its the flavor of newsprint and pathos of DNA and Hindustan Times .

We reached Central Camera my taxi fare had shot up thanks to the traffic potholes my wife silently paid Rs 200..

We reached the famous camera lane I met Umesh Salgaonkar , a great photographer friend he gave me his invitation a group show near JJ art Gallery starting from 8 Aug..

I met Raju bhai handsome hunk of Vibgyor he asked me Dude where is your camera , I told him you cant see it but I took his shot..

I came to Reliable stores both Shyman Bhai and Raju bhai posed for me I took shots with my minds camera and moved on to Sundar Vetkars cubicle I handed him both the dead cameras told him to charge nominal as I am going through bad times bad karma bad luck he smiled nodded his head
..
Wife waited outside on the street , we decided to take the local from VT.. so we walked people whom I shot the vegetable vendors of Bohra Bazar looked at me as though I was a zombie.. and this young guy shouted out aloud Sahib tumcha camera kute ahey.. I pointed to my third eye on my forehead ..and he looked zapped .. he thought the rains has gotten to me and my third eye too..

We stood in the line , me my turban , my barefeet my rings and next to me my fast clinging burkha clad wife.. we took the Bandra local wife took her ticket and got into the ladies compartment while I sat with the gents..

A little urchin girl came tugged my pajama I took one shot she smiled I gave her some coins than I got up as Bandra had arrived her mother sitting near the door had a child on her wrinkled wretched breast that looked milk less to me I took one shot hurriedly .. and the Parsi gentleman with horned rimmed glasses gave me an evil stare I love Parsis but I did not shoot his picture.. I got off at Bandra wife followed me ..people looking at us .. I climbed the Foot over Mouth bridge shot the Garib Nagar plastic skyline..

As I reached the upper landing there was a Muslim beggar lady in a hijab her daughter both looked at me hoping the flash would pop up any moment I shot them in ambient light I shot them as tribute to Muslim Society on ChandRat .. I decided I would write a poem later ..

As I took the steps down another Muslim beggar man with two stumps stared into my camera eye and I took another shot sad as his Chand Rat was as bad as the last one last year and the one year before last..

Wife was getting annoyed she had her fast to break she muttered under her breath uff ab bandh bhi karo..

We than came to the signal near Lucky Hotel and the hijra waved out to me from a cluster of rickshas I took a shot , wife was now absolutely furious , I winked at the hijra .. and followed my wife through Jamatkhana Food lane .. the Muslim beggars stared at me crazily they thought I was fuckin stark naked without my camera I covered my imaginary shame but I took several shots .

Wife was all red fuming we parted at Jain Mandir lane she took her path homewards I came to my workplace ....I sat for a while congratulated my friend Mitul Thakkar he has become a father to Divan..I congratulated his wife Sonali his father my Savior in hard times Nitin Thakkar and Ashaji first time grand parents.

I left my workplace walked through Chinchpokli lane took two shots of the goats eating plastic on the dumps , and begrudgingly came out via a short cut to my house.. my lift man gave me a salute Saab Ramzan Mubarak.. Camera Kahan Hai..

And I just looked through him rudely and reached home .. than while the crackers burst outside I decided it was time to quit photography and get back to serious blogging on the net,..

With over 195564 photos in my Flickr photostram most of them textless all I need to do is change the Exif data add pictures without shooting anything for another 3 years..


Anyway Sundar Vetkar has promised to give me both my cameras tomorrow.. thank you for the visit on my camera less photo of the day..


माहे रमजान मुबारक, दुवा मे याद रखियेगा जी !

Tags:   Street Photography Without a Camera माहे रमजान मुबारक sundar vetkar camera technician bora bazar chand rat barefeet beggar poet firoze shakir poet street photography muslim beggars ramzan ramadhan mubarak 2011 muslim ethos

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The quintessential Ramzan element , the Awakener...
His job is to wake up people by shouting out Hoshiyar , Utho Roza Rakho
Wake up begin your fast.


And his life is a tough one a stick in hand to drive away barking biting dogs and a small torch in hand he moves from lane to lane from one Bandra slum into the other , this is his target audience , tired people fast asleep, whom he wakes knocking at the doors of their shanties..

He does his own sairi at the end with a date and some water near Lucky hotel or a cup of tea and whatever he is offered by people who now adults remember him when they kept their roza..and his selfless contribution to Muslim society.

On Thursdays he and others like him come in the evening to collect the Baksheesh for this sublime work of God .

And my wife is in the kitchen preparing the Sairi..for me and both my sons..

And even without a camera I can blog and bring to you the bounty of Ramzan by merely fast forwarding or changing the EXIF data of an old picture from my earlier Ramzan sets I shot religiously every year to share my world and the piety of the Muslim man..

No Shia Sunni just a Muslim Man uncorrupted by the harsh strokes of a sectarian divide.

And she placed a plate with two chapati stuffed rolls ..and a glass of chilled lassi..but what I will love is my first and last mug of black tea..

And as I eat I remember my dead parents on a day like this they appear alive to me bringing back and forth memories of my roza with them....what they gave me I am passing on to my children their divine love for Allah and his creation .. His Mercy His Bounty His Generosity..

I skipped my diabetes medicine for today to let my body adjust to a new metabolism based on Faith..

I am astounded when the non Muslim thinks we gorge both at sairi and at Iftar , its just not possible , Iftar the stomach muscles are so dry that even food intake is difficult.. this is my personal experience.. our house is somber as both my grand daughters are not well adding to the anxiety of our lives but Allah provides .. he takes care of us giving us good moments good friends and good hopeful memories ..

माहे रमजान मुबारक, दुवा मे याद रखियेगा जी !

Tags:   iftiari awakeners ramzan mubarak keeping the first fast ramzan fast 2011 bandra blogs street photography ramzan ramadhan mubarak 2011 muslim ethos ramadan 2008

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138,185 items / 1,070,265 views

bachon ki dua
khuda kabool
karta hai
bachon ki dua se
insaniyat ka
rang ubharta hai
bachon ka karvan
khuda ki bargah
se guzar tha hai
khuda ki
khudaie ka
farman
bacchon ki
ankhhon main
khuda ham sab
ko bayan karta hai
jab hamara bachpana
hamare bacchhon
ki ankhon se guzarta hai

Tags:   marziya shakir two year old The Silhouette Of A Hijab silhouette of the hijab survival of the hijab muslim womans garment self respect determination grit poems by firoze shakir beggar poet of mumbai firoze shakir poetry ramzan ramadhan mubarak 2011 muslim ethos ramadan mubarak 2010 ramadan a garment of modesty in defense of the hijab

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138,186 items / 1,070,298 views

two and a half years
she can draw a fish
a mouse as is
where is
she can shoot
the soul of
photography
with a Nikon d 80
a total whiz
religious to the core
ali ali ali ali
seldom
leaves her lips
into any mood
camera friendly
she slips
she now
gives her
guru
some
wisely tips
my soul
she strips
adding a layer
of ingenuity
ali ali ali ali
a name she
worships
kissing the hand
of those who love
her she reciprocates
friendship
ali ali ali ali
my poetic passion
my angst
within the silence
of my soul she rips


baGhair hubb-e-Ali mudd’aa nahiiN miltaa
ibaadatoN kaa bhii hargiz silaa nahiiN miltaa
Khudaa ke bandoN suno Ghaur se Khudaa kii qasam
jise Ali nahiiN milte use Khudaa nahiiN miltaa

basad talaash na ab kuch vus’at-e-nazar se milaa
nishaan-e-manzil-e-maqsuud raahbar se milaa
Ali mile to mile Khaana-e-Khudaa saa hameN
Khudaa ko dhuuNdha to vo bhi Ali ke ghar se milaa

Ali imaam-e-manasto manam Ghulaam-e-Ali
hazaar jaan-e-giraamii fidaa-e-naam-e-Ali

Tags:   The Silhouette Of A Hijab Ali imaam-e-manasto manam Ghulaam-e-Ali hazaar jaan-e-giraamii fidaa-e-naam-e-Ali ali haq marziya shakir two year old silhouette of the hijab survival of the hijab muslim womans garment self respect determination grit poems by firoze shakir beggar poet of mumbai firoze shakir poetry ramzan ramadhan mubarak 2011 muslim ethos ramadan mubarak 2010 ramadan a garment of modesty in defense of the hijab

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