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When he scourges people move off and he is ruthless to say the least , his blades are a whisker away from my lens..
Posted by photographerno1 on 09 Feb 2010
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Posted by photographerno1 on 09 Feb 2010
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Posted by photographerno1 on 09 Feb 2010
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Posted by photographerno1 on 09 Feb 2010
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As I cut my head open again with the camera dangling round my neck and it was impulsiveness on my part , I took a dagger from a persons hand removed my earlier bandage and cut open my earlier wound all over again , leaping in the air with the dagger a metaphoric dance of death that I call Tandav on the Soul of Shimr..
.Habib Nasser took my camera and shot two frames for posterity.
And I am drenched to the bone and in this condition I shot the angst of the Shias on Chehlum day within the walk way of Rehmatabad Shia cemetery Mazgaon Mumbai.
Posted by photographerno1 on 09 Feb 2010
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Now imagine trying to shoot this as a photographer at ground level, the guys who are scourging dont see right or left, its an impassioned state of mind..but than I shoot this from grass root level , and here it was the first time I went up a solitary house on the Shia cemetery to shoot this to get a top view.
Beyond are the graveyards on all sides and bordering the block of graveyards are these walk ways where the matam takes place..it is so crowded that I have never been able to visit my parents graves on Chehlum day, the women light candles on the graves of their ancestors and relatives..
The Shia cemetery has a majority of Shia Baluchi and Irani graves .
Late Meena Kumari, Kamal Amrohi , Jalal Agha , Guddi Marutis brother Dilawar , Mr Mukesh and Mahesh Bhatt Saabs mother are buried here.
Close to my parents graves is the grave of Joe Ansari poet and the tiled grave of late Nawab Kashmiri yesteryear actor ..
The Shia cemetery is very quite on normal days , it is Ashura Chehlum and Shabbarat that it gets crowded with the living among the dead.
I came down soon after I had shot the frames as I cannot shoot my subjects from a distance and because of this I did not carry my heavier 80-200ED 2.8 Nikon AF lens.
To shoot this one has to be as light as ever and nimble footed and extremely cautious , one wrong move you lose your limbs or your eye.
Tempers are at boiling point nerves frayed , and you are responsible for your safety, if a guy hits too hard over bleeds the chances of stopping him are negligible as he can hurt you if you come i the way..
But the JUS volunteers the IVF do an efficient job and there is an ambulance stationed outside all time.. there are medical relief First Aid camps..I was treated at the Prince Aly Khan First Aid Center .
I have shot Moharam in almost all the major cities of India including the Shia citadels of Lucknow and Hyderabad but Rehmatabad Shia cemetery during Chehlum is an experience of a life time.
Posted by photographerno1 on 09 Feb 2010
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I have never shot from this house belonging to a Shia person , but he gave me permission to come up and shoot a few frames ..
And this is a ghastly sight , the entire floor is covered with blood , and in spite of the limitation of camera flash, the dark arena appears sinister.
Everywhere people are cutting themselves with ferocity , viciously , and it is after all this ends , crowds filter out that the hardcore sword matam begins .
Shooting Rehmatabad i Chehlum is a highly challenging effort, and you normally dont get what you shoot, as someone or the other blocks your frame, there is no time for politeness or good manners , language here is minimal, just strokes and blood hitting your face and person.
You have to push hard each time they pull you away from the arena, and re renter again , and you go on shooting, documenting a moment livid in pain that lives on much after the event is over.
My lens was covered in blood , my camera dripping blood , my head a streaming fountain that would not stop, my vision blurred but I went on shooting like a mad man adding to the madness of pain around me.
My barefeet were covered in blood , my feet were festered as a few days back I had climbed the Haji Malang mountains barefeet.. and had made the return journey from the mountains bare feet too.
And this is the next lot of pictures all on a 3.50 GB card , and I share it with you, even the pictures that got messed with blood on my lens have something to say about the spiritual zeal and the angst of the Shias of Mumbai.
Posted by photographerno1 on 09 Feb 2010
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This entire series on my photo stream at Flickr.com
Posted by photographerno1 on 09 Feb 2010
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Chehlum Shia cemetery Rehmatabad 2010..
Posted by photographerno1 on 09 Feb 2010
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