The Juna Akhara .. Naga Sadhus at Khamakhya

I seriously began documenting the Naga Sadhus Juna Akhara from Nasik Kumbh 2003 Trimbakeshwar .

I met a Naga Sadhu who had studied Islamic scriptures was a teacher in Mangalore but than renounced family life and took the path of peace begging at Haji Malang Dargah was also a devotee of the Holy Saint .

Shri Vijay Giri Maharaj I accepted as my Naga Guru I needed some support to shoot and document the Naga Sadhus of Juna Akhara .
My Naga Guru stayed on a hillock at Film City I visited his Ashram after the Nasik Kumbh ,,, he visited my house .

In 2007 he invited me to the Ardh Kumbh Allahabad I think but I could not make it due to Moharam.

In 2013 he invited me to Maha Kumbh Allahabad I shot this Kumbh extensively than I shot the Nasikh Kumbh 2015 Trimbakeshwar I lived with the Nagas .

In 2016 I shot the Ujjain Kumbh ..than one day I got a message from my friend Laurent Salesse he wanted to shoot Khamakhya Assam in 2016 unfortunately he could not make it I did ..it was a real tough experience the Ashram where I lived had no toilet I went through hell being a diabetic,,,

But The Goddess was kind a chaiwala Narayan allowed me to use his toilet he refused to take money from me and he too is a photographer ,, only sells tea snacks during the Ambubachi Mela .

It was meeting Niku Sarma that changed everything I met him by cosmic accident and he visited my home with his mother at Bandra and this year 2017 Mrs Shatrughan Sinha bought me my flight tickets it was Niku who put me in his house next to the temple took care of me ..I had the best Assamese dishes that his Mother God Bless Her made for me they treated me like family .

Most of my time in Khamakhya was spent shooting the Naga Sadhus at Dattareya Mandir this year the temple authorities had banned the Nagas from roaming about in the nude .

Shooting this iconic Tantric kingdom was my dear friend Laurent but Laurent was staying in a hotel at Guwahati and most of the times had to climb up the mountains no transport here during the fair main days .

In the night I shot the Aghoris as I knew the Aghori Guru I had met him last year this was my main study my main documentation and the Aghoris were active only after midnight ,, I shot a lot of videos but in poor low light at the Khamakhya crematorium.

I also documented black magicians tantrics and Hijra shamans .

I have already started saving money to go to Khamakhya in 2018 .

Luckily at the Naga Sadhu abode I knew Bhagwati Giri Guru who was my Gurus Guru Bhai he knew me since Allahabad and other Kumbhs I did not have much resistance shooting them..

Most Naga Sadhus dont like photographers but I was an enigma to them dressed as a Sadhu with a Muslim name on my International Press Card.
It was getting registered by a Naga Kotwal Ram Giri to the Juna Akhara Khamakhya that helped me and Laurent the most.

Laurent shoots medium format film and he shoots with a camera attached ring flash with backdrop.. this was a great learning though not my style of photography .

On Eid both Laurent and I shot the Eid Namaz Eid Ul Zuha at Eidgah Guwhati.

Laurent and I met first in Lucknow Ashura 2007 we have shot a lot of events together he is like a great protective teacher his knowledge of photography is boundless after Khamakhya he was going to hire a bike to shoot the local tribes in Ladakh.

I realized fist and foremost I can only shoot what I was destined to shoot and the Gods and Goddesses I shoot must invite me to complete the circle of bonding ..

Om Namo Narayan.