The World through His Lens,
Steve McCurry Photographs
Glossary
Activist - An activist is a person who campaigns for some kind of social change. When you
participate in a march protesting the closing of a neighborhood library, you're an activist.
Someone who's actively involved in a protest or a political or social cause can be called an
activist.
Alms - Money or food given to poor people. Synonyms: gifts, donations, offerings, charity.
Ashram (in South Asia) - A place of religious retreat: a house, apartment or community, for
Hindus.
Bindi - Bindi is a bright dot of red color applied in the center of the forehead close to the
eyebrow worn by Hindu or Jain women.
Bodhi Tree - The Bodhi Tree, also known as Bo and "peepal tree" in Nepal
and Bhutan, was a large and very old sacred fig tree located in Bodh Gaya,
India, under which Siddhartha Gautama, the spiritual teacher later known as
Gautama Buddha, is said to have attained enlightenment, or Bodhi. The term
"Bodhi Tree" is also widely applied to currently existing trees, particularly the
Sacred Fig growing at the Mahabodhi Temple in Bodh Gaya, which is a direct
descendant planted in 288 BC from the original specimen.
Buddha - 566?–c480 b.c., Indian religious leader: founder of Buddhism.
Buddhism - A religion, originated in India by Buddha and later spreading
to China, Burma, Japan, Tibet, and parts of southeast Asia. Buddhists believe that life is full of
suffering, which is caused by desire. To stop desiring things is to stop the suffering. If a
Buddhists accomplishes this, he or she is said to have obtained Enlightenment, like The Buddha.
This ends the cycle of reincarnation which repeats until enlightenment is achieved.
Burqa/Burka/Burkha - An enveloping outer garment worn by women in some Islamic
traditions to cover their bodies when in public.
Chinar tree - A large, deciduous tree of the Platanaceae family, growing to 98 ft or more, and
known for its longevity and spreading crown.
Deity – A supernatural being, like a god or goddess.
Ganesh/Ganesha - Ganesha is very popular god in Hinduism, known as
the remover of obstacles, the patron of arts and sciences and the god of
intellect and wisdom, and the god of beginnings. He is easy to identify,
because he has an elephant head, but walks upright like a person and has
four arms.
Holi - A spring festival that is traditionally held in India, also known as the festival of colors or
the festival of love. It is an ancient Hindu religious festival. Holi celebrations start on the night
before Holi with a Holika bonfire where people gather, sing and dance. The next morning is a
free-for-all carnival of colors, where participants play, chase and color each other with dry
powder and colored water, with some carrying water guns and colored water-filled balloons for
their water fight. The festival signifies the victory of good over evil, the arrival of spring, end of
winter, and for many a festive day to meet others, play and laugh, forget and forgive, and repair
broken relationships, and is also celebrated as a thanksgiving for a good harvest.
Karma (in Hinduism and Buddhism) - The sum of a person's actions in this and previous
states of existence [lives], viewed as deciding their fate in future existences.
Kuchi/Kochi people - Afghan nomads
Lotus flower - Also known as Indian lotus, sacred lotus, bean of India, or simply “lotus”, an
aquatic perennial flowering plant
Mahout - A mahout is a person who trains an elephant. Usually,
a mahout starts as a boy in the 'family profession' when he is
assigned an elephant early in its life. They remain bonded to each
other throughout their lives.
Monk – A man who lives in a religious community away from other people. Monks live in a building
called a monastery. A bhikkhu is an ordained monk in Buddhism. The lives of
all Buddhist monastics are governed by a set of rules called the prātimokṣa or pātimokkha.
Bhikkhu literally means "beggar" or "one who lives by alms."
Monsoon - A seasonal prevailing wind in the region of South and Southeast Asia, blowing
from the southwest between May and September and bringing rain (the wet monsoon ), or from
the northeast between October and April (the dry monsoon ).
Mosque - A Muslim place of worship
Nomads - A nomad is a member of a community of people who live in different locations,
moving from one place to another.
Nun - A woman who lives in a religious community away from other people. A bhikkhu is an
ordained monk in Buddhism. A female monastic nun is called a bhikkhuni. The lives of
all Buddhist monastics are governed by a set of rules called the prātimokṣa or pātimokkha.
Pagoda - A pagoda is a tiered tower with multiple eaves, built in traditions originating in
historic East Asia or with respect to those traditions, common to Nepal, India, China, Japan,
Korea, Vietnam, Burma, Sri Lanka and other parts of Asia. Some pagodas are used as Taoist
houses of worship. Most pagodas were built to have a religious function.
prostrate/prostrating - To cast oneself face down on the ground in humility,
submission, or adoration.
Refugee - a person who flees for refuge or safety, especially to a foreign country,
as in time of political upheaval, war, etc.
Rural - Relating to, or characteristic of the country, country life, or country people; rustic.
Living in the country.
Salat - Perhaps the most well-known Muslim practice among those who don't adhere to the
religion of Islam is ritual prayer, or salat, which is performed five times a day: at dawn (al-fajr),
midday (al-zuhr), afternoon (al-'asr), sunset (al-maghrib) and evening (al-'isha). Salat is the
second pillar of Islam.
Scripture - Religious texts, also known as holy writ, or holy books, are the texts which various
religious traditions consider to be sacred, or central to their religious tradition.
Shaolin Monks/Monastery - The Shaolin Monastery or Shaolin Temple is a Chan Buddhist
temple in Dengfeng county, Zhengzhou, Henan province, China. The name refers to the forests
of Shaoshi mountain, one of the seven peaks of Song mountains. Dating back 1,500 years,
Shaolin Temple is the main temple of the Shaolin school of Buddhism to this day.
Taj Mahal - The Taj Mahal is a white marble mausoleum located
on the southern bank of the Yamuna River in the Indian city of
Agra. It was commissioned in 1632 by the Mughal emperor Shah
Jahan to house the tomb of his favorite wife of three, Mumtaz
Mahal.
Turban - A turban is a type of headwear based on cloth winding. Featuring many variations, it
is worn as customary headwear, usually by men. Turbans are part of the national dress in
Afghanistan.