20 Must-See Photos of South Asia Through the Eyes of Photojournalist Steve McCurry

Sharbat Gula, Afghan Girl, at Nasir Bagh refugee camp near Peshawar, Pakistan, 1984. National Geographic. "The green-eyed Afghan girl became a symbol in the late twentieth century of strength in the face of hardship. Her tattered robe and dirt-smudged face have summoned compassion from around the world; and her beauty has been unforgettable. The clear, strong green of her eyes encouraged a bridge between her world and the West. And likely more than any other image, hers has served as an international emblem for the difficult era and a troubled nation." - Phaidon 55 NYC5958, MCS1985002 K035 Afghan Girl: Found National Geographic, April 2002

Steve McCurry is the incredible photojournalist behind the famous “Afghan Girl” portrait that originally appeared in National Geographic and is now hailed as the modern-day, Mona Lisa.

His career began when he crossed the Pakistani border, disguised as a native, into rebel-controlled areas of Afghanistan right before the Russian invasion. His photographs of the Russian invasion of Afghanistan were among the first to depict the conflict to the rest of the world. And to make his story even more riveting, he protected his photographs by sewing the rolls of film into his clothing.

Since then, he has travelled the world and spent many years photographing the heart and soul of many South Asian countries; its people, culture, and the heart-wrenching emotions that only his photographs could truly do justice for. He perfectly captures the essence of each country he has photographed, and in the process, captured all of our hearts.

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[Between Peshwar and Lahore, Pakistan | Photo Credit: Steve McCurry]
INDIA-11024, Rabari Tribal elders.
[Rajasthan | Photo Credit: Steve McCurry
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[Weligama, Sri Lanka | Photo Credit: Steve McCurry]
Blue Mosque, Mazar i Sharif, Afghanistan, 1991, 1992"Doves in front of Mazar-e Sharif's famous 'Blue Mosque,' the Tomb of Hazrat Ali. Revered by Muslims as the tomb of the son-in-law of the Prophet Mohammed, this 15th-century mosque near the border of Uzbekistan is named for the cobalt blue and turquoise colors of its minarets and domes. Mazar-e Sharif, Afghanistan, 1991."- George Eastman House"The white doves are a tourist attraction for Afghans. They are fed and cared for by travelers - by traders and farmers who come to market, and by residents of the northern region who come to the city to pray at the large mosque. In a country not given to leisure travel, the doves provide a symbol of peace." - Phaidon 55NYC5926, MCS1994002 K046 final print_milan
[Mazar-e-Sharif, Afghanistan | Photo Credit: Steve McCurry]
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[Kabul, Afghanistan | Photo Credit: Steve McCurry]
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[Afghanistan | Photo Credit: Steve McCurry]
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[Kolkata | Photo Credit: Steve McCurry]
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[Kashmir | Photo Credit: Steve McCurry]
Holi festival, Rajasthan, India, 1996 The Holi festival is also known as the festival of colours and this image by McCurry shows why. With powder bombs exploding around him, this man is in a state of reverie as he is carried aloft through the crowd. In form and content it is an image of intense fervour and excitement. Magnum Photos, NYC94205, MCS1996002K308 Phaidon, Iconic Images, final print_milan, iconic photographs
[Rajasthan | Photo Credit: Steve McCurry]
INDIA-10214, Bombay, India Mother and Child at Car Window, Bombay/Mumbai, India, 1993 A mother and child beg for alms through a taxi window during the monsoon. Bombay is the capital of India's business, movie, music, and fashion worlds. A city of wealth, but everywhere, within a few steps, is the greater India. Poverty, for both its victims and those who only witness it, is inescapable. Refugees from India's rural poverty and people seeking opportunities for a better life arrive each day in the thousands to swell a city which already seems to burst at the seams. Over time, you learn of the complex economics of Bombay's beggars. Street corners can be "inherited" or subject to leasing arrangements; a spot on one intersection busy with taxis is prime real estate. Begging is a way of life. An overwhelming number of the city's inhabitants live on the streets in intricate hierarchies-those that have shelter are better off than those on open ground. They in turn have risen above those who live on the streets themselves. (2000) South SouthEast. London: Phaidon Press Limited, 43. National Geographic, March 1995, Bombay: India's Capital of Hope Magnum Photos, NYC5919, MCS1996002 K097 ..Phaidon, 55, South Southeast, Iconic Images, final book_iconic, final print_milan Jam-packed and alive with commerce, India's richest country allures new corners by the hundreds each day. Arriving with little more than dreams, some hit it big. Others remain on the outside looking in: half of Bombay's 13 million people live on the streets or in ramshackle huts, and thousands-like this woman and child-survive only by begging. National Geographic: John McCarry (March 1995) Bombay: India's Capital of Hope, National Geographic. (vol.187 (3)) pp.42-67 *See caption in book. Iconic Photographs
[Bombay | Photo Credit: Steve McCurry]
Agra, Uttar Pradesh, India, 1999 final print_milan
[Agra | Photo Credit: Steve McCurry]
Red Umbrella Taj Mahal, Agra, India, 2000.
[Taj Mahal, Agra | Photo Credit: Steve McCurry]
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[Haridwar | Photo Credit: Steve McCurry]
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[India | Photo Credit: Steve McCurry]
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[Jodhpur | Photo Credit: Steve McCurry]
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[Porbandhar, Gujarat | Photo Credit: Steve McCurry]
Built to remain above the annual inundation. The tracks are often occupied by entire villages, camping till the floods subside, Bangladesh, 1983National Geographic, June 1984, By Rail Across the Indian Subcontinent, Phaidon, The Unguarded Moment, Iconic Images, final book_iconic, final print_milan
[Bangladesh | Photo Credit: Steve McCurry]
Flower Seller, Dal Lake, Srinagar, Kashmir, 1996 National Geographic, September 1999, Kashmir: Trapped in Conflict "Each morning for two weeks during his 1996 visit to Lake Dal in Kashmir, McCurry travelled with the flower sellers. He had established a ritual for the morning hours, when the sun was at its best. Shortly after dawn, he would begin the day in the market; then he would ride with the boatmen. He knew these were the places for strong pictures. He also knew he needed to work for his pictures, to look and to wait for the right light and action to come together. And then, that morning, from a boat filled with flowers, he caught the boatman's hand in the reflected light of the V of the trees on Lake Dal." - Phaidon 55 Magnum Photos, NYC5901, MCS1999005 K017 Phaidon, 55, South Southeast, Iconic Images, final book_iconic, milan frame, final print_poster, iconic photographs A flower seller paddles through Dal Lake's quiet waters. Few observers expect diplomacy to restore equal serenity to his homeland. Buffeted from within and without by waves of seemingly intractable strife, Kashmir faces a stormy future. Good pictures take time and work. When visiting Lake Dal in 1996, McCurry travelled with the local flower sellers as they journeyed down the river. For two weeks he would ride with the merchants during the morning. On this day the vibrant flowers and boatman, arm raised in mid-paddle, combine with the morning light to create the perfect composition.
[Srinagar, Kashmir | Photo Credit: Steve McCurry]

By Ashni Mehta

Ashni Mehta is a digital marketing Strategist at the Brennan Center for Justice — a political legal nonprofit that works … Read more ›

The Pressures of Being the Perfect South Asian Woman

NAKED: The Honest Musings of 2 Brown Women was born in the autumn of 2018, when Mimi Mutesa and Selvi M. Bunce began sharing their poetry collections. It was scary, beautiful, and terrifying when they decided to trust each other with their most intimate thoughts. Not only did they feel relieved after doing so, but Selvi and Mimi also felt more seen as women of color. They embarked on their publication journey, so others may feel as seen as they did on that fateful autumn.

“Ingrown Hair” deals with the themes of societal and family pressures that are reflected throughout NAKED. Mimi and Selvi have always written for themselves. They see poetry as an outlet, and their poems exemplify their personal frustration and vulnerability. “Ingrown Hair” speaks to Selvi’s experience with the societal pressures of South Asian women, such as getting married, being a good wife, becoming a good mother, and leading a certain kind of life.

[Read Related: Exploring the Endless Possibilities of who I am In the Mirror]

Ingrown Hair

There is something strange beneath my skin
telling me to build a house,
make a home,
mother children.
I am not sure how to reconcile it.
My mother was strong
and a mother after all.
My philosophy has been to spend my time
on myself and the world.
I have always thought
I could simply address the thing under my skin
when it finally crawled out.
But when my family starts guessing
who will get married first, and my father
has been saving wedding money for years,
I begin to wonder
if I will have to pluck it out.

[Read Related: Reconstructing and Deconstructing our Ideals]

You can purchase your copy of NAKED on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Waterstones, Bookshop, and The Black Spring Press Group. Follow Selvi on Twitter and Instagram. Don’t forget to check out her project, Brown & Brazen.


The opinions expressed by the guest writer/blogger and those providing comments are theirs alone and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of Brown Girl Magazine, Inc., or any employee thereof. Brown Girl Magazine is not responsible for the accuracy of any of the information supplied by the guest writer/bloggers. This work is the opinion of the blogger. It is not the intention of Brown Girl Magazine to malign any religion, ethnic group, club, organization, company, or individual. If you’d like to submit a guest post, please follow the guidelines we’ve set forth here.
By Selvi M. Bunce

Selvi M. Bunce (she/they) has written for academic and creative journals and spoken at diversity conferences and TEDx. Selvi currently … Read more ›

The Poetry Film Breaking Genres and National Borders

“After so Long” is a poetry film created for Simha’s EP, which is streaming on Spotify, Apple Music and Amazon Music. The poem was collaboratively written by Simha, a U.S. native, and Jae, who is based in India, during the 2020 lockdown. “After so Long” was recited by Simha and their parents. In 2022, I directed and produced the film through my studio, Star Hopper. “After so Long” premiered on Nowness Asia in March 2022.

This film is a worldwide collaboration among trans and queer south-Asian artists from the United States, India and Canada. It was recorded, shot and filmed during the lockdown of 2020 and 2021.

[Read Related: Poetry That Reflects the Fire Inside]

[Read Related: A Bengali Muslim Boy’s Poetic Journey Through Himself]

After So Long (English Translation)

Jae:
Awake at 10 am but out of bed at noon,
I want to be here where I lose myself in these sheets
Glancing through half-shut eyes
At the gold pressing past my window
The glimmer remarks on the ledge of my bed
But the voices are so loud
Like dust collecting in the corner of my room
I am unaware to why I’m still here
With the chilling doubt of the breeze…
I’m swept into lucidity After so long

Dad:
Mil rahi hoon mein aaj iske saang barso baad,
(Today, I’ll be meeting them after so long)
Koi paata nahi diya tune
(But with no destination sight,)
Kya karu?
(What should I do?)
Kaha jau?
(Where should I go?)
Shayad agar mein chalne lagoon,
(Perhaps, if I keep walking)
Inn yaadon ki safar mein
(Down this road of memories)
Mujhe samajh mein ayega,
(I will find out)
Yeh rasta kahaan jayega,
(Where this road leads)
Inn aari tedhi pakadandiyon pe baarte hi jaana hai,
(Through the twists and turns of this winding roads, I must keep going on)
Mujhe mil na hain aaj uske saath,
(I wish to meet them today)
Barso baad.
(After so long)

Simha:
I feel like I’m retracing my footsteps
From these concrete stretches
To broken cement walls
Chips and cracks forge their way for new designs
I see the old abandoned buildings
That once held the warmth of bodies
Now just hold memories
Supporting the nature’s resilience
In vines and moss
After so long

Mom:
Dhoondli shishe mein jaaga leli hai
(These isty mirrors have offered refuge)
Bikhri hui laatao ne,
(To these scattered vines)
Zameen pe uchi ghaas pe
(Amidst the tall grass stretching from the ground)
Lehrati kamsan kaliyaa
(The swaying little buds)
Bheeni bheeni khushboo bikhereti
(Spreading honeysuckle scent through the air)
Phir wahi mausam,
(I lose myself in reminiscing, the same season)
Wahi dil,
(The same heart)
Baarso baad.
(After so long)
Phir bhi mein chal rahi hoon aaj
(Still, I keep carrying on today)
Khudko khudse milane ke liye
(In the pursuit of my higher self)
Inn galiyo se guzarna hain aaj
(I must pass through these streets today)
Chaalte chaale jaana hai aaj
(I must keep going on today)
Kabhi hum milenge kisi mor paar
(Someday, we’ll meet again, somewhere on this road)
barso baad
(After so long)
Kabhi hum milenge kisi mor pe
(Someday, we’ll meet again, somewhere on this road)
barso baad
(After so long)

[Read Related: How to Follow Your Heart, Even When it’s Hard]

Credits

Poem by Simha & Jae
Produced by Star Hopper Studios
Directed by Varsha Panikar
Cinematography and grading by Tanmay Chowdhary
Editing by Asawari Jagushte
Featuring Vaishakh Sudhakaran
Music Production by Simha
Hindi editing by Rama Garimella
Recited by Simha, Rama Garimella, Annaji Garimella
English Translation by Nhylar


The opinions expressed by the guest writer/blogger and those providing comments are theirs alone and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of Brown Girl Magazine, Inc., or any employee thereof. Brown Girl Magazine is not responsible for the accuracy of any of the information supplied by the guest writer/bloggers. This work is the opinion of the blogger. It is not the intention of Brown Girl Magazine to malign any religion, ethnic group, club, organization, company, or individual. If you’d like to submit a guest post, please follow the guidelines we’ve set forth here.
By Varsha Panikar

Varsha Panikar (they/he) is a filmmaker, writer and multi-disciplinary artist from India. They are the co-founder of Star Hopper, a … Read more ›

Keeping our Friendships Strong as we Get Older

I organize play dates for my children. They’re friendships remind me of when I was younger when Fridays were consistently set aside for my friends. Now, it seems play is indeed meant for childhood and work is for aging adults. We often can’t find time for ourselves, let alone our friends, who are busy working mothers like ourselves. Or we moved into unreachable corners of this globe, far away from any means of physical communication. It’s fair to say, it’s hard to stay close to friends like when we were in college. Nowadays, it’s easier to travel, but more difficult to bond with others. “My Friend” asserts that we should not end let our friendships fall by the wayside. Even with physical distance and conflicting schedules, we keep our friendships close with kind words on phone calls, regular FaceTime calls, or even encouraging social media comments. Friendship doesn’t end once we become adults.

[Read Related: Connecting my Stories With Those of my mom and Grandma]

My Friend

The turbulent sea of a ticking clock,
A constant chime of chores
Unfolded laundry, unpaid bills.
For unplanned surprises, Life’s infinite stores

An achy neck, a heavy head,
A forever strong of burdens
Fleeting as they may be
Yet as real as my scribbling pens

In this world of lonely battles
Filled with competing souls
It’s you, my friend
Your comforting words, long strolls

Your phone calls, your laughter,
You listening when I’m remiss,
Your steady support,
The source of all my bliss.

[Read Related: 4 Brown Girls Who Write-U.K. Asian Sisterhood Changing the Dynamics of Poetry]


The opinions expressed by the guest writer/blogger and those providing comments are theirs alone and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of Brown Girl Magazine, Inc., or any employee thereof. Brown Girl Magazine is not responsible for the accuracy of any of the information supplied by the guest writer/bloggers. This work is the opinion of the blogger. It is not the intention of Brown Girl Magazine to malign any religion, ethnic group, club, organization, company, or individual. If you’d like to submit a guest post, please follow the guidelines we’ve set forth here.
By Mars D. Gill

Mars D. Gill is the author of "House of Milk and Cheese" and "Letters from the Queen". She writes mainstream … Read more ›