Tibet suffered extreme political turmoil during the latter 20th century. Occupied in 1950, Red Guards destroyed thousands of official buildings and holy places during the Cultural Revolution and religious freedom and traditional education is still severely under threat. Due to the strength of the Tibetan's faith in Buddha and the Dalai Lama and against the odds many buildings have been reconstructed and their devotion and belief have remained extraordinarily strong. Buddhism permeates every part of a Tibetan's life, whether they are the Tibetans living in Tibet or the hundreds of thousands that live away from their homeland, in Nepal, India or the United States. This text is divided into five parts, with two main chapters devoted to the religious and lay Buddhists on their pilgrimages to holy sites. We see the monks in animated discussion, meditation and prayer and follow the devout believers on their arduous journeys to prayer. These two main chapters are interspersed with sections of portraits of this proud and dignified people who have their own innate sense of style and fashion demonstrated in the way they dress and adorn themselves.
Known for his beautiful and uplifting imagery and soulful, but intimate, portraits, Steve McCurry's book offers an intimate insight into a unique and dignified culture.