Common Nouns Lexicon

The mihrab is an architectural niche that indicates the direction of Mecca in a mosque.

A minaret is a slender tower, often attached to a mosque, from which the muezzin calls to prayer five times a day.

The minbar is a pulpit in mosques used by the imam to deliver sermons during Friday prayers.

Miri and Piri are concepts introduced by Guru Hargobind, the sixth Sikh Guru, symbolizing temporal and spiritual authority respectively. These principles played a crucial role in shaping the Sikh community as both a spiritual and military force.

A misl refers to a Sikh politico-military confederacy that controlled parts of Punjab in the 17th and 18th centuries before the unification under Ranjit Singh.

Moksha is a central concept in Indian religions, representing liberation from the cycle of rebirths and the attainment of eternal peace.

Monism is a philosophical or religious doctrine that asserts all reality stems from a single fundamental principle.

A mosque is a place of worship for Muslims, where collective prayers, religious teachings, and various community activities are held.

Muqarnas are distinctive decorative elements of Islamic architecture. Made up of superimposed niches forming complex geometric volumes, they are used to adorn vaults, domes, portals and transitional architectural spaces.

Naga Sadhu are Hindu ascetics who follow a path of extreme renunciation and are often seen at major religious gatherings such as the Kumbh Mela. Recognizable by their naked bodies covered in ashes, they dedicate themselves to meditation and spiritual rituals.