The programme organized in the Himalayan Roerich Estate on the occasion of the Masters Day (March 24) started with the solemn ceremony of planting of flowers on the Samadhi of Nicholas Roerich. The IRMT staff as well as the guests from Russia, India and Ukraine laid flower garlands on the sacred rock marking the spot where in 1947 the body of Nicholas Roerich was consigned to flames. In accordance with an age-old Indian tradition the oil lamp was lit, after which the guests and the IRMT staff in turn planted flowers around the rock. They also honoured the place with a minute of silence.

After that the guests proceeded to the Exhibition Hall where the exhibition of paintings by the Delhi-based professional Ukrainian artist Mrs. Halyna Chaudhury titled “The Awakening of Spirit” was inaugurated. These works saturated with deep symbolism convey her vision of such holy characters as Mother of the World, the resplendent Mahatmas, the radiant and stern angels, and Golden Tara wearing a sparkling crown of stars. The exhibition also displayed her multiple watercolours depicting mountains in the vicinity of Naggar and Manali, and the splendid views of Mt. Nanda Devi as seen from Auli. The visitors were deeply touched by her recently created philosophical triptych The End of Kali Yuga depicting the destruction of the world by the dancing Shiva and its resurrection by the Mother of the World.

Greeting the gathering on the occasion, the Indian Curator of the IRMT Mr. Ramesh Chander noted that Masters Day celebrated the contribution of the great Roerich family to the world treasury of spirit and their close connection with the Masters. He also expressed his wish to make celebration of that day and planting of flowers a good tradition of the IRMT. In her speech, the Russian Curator of the IRMT Mrs. Larisa Surgina stressed that on March 24, 1920 Helena Roerich met her Master and in cooperation with Him started working on the new teaching, the Living Ethics – the philosophy of cosmic evolution of mankind. One of the fundamental ideas of the Living Ethics is the relevance of culture as the basis of mankind’s evolution. The problems of the protection and safeguarding of culture amidst the challenges of the 21st century became the focal point of the International Public Congress that opened on the Masters Day in the International Centre of the Roerichs, Moscow. The Russian Curator also sent greetings to the participants of the celebrations in Naggar from the International Centre of the Roerichs.

The programme continued with the screening of the documentary by Mrs. Lyudmila Shaposhnikova The Call of Cosmic Evolution talking about the life and creative work of the Roerichs.

Masters Day is a festival dedicated to the spiritual teachers of mankind, the Mahatmas. It is a celebration of unity, cooperation, and constructive work. And this unity was very much felt by the people of diverse nationalities who gathered on that day in the Roerich Estate.

See also the ICR site