The 145th Birth Anniversary of Nicholas Roerich was marked by an important and joyful event: the installation of the first sculptural monuments of Nicholas Roerich and his wife Helena Roerich in the Himalayan Estate of the Roerichs in Naggar.
The implementation of such a large-scale international cultural project became possible with the help of the International Charitable Foundation the “Dialogue of Cultures – United World” (Moscow) and personally due to the efforts of its president Ruslan Bayramov. The initiator and active participant of the project was International Centre of the Roerichs (Moscow). The administration of the Kullu district (Himachal Pradesh, India) and the management of the International Roerich Memorial Trust had shown a keen interest and assistance in the implementation of the project. The author and creator of the sculptural portraits is the famous sculptor Alexei Leonov.
A bright rainbow connecting the clear sky and earth greeted the participants in the morning of the festive day on October 9th. By tradition, guests from India, Russia and other countries gathered on Samadhi of Nicholas Roerich – the place where the body of the great Russian artist was cremated. Pujari Sri Dev Acharya, a priest from the Krishna Temple, offered prayers to the Higher Powers for the prosperity and well being of all the worlds and lit a sacred fire in a memory of Nicholas Roerich, whom the people of India revered as Maharishi, the great sage and saint.
As a sign of the unbreakable friendship between India and Russia, the Indian and Russian curators and guests of honour of the International Roerich Memorial Trust and representatives of the Russian embassy in India hoisted the national flags of India and Russia in front of the Roerich House, as well as the Banner of Peace, symbolising the appeal of Nicholas Roerich to all the peoples of our planet: Peace through culture!
To the solemn sounds of trumpets and drums, the guests walked to the centuries-old Himalayan cedar (deodar) near the estate entrance gates and stopped under its sprawling branches. “Today we have an important event – we open the bronze busts of Nicholas Roerich and his wife Helena. It is significant that these first sculptural portraits of the elder Roerichs in India were erected here in the estate in Naggar, in the sacred place, which became truly the karma-bhumi of the great family – in other words, a place of spiritual and creative accomplishments,” – with this words started their address to the audience the Russian and Indian curators of IRMT Mrs. Larisa Surgina and Sr. Ramesh Chandra.
Mrs. Nataliya Cherkashina, director of the Non-Governmental Museum named after Nicholas Roerich of the International Centre of the Roerichs, Moscow, and Sr. Hari Chauhan, scientist, archaeologist, representative of the museum department and curator of the Himachal State Museum in Shimla (Himachal Pradesh), were invited to inaugurate the opening ceremony. With the sounds of solemn music the guests of honour untied the ribbons, and the white cloth slid smoothly from the monuments. With the words of a prayer, the pujari consecrated the sculptural portraits of Nicholas and Helena Roerich and laid a flower garlands on them.
“It was a unique family, – Mrs. Nataliya Cherkashina said in her speech. – Communication and cooperation with the Mahatmas, the Great Teachers of India, determined their whole life – a life filled with creative work for the good of people, in the name of the future evolution of mankind. That is why the opening of this sculptural composition is held here today with such an honour and respect.”
“Before Roerich, no one paid such attention to the Himalaya region and its diverse cultures, either in India itself or abroad. We can say that it was he who opened the Himalayas to the world’s scientific community and promoted the scientific research here, in Himachal and nearby regions, therefore we rightly consider Roerich to be our national treasure,” – said Sr. Hari Chauhan. He emphasised that the Government of Himachal Pradesh and the Government of India will pay special attention to the preservation of the Roerichs' heritage in Kullu and, from his side, on behalf of his museum, he is ready to assist in any future academic pursuits in the estate.
The Russian artist and his family have always given a great importance to the unity of Russia and India. The implementation of the joint Russian-Indian cultural project to perpetuate the memory of the Roerichs on Indian soil, dedicated to the birth anniversaries of the Roerichs, will become another link between our great countries.
Read also the ICR site
