03/11/2020
The clip starts with Nicholas Roerich stepping out of his house at his estate in Naggar, Kullu in 1947. In this estate Nicholas Roerich, his wife Helena Roerich & their sons George & Svetoslav spent 20 years (1928-1947). Here they developed the first international treaty on the protection of cultural properties known as the Roerich Pact & founded the “Urusvati” Himalayan Research Institute with a wide range of research activities.
In the Kullu Valley Nicholas Roerich created hundreds of beautiful paintings. Here, in 1942 the artist had a meeting with two future Prime Ministers of independent India, Jawaharlal Nehru & Indira Gandhi. Here, in the Himalayan Roerich Estate the foundations of Russian-Indian friendship & cooperation were being laid. Preserving the Roerichs’ Estate in Naggar, Kullu, as part of this family’s unique heritage, is definitely of the crucial importance for the whole world. Today the estate has been transformed into a museum, an art gallery & a research centre.
The second part of the clip shows a local ‘gur’ performing a ritual upon the local deity, the valley’s protector & mighty warrior Guga Chohan. The statue remained on the front lawn of the Roerichs’ house for the extent of their time in Kullu & is still there.
In his essay Gods of Kuluta (1929) Nicholas Roerich writes, “In this ancient place they have their three hundred sixty gods. Among them also is Gotama Rishi dedicated to Buddhism, which is known to have been here for ages. There is also Akbar the Great, whose statue is in the Malana temple, & all teachers & heroes who by sword or spirit won great battles.”
Roaming in the field one day Nicholas Roerich noticed an unusual-looking rock sticking out of the ground. It was a stone foot wearing a boot. When it was unearthed it turned out to be an equestrian figure. “It’s Guga Chauhan, the guardian of the valley,” said the locals. The image was installed in the courtyard under the pine. Above it on the tree trunk the stone image of Narsin
