Nicholas Roerich art gallery Naggar, Kullu

The Nicholas Roerich art gallery was founded in 1962 by Svyetoslav Roerich, son of Nicholas Roerich. The building that now houses the gallery once served as the residence of Nicholas Roerich. Himachal Pradesh Government and Russian Government have formed a trust to run this art gallery as the Roerich Heritage Museum.

They highlight the mythological fiber of Himalayas from the eyes of a Russian, its deep and bright colors being characteristic of his origin country. There are also a few photos of Nicholas on display here, such as the one in which he is posing in his front Lawn with Jawahar Lal Nehru - in Chinese silk robes, Cossack boots and burly beard. The original work of Roerich on the Himalayas, along with his quotations and words of wisdom as well as those of the visitors and admirers of the gallery, have also been put on display here.

Paintings of Kullu, Spiti and Lahaul made by the painter have been housed in the ground floor of the gallery. A great number of his works are preserved in museums all over the world. Most of the paintings show the beauty of ice covered valleys and peaks during early hours of evening.

The building that now houses the exhibition once filled in as the habitation of Nicholas Roerich. Himachal Pradesh Government and Russian Government have shaped a trust to run this workmanship display as the Roerich Heritage Museum.Paintings of Kullu, Spiti and Lahaul made by the painter have been housed in the ground floor of the exhibition. An extraordinary number of his works are saved in historical centers everywhere throughout the world. The greater part of the works of art demonstrate the excellence of ice secured valleys and crests amid early hours of night. The craftsman's private rooms have been safeguarded in the upper floor of the historical center.

Life of Nicholas Roerich :

Nicholas Roerich is a Russian artist arrived in the Himalayas after the revolution of 1917, where he died in the year 1947. He married to Helena Roerich and famous Indian actor Devika Rani is his daughter in law. He was a gifted painter, who dreamt of unifying the world through art.

Nicholas came to Kullu in 1928 after his toughest expedition to central Asia with wife and two sons, Yuri and Svyatoslav. He was a versatile Russian genius settled in the Kullu valley of Nagar. The serene beauty of the valley attracted him to an extent which turned out him making his home there and staying till his death just to follow his vision clearly. He always admired the ancient culture and wisdom. Many keen artists were amazed and inspired after seeing his excellent work which stored the memories of ancient times. In small room of paintings, there are numerous paintings of mountains which showed the painter’s love for nature. It barely contains the usage of bright colours in the paintings which shows his Russian belonging. The museum has various pictures of Nicholas when he met the political personalities in India. He always wore silk robes, cossack boots and sturdy head which looked similar to Pt. Jawahar Lal Nehru. In 1929, Roerich was nominated for the noble prize for his project on cultural preservation which was a treaty on the protection of cultural values.

The International Roerich Memorial Trust (IRMT)

The International Roerich Memorial Trust (IRMT) was founded in 1992-93 on the initiative of Svetoslav Roerich and his spouse Devika Rani with the support of the Embassy of the Russian Federation in the Republic of India, the Government of India and the Government of Himachal Pradesh to preserve and promote the heritage of the outstanding Russian family of the Roerichs and develop the holy Roerich Estate into a world-class museum, educational, scientific and cultural center.

In this estate Nicholas Roerich, his wife Helena Roerich and their sons George and Svetoslav spent 20 years (1928-1947). Here they developed the first international treaty on the protection of cultural properties known as the Roerich Pact, and founded the “Urusvati” Himalayan Research Institute with a wide range of research activities.

Here, in cooperation with spiritual Masters, the sages of the East, Helena Roerich wrote the books of the Living Ethics, the philosophy of Cosmic Reality, which combined ancient wisdom with modern science. 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 and Indira Gandhi. Here, in the Himalayan Roerich Estate the foundations of Russian-Indian friendship and cooperation were being laid.

Each member of the Roerich family left an inimitable trace in the cultural sphere of the globe. Their versatile creative and public work is truly planetary in scale. 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. The people of India – the country so deeply loved by the Roerichs – carefully preserves the legacy and honors the memory of this eminent Russian family.