25.12.2022

Christmas Day in the Roerichs’ Himalayan Estate

By tradition, the morning on festive Christmas Day on December 25 in the Roerichs’ Estate was filled with ringing children's voices and joyful laughter. Children from Naggar, Rumsu, Sheron, Pulag, Chinalti and other villages of the Kullu Valley came to the International Roerich Memorial Trust to celebrate Christmas and receive a traditional Christmas gift. A decorated Christmas tree was set up on the stage of the IRMT open-air Green Theater, and Santa Claus, or Father Frost, was already waiting for the young guests.

The celebration began with a prayer-song addressed to the goddess Saraswati, performed by the students of the Helena Roerich Academy of Arts for Children and their teachers, Anshul Kumar and Anup Kumar. Then Mr Suresh Kumar and Mrs Larisa Surgina, the Indian and Russian curators of the Roerich Trust, greeted the gathered children and their parents and wished everyone a Merry Christmas.

On this special day the inhabitants of planet Earth celebrate the appearance day of Jesus Christ, one of the Great Teachers of mankind. “I am the way, the truth, and the life,” Jesus Christ said. By His life and resurrection, the Great Teacher showed what the man of planet Earth can become, what level of consciousness and creativity he can reach. God became a man so that the man could become like God.⁠

Christ brought the Doctrine of Love into the world. When asked, “Show me, children, where does love live?” all together the children of the Kullu Valley put their hand to their hearts. Love and joy colored all the children’s performances, whether it was the songs, poems, or dances that the children prepared at home for the holiday.

Santa invited the smallest and particularly shy children to the stage in groups or with their parents, so that every single child could take part in the holiday concert, get a sweet gift and be photographed with Santa near the Christmas tree.

On that sunny day children’s voices were heard in every corner of the Roerichs’ estate. The children had time to visit the Gallery, look through the windows of the House and even see the museum exhibits of the Urusvati Institute. 

Indian and Russian employees and friends of the IRMT happily participated in the celebration. Everyone took away with them holiday gifts and bright energies of love from the Roerichs’ estate.