Kalimpong, Feb. 13: This hill town is all set to pay homage to the memory of Helena Roerich, best known for her espousal of Agni Yoga teachings, by converting her erstwhile residence into a museum.
Helena, the wife of eminent Russian painter Nicholas Roerich, spent the last eight years of her life in Kalimpong after settling in the town with her son George in 1947. She is revered by local people as a great spiritual teacher and philanthrophist.
Roerich’s birth anniversary was observed yesterday at Durpin near the stupa built at the spot where she was cremated.
Roerich died in Kalimpong on October 5, 1955.
A disciple of Mahatma Morya, Roerich is best known for writing about Agni Yoga — a spiritual discipline she learnt from her guru.
As part of the initiative to honour Roerich, the Agni Yoga practitioners in the town are planning to convert Crookerty, the house in which she lived, into a museum dedicated to the Roerich family.
Roerich belonged to a distinguished Russian family, whose members had strong ties with India.
The Russian consul-general in Calcutta, Nikolay M. Fedukovich, said: “Helena Roerich dedicated her life to India in more ways than one. She worked for peace and understanding and was deeply involved in the country’s spiritual heritage. The entire Roerich family has helped strengthen Indo-Russian bonds. In many ways, the Roerichs remain the bridge that connects Russia and India on the cultural front.”
The consul-general also spoke about elaborate plans that have been made to preserve the Roerich legacy in India.
“Most members of the family have lived in India at some point of time. In fact, Helena’s younger son Svetoslav married Indian actress Devika Rani. To preserve the Roerich heritage in the country, Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee has sanctioned $ 500,000 from his personal fund. This will be used to preserve Roerich heritage sites in Himachal Pradesh and Karnataka.”
Though the Kalimpong initiative will not be handled directly by the Russian consulate, it will support local efforts by providing documents and samples of work by family members.
