Kullu-Manali memories - Roerich museum

     My parents came to India. It was their first journey after a long time of being settled in a home town. I was very happy for them and wanted to show a small piece of India. My husband organized few trips. One was to Agra, when we visited Taj Mahal and I made a post about it. Another one which I failed to describe that time was a trip to Kullu-Manali, Himalayas. Why was it so significant I will tell later.

     Parents, as well as me, could never ever imagine being in India some day. I know that they still recollect all the moments of their adventures here. I miss them too. However nowadays it is so much easier to keep these memories alive when you have a camera with you. So today I'd like to get back to the past and tell about a one year old journey.

     I got to know about Kullu-Manali when I was already in India. I found in the internet that there was a museum of a Russian painter of XIX-XX century,  Nicholas Roerich, and asked my D if he would ever take me there, he promised he would. He kept his promise when we made a trip to one of the most beautiful places I've ever seen - Kullu-Manali. Actually these are two different places but they always stand together as the areas are very close to each other. I am not going to tell about them in my blog as there is planty of info in the internet about Manali and Kullu.

   The first part of my memories is dedicated to our visit to Nicholas Roerich museum in Kullu. So let's dive into them, like Harry Potter into Dambledore's pensive :)

 "International Roerich Memorial Trust" or in short, Roerich museum, is located in Kullu in the very house where Nicholas Roerich and his family were living after 4 year expedition and till painter's death.

Kullu valley itself is such a place where you feel so light and out of the pressure of the modern world.

    This view is breathtaking! Kullu city is situated on the elevation of 4000 ft (1220 m). The view of Kullu valley.

    I love the clouds in the mountains, the way they are floating and clubbing, feels like you can fly.

This picture is my favorite - such sunshine you can see only in mountains, and see this tiny bird's shape... Nature is so beautiful.

   I was so happy to be in this place and also understand how the Russian painter could feel living in this surroundings and what inspired him to create so many beautiful works.
  The Roerich house is not big and has two levels plus attic ( I suppose). This is the only (no idea why) picture of the house I can show you. And also there is my Mom in there, enjoying a walk along the old wooden floor.

   I also liked a garden around the house, full of flowers and mountain plants. I liked walking on the garden paths and breathe in fresh mountain air.

   The upper floor of the museum arranged in such a way that you have to literally peer inside the house through the windows. All the interior which belonged to a  Roerich family is kept on its place like no one ever left it.

These are some of the showpieces which catch your eye. So creative idea - to make a watch from a stone! There you can see a Tibetan knot lying on the crystal.

The first floor also has some exhibits like these cute Russian dolls and other statuettes.

 Nicholas Roerich himself, a portrait by his son Svetoslav Roerich.

Some if the artworks shown in the museum.

The map of the great Central-Asian expedition conducted by Roerich. It lasted from 1924 to 1928.

In honor of 100 year since Roerich's birth, the 1 rupee coin was issued.

This is a small altar beside the house which Roerich made himself. This altar, as I found out, includes Guga Chohan (Chauhan) - a small deity figure on the horse in the middle of composition. 

 There will be no conclusion in this post... as we continued our journey in Himalayas. I just would like to say that I want to come here again and feel the mountain air again, and see the beauty of the valley again... to refresh these precious memories.

P.S. thanks to my D for fulfilling my dream and imprinting it in all the pictures above.

 *** Have precious memories with you always!***