This small traditional house was built in the beginning of the 1930-s and served as a summer workshop for the world renowned Russian artist Nicholas Roerich. He spent several summers in Lahaul accompanied by his wife Helena Roerich, his sons and collaborators.
This place used to be a platform for both highly inspired art work and scientific research on behalf of the Himalayan Research Institute “Urusvati” (Naggar, Kullu) which had a branch mountain station here, in Lahaul.
Some dramatic historical events as well as local climate conditions strongly affected the state of the building. By 2002 this house was already in ruins. Lama Nawang Upasak initiated the first restoration in 2003. Unfortunately, in 2012 the upper part of the house was demolished by a snow storm.
After that, a highly respected scholar and historian from Keylong Tsering Dorje undertook all his efforts to bring Roerich’s workshop back to live. It took several years to obtain the funds from the Government of Lahaul and Spiti District. A big help throughout all these years was brought by Sergei Yakovlev, an activist from the Estonian Roerich Society which provided the exhibition materials.
On October 9, 2017, with the support of the Russian Embassy in India, the official opening ceremony of the house took place. Local residents dressed in traditional Lahauli clothing gathered for the ceremony. A sacred puja and a ceremony of welcoming the guests of honor were held in the same place and manner as Nicholas Roerich described in 1931: “In Lahaul in the Tibetan camp, the locals greeted the travelers with the sound of huge Tibetan trumpets. People were dressed in festive clothes. Then a procession of women approached, led by a beautiful native woman. Her headdress was covered with turquoise, on each side of it hung 20 heavy silver earrings, and in her nose was a large gold ring. The native had an embroidered veil with many precious ornaments and a prayer box hung on a necklace of corals, gold beads and turquoise. This woman offered the travelers sacred yak milk and watered their hands.”
Currently, Nicholas Roerich’s Workshop needs some building works to be completed before a full-cycle cultural activity may resume.
The members of the Lahaul Roerich Society together with Russian volunteers are collaborating to create a new cultural centre in Lahaul.
Any assistance is very much appreciated.
Roerich In Lahaul 