A man fondly remembered with titles akin to ‘Master of Mountains’ and the ‘Apostle of Culture and Peace,’ Nikolai Konstantinovich Roerich was a man of undeniable splendor A great artist, scholar, writer and humanitarian, he enriched lives and nations with his legacy of works and inimitable ideology that till date awaits a predecessor of that stature He was pre-eminently a symbolic painter, one who’s hues of sapphire and clandestine clouds of white will forever be etched as the most magnificent representations of the Himalayan range Works of this magnitude ascertain how artist such as Roerich do not just get included into renown nor were his works mere coincidences that occurred on canvas The colour compositions, and vivid imagery were all derivatives of a mind that perceived much more than what meets the eye His works were born from a certain sense of familiarity that he had achieved with the mountains he so admired, and the country he felt most at home in, India Roerich was born on October 9, 1874, in St Petersburg, Russia He was born to Maria and her husband, lawyer Konstantin Roerich They had a certain social standing of the time where interactions with renowned writers, scientists, travelers and artists were a not uncommon From a young age, Roerich showed a keen interest and skill in archaeology and would excavate parts of his backyard and areas close to home Unearthing trinkets of eras gone by always sparked a wonder in him for mysteries of all that he was yet to learn By the age of sixteen, he decided to join the Academy or Art and pursue art as a career, something his father was against He considered art to be a frivolous career with no guarantees After much ado about it, Nicholas enrolled simultaneously in the Academy of Art and at St Petersburg University Roerich’s association with India however, began during his childhood, when he came across a portrait of a majestic mountain range that enthralled him He eventually found out that it was a