“Rishas lived not in a legend, but in the realty. Their presence animates the rocks crowned with glaciers, and emerald pastures of yaks, and caves, and violent streams. From here the spiritual messages were sent, which people remember through all ages. They are taught in schools, translated in different languages, but their accumulated crystal has lain on the rocks of the Himalayas.

“Where can I find the words about the Creator, if I see the incomparable beauty of the Himalayas?” – so a Hindu sings. On the paths of the Guru, on the heights of Rishas, there are many layers of what cannot be washed away by rains or burnt by lightning. One who goes to goodness is blessed on all his paths. There are pathetic stories about how the righteous of different nations met. In the forest, deodars touch each other with their tops in the wind. So all tops meet, without hitting or harming. In former times, disputes were resolved by a single combat, and the agreement were concluded by a conversation of chiefs. How the devidars conferred with each other. What a sweet word: devidar means a God’s gift. And this name was given to it for a reason, for the tar of the devidars is curative. Devidar, musk, valerian, rose and all other good pharmacy of a Risha. People wanted to cancel it with a lot of discoveries, and yet again they turn their minds to the basics.

The story of the magic stone, it is a fairy tale? But you know that this is not a fairy tale. You know how the stone appears. Is the heraldic unicorn a fairytale animal? But you know the Nepalese one-horned antelope.

Are Rishas fairytale heroes? A hero of the spirit is not a fairy tale, and you know it. Padma Sambhava also passed here, as evidenced by the ancient monastery of Gando-La. (…)

Rishas lived here for the good of the Universe!”

(N.K. Roerich. Rishas.)