located in rural Madhya Pradesh, between Khajuraho and Bandhavgarh, Art Ichol near Maihar is a beautiful residency for artists and art lovers, finds out Navneet Mendiratta
I shifted my attention from the lush green and yellow mustard fields bathed in the morning sun to the fleeting signboards announcing the stations from my train window. Though it had been a comfortable journey, I had been on the train for over 14 hours and was, by now, impatient to get somewhere. Most important, I had been warned that the train stops for no more than three minutes at Maihar, my designated halt in Madhya Pradesh. From there, we were to drive to Art Ichol, a creative escape designed for residencies.
I am no artist. But there is a part of me that secretly desires to take a dip in colour and sweep some happy strokes across a bare canvas. Or dig into wet malleable clay and give it shape — a beautiful form. It was almost as if someone had stumbled upon my wishlist and decided to read it out, aloud — to me. This was it. least expected, bang on the highway connecting Bandhavgarh to Khajuraho (it’s about three hours from temple town), facing the Chambal hills, an escape for souls seeking a creative release — Art Ichol. As the gates opened to welcome me, I was struck by the life-size sculptures (and even larger) that were waiting to transport me to a magical world. Under a mango tree was the statue of music virtuoso Baba Allauddin Khan, cast in bronze. He, the one who created the Maihar Gharana, the school of Hindustani or North Indian classical music that gave the us legends like sitarists late Ravi Shankar, Annapurna Devi, flautists Pannalal Ghosh, Hariprasad Chaurasia and many more.
Then there was the larger-than-life installation by Paresh Maity with brass bells and beautiful stone sculptures by noted artists who came there for residencies. A chhatri and a baoli set transported you into another era. While the chhatri has been handed over to Art Ichol by the ASI for conservation, the baoli remains in the State’s protected purview.
To my right was a beautiful art centre. Called Khaprael Kothi, it houses the creative works of many an artists and is nothing short of art itself. The décor, created out of scrap from railway, mines and shipping yards by a very creative designer Narayan Chandra Sinha, speaks of the philosophy the founder of this retreat Ambica Sabherwal Beri has always believed in — let your creativity flow like a river. “When we started building the place, it was tough to get people here to work as Ichol is in the middle of nowhere. My father, a senior architect from Delhi, camped here for three and a half months just to make sure we got the mapping right,” Ambica shared.
Beri is an extremely loving and hospitable soul. An art lover and founder of the reputed Gallery Sanskriti (now in its 25th year) in Kolkata, she has put her heart and soul in creating this three-location retreat in Maihar. Other than Art Ichol, there is Maihar House — the heritage residency and ceramic studio (which is also her residence) and Amaria — the writer’s retreat by the River Tamas, some seven km from Art Ichol.
Inside the residency, my room was very clean, spacious and an aesthetically done space. With bay windows to allow the free flow of day light and a view of mustard fields to fill your soul, there was little that your heart sought more. At a distance I spotted a railway track. This place is nothing short of picture perfect.
The residency has four rooms — two each on the ground and first level. There is a functional, well -stocked pantry for the guests to help themselves too. Then there is a workshop where the residents can experiment with the media of their choice such as stone, bronze, clay and fibre glass with the help of site-aides. That one woke up one early morning to see Paresh Maity at work in deep concentration in the studio is not a sight everyone can boast of. Or for that matter, see Shakti Burman put on his apron to work on a ceramic clearly driven by a flash of inspiration.
later in the evening was the formal launch of the residency. An event that was attended by noted names in the world of art, including Paresh Maity, Manik Talukdar, lalu Prasad Shaw, Niranjan Pradhan, Shakti Burman, Ina Puri, Ravindar Reddy, Devilal Patidar, Rafeeq Ellias, Shobha Bhatia, Sujata lamba, Edward Oakley, Mukul Agarwal, Surendra Rao, Ramesh Chandra, Milan, Chirayu Sinha, Aditi Saraogi, Narayan Chandra Sinha, Gopika Nath, Falguni Bhatt, Nobina Gupta, Rekha Bajpe Aggarwal, Bina Sarkar Ellias, Maite Delteil, Alka Pande and Sharan Apparao.
The evening opened with a beautiful performance by the Maihar Band. Set up by Baba Allauddin Khan, the band carries forward the legacy of the gharana. As the story goes, Ustad Allauddin Khan, one of India’s greatest musicians, was the court musician at the Maharaja’s palace. An epidemic orphaned several children in the State and the king sought Baba’s help to rehabilitate them. Moved by their plight, Baba taught them how to play music and formed an orchestral group later known as the Maihar Band.
Maihar is an important town of Madhya Pradesh. Famous for the temple of Sharda Devi on Trikuta Hill, the town draws its name from Hindu mythology. The story goes that lord Shiva was carrying Sati (also called Mai), when her haar (necklace), fell at this spot. As a tribute to Baba, an annual music fest is also organised by the Trust. One can also visit Baba’s house, which is also his final resting place and pay one’s tribute to the legend.
If Art Ichol feeds the artistic soul, Amaria is just the kind of space that a poet/writer needs. Built on the banks of River Tamasa or Tons, it’s a beautiful patch of green — one that reminds of the English countryside. Rishi Valmiki is said to have written the Ramayana on the banks of this river that flows down from the Vindhya belt through Rewa and Satna before settling in Allahabad.
Beri had organised a picnic for all the guests. like children, the guests trooped down to the river, some with fishing lines hoping for a catch and others for a ride in a boat. And then there were some who happily settled on the grass or booked space on the hammock on the mango trees.
For residencies, the artist can book either of the facilities or all, dividing their stay. The place is also perfect for a visit by those who love off-beat places and not too much fussing around. Other than the temple and Baba’s home, one can also visit the Maihar fort and an ancient Shiva temple in the vicinity. This is beside Khajuraho, and Panna and Bandhavgarh tiger reserves.
later as I waited to board my train to Delhi, I could not help but reflect on what few places we have dedicated to art and creative pursuits. This could be the first of its type, an effort that must be supported so the trend grows. That it holds as much an appeal to the real traveller is what makes it a win-win for all. My mind drifted back to Botton again as I recalled his lines: “The destination was not really the point. The true desire was to get away — to go, as he concluded, ‘anywhere! anywhere! So long as it is out of the world!” This is that kind of space.