Here I was in the middle of nowhere in deepest Madhya Pradesh and before me were what looked from a distance like very unusual trees. Their leaves didn’t flutter in the morning breeze and on closer inspection it was clear why. This was a giant installation made from gleaming steel called Kalpataru created by artist Nobina Gupta and it was about a future in which there’ll only be steel trees to showcase to children and no real ones.

And what were artistically styled steel trees doing in interior Madhya Pradesh? It’s one of the striking art works at Art Ichol, a newly opened centre where everyone from artists to craft enthusiasts, writers and photographers can gather and collaborate. “Art Ichol is my vision for a world class multi-arts centre,” says Ambica Beri, who has conceived this platform and who’s the owner of Calcutta’s Gallery Sanskriti.

Art Ichol is spread over three estates, each of which stretches out over several acres. The most important of the three is perhaps the Art Ichol Skill Center built by Beri’s architect father the late Suraj P. Subherwal. Then, there’s the Maihar Heritage Home which was originally Beri’s family home. A short distance away is Amariya – The Writer’s Retreat, that’s spread out over an-acre-and-a-half. The three estates are close to Ichol Village 7km from Maihar, an ancient temple town in Madhya Pradesh.

Beri’s moving quickly to turn Art Ichol into a buzzing centre of the arts and crafts. Five art residencies have already been held at the centre and A-list artists like Paresh Maity, Jayshree Burman, Lalu Prasad Shaw and Ravinder Reddy have made their way to this remote village.

I headed to the Art Ichol Skill Center, a three-acre area that’s ringed by a large tract of trees and farmland beyond. Here, I stopped first at the sculpture park which has large, dramatic pieces created at the site by artists like Deba-brata De and Tushar Kanti Das Roy. Next stop was a medieval chhatri (a dome-shaped pavilion) and a baoli (stepwell) that help to give the property its unique character.

The main building at the Skill Cen-ter is Khaprael Kothi, conceptualised by sculptor Narayan Sinha in tandem with Subherwal, that’s a library, seminar venue, office and hangout zone all rolled into one. The tiles here have motifs inspired by designs on the old chhatri. Almost all the furniture and the lights and other fittings in Khaprael Kothi have been made using scrap and recycled material. Khaprael Kothi gets its name from the khaprael or tiles that are used on roofs in the region.

Inside, there are sculptures, installations and artworks including pieces like a bronze sculpture titled Welcome With A Smile by Sakti Burman which was created at the venue. Then, there’s a stone sculpture by Ravi Kumar, an up and coming artist from Varanasi. My attention was also grabbed by a host of statement interior accessories, such as iron grillwork tables that are often seen in Calcutta homes.

The showstopper here is a chan-delier that has 1,200 bulbs set in a base created by reusing the metal chimney of an old lime kiln. Another equally stunning chandelier, also by Sinha, has been created from old railway signal lamps.

The other two venues that are part of Art Ichol also have unique features. The Maihar Bungalow, a heritage property, stands out with its ancient 100-year-old arches. Here a new cera-mic and pottery centre has also been created to attract artists from across the country.

Beri has also decided that, besides the artists in residence, Art Ichol will be open to visitors who want to get a feel of the artistic experience it offers. Art Ichol has already registered with Airbnb, the community-driven hospitality company.

Amariya – The Writer’s Retreat has a slightly different feel. It’s by the banks of the Tamas River which is teeming with fish and surrounded by mango groves. I spent an entire afternoon here in a hammock by the river bank.

Not too far from Art Ichol is Unchehara, a town that’s known for its copper and brassware. A must-visit is a brass metalworking factory which is stacked with old, broken and dented brass utensils collected from villagers. These are then melted down and turned into pots and other items.

Another must-visit in Maihar is Madina Bhawan Shanti Kutir, which was the home of multi-instrumentalist and composer Allauddin Khan. This building has been preserved as it was, with the furniture and personal effects used by the maestro on display. You can gaze at personal objects like his frayed shoes and slippers neatly arranged in rows and bookcases in his room that are packed with Bengali adventure stories like Jokher Dhan.

Obviously one can’t come to this part of the world without dropping by Khajuraho, that’s 120km from Maihar. I armed myself with an electronic guide on offer at the site and went around the temples, constructed between 950AD and 1050AD.

The temple complex is surrounded by the scores of antique shops that peddle replicas of figurines on the temple walls as well as delightful silver trinkets. I rounded off my tour of Khajuraho with a delectable lunch at the quaint Raja Café, which also offers great views of the temples. All in all, it was a great way to end a memorable and unusual trip.

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♦ How to get there: From Calcutta you can take the Howrah-Mumbai Mail or the Shipra Express to Maihar, the nearest railway station.
♦ How to get around: The best way to get around the area and take in the sights is to hire a vehicle.