Art Ichol Journal

Aditya Beri
Tiwari ji. Salamat and his contribution have
been well documented, but I just want to share
the great debt of gratitude I owe him for being a
pillar of support, especially for my octogenarian,
maternal grandfather or nana - the architect of
Ichol. For me, Salamat is like the Indian army -
those selfless people who allow us to sleep well
at night because we know that on their watch
nothing untoward will happen. Even today, I seek
his advice when I’m stuck with an operational
issue or problem with the crusher or mines
because of his innate ability to think quickly and
practically.
I haven’t inherited my mom’s ability or passion
for art. Her labour of love, Art Ichol, was often
referred by me as the ‘construction site’ till I
realized how much this upset her. She has done
the most amazing job in such a remote place with
a frugal budget. For me, to even try and tabulate
her achievements would be to belittle them. I also
want to thank Narayan, because without him the
visual delight that Art Ichol is today would never
have been possible.
Nothing that I write with reference to either of
my parents can be considered complete without
the mention of a certain Vir Beri. Aisha, my
beautiful daughter, when you read this, say
twenty years from now, don’t kill me for not
mentioning you because you were born when
Ichol was already built. If Art Ichol is the rhythm