At first glance, the art at Haldu Tola appears ornamental—beautiful, yes, but decorative. Look again. Behind every brushstroke, every carved figure, is a story, a worldview, a philosophy that has evolved not in the studios of the contemporary art world but in the forests, villages, and rituals of the Gond people. At Haldu Tola, this isn’t simply art—it is living heritage.
The Gond are one of central India’s oldest and most storied indigenous communities, deeply intertwined with the landscape of Madhya Pradesh and the Pench region. Their name comes from the Dravidian word Kond, meaning green mountains, and their artistic traditions are rooted in an animist belief system where nature is sacred and every element of the natural world—animal, tree, rock, river—possesses a spirit.
What you see on the walls and doors at Haldu Tola are not mere representations but manifestations of belief. Tigers are not just tigers; they are guardians of the forest. Birds are messengers. Trees are not static backgrounds but dynamic witnesses to history. These aren’t symbols—they’re sentient.
Intricate patterns, vivid colours, and a sense of motion that animates even the stillest image. Dots, dashes, and fine lines build up texture and rhythm, turning a fish or a deer into something mythic, fluid, alive. Each painting is rich with oral storytelling—tales passed down from grandmother to child, then translated from memory to wall. In Gond tradition, if you paint a story, you preserve it.
At Haldu Tola, this preservation is more than symbolic. The villa is designed to honour and celebrate the artistic spirit of the region. From carved wooden panels framing doors to ceiling murals that trace the flow of the Five Elements, the property integrates Gond art not as embellishment but as an essential narrative layer.
One of the centrepieces is a large mural depicting the Panchmahabhuta—Earth, Water, Fire, Wind, and Ether—painted in the bold, unbroken idiom of Gond tradition. It is not an abstract representation but a worldview made visual: Earth as the grounding energy, Water as life’s continuity, Fire as both transformation and warning, Wind as change, and Ether as the infinite. Together, they tell a cosmology that mirrors the villa’s own design philosophy.
Elsewhere, guests will notice hand-carved doors featuring motifs of peacocks, tigers, trees, and serpents—each imbued with meaning. These motifs are not random selections; they are chosen in consultation with artists from the region, ensuring that the designs reflect local lore, seasonal cycles, and regional identity. These are doors that do more than open—they initiate you.
Crucially, the art at Haldu Tola is not imported or replicated. It is commissioned from local Gond artists, many of whom still live in villages on the periphery of Pench. By engaging directly with these artisans, Haldu Tola not only supports indigenous craftsmanship but helps sustain an ecosystem of creative knowledge that might otherwise vanish in the shadow of modernity. Guests have the opportunity to meet some of these artists, attend demonstrations, or even try their hand at a painting session guided by a master practitioner.
In a world increasingly flooded with digital images and derivative design, the art of the Gond offers something elemental—a return to meaning. It’s not just what the art looks like; it’s what it says, what it remembers, what it protects. And at Haldu Tola, that legacy is not behind glass—it’s in the grain of your doorframe, the rhythm of your corridor, the story above your bed.
To experience Haldu Tola is not simply to stay in a place—it is to step into a story far older than oneself, where the walls speak, and the forest listens.
Haldu Tola is our home and has been conceived as both a retreat for travellers and a model of coexistence, encouraging harmony between the local community and the thriving wildlife that calls this region home. Our guests are invited to be a part of this coexisting family.