NID Ahmedabad Designs Independence Day Invitation Kit for Rashtrapati Bhavan

The National Institute of Design (NID), Ahmedabad, has brought India's diverse craft traditions and community-led environmental practices to the national stage through a special invitation kit prepared for the Independence Day celebrations at Rashtrapati Bhavan on August 15, 2026.

Commissioned by Rashtrapati Bhavan, the project combines contemporary design with traditional crafts from Chhattisgarh, Goa, Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra.

NID Ahmedabad Director Dr Ashok Mandal said the initiative went beyond designing an invitation and aimed to showcase the skills of Indian artisans and traditional practices linked to local environments.

The project began in mid-March 2026, with NID's design team travelling to the four states to meet artisans and understand their craft traditions. The final designs emerged after around one-and-a-half months of consultations and iterations with artisans, Rashtrapati Bhavan officials and other stakeholders.

More than 220 people involved

More than 220 people, including around 100 artisans, contributed to the project. Many of the artisans worked from their homes and local workshops in coordination with NID's design team.

The invitation kit incorporates Dokra casting and iron craft from Chhattisgarh, Azulejo tile art from Goa, Bhil painting and Bagh printing from Madhya Pradesh, and Warli art from Maharashtra.

Chhattisgarh's Dokra craft, made using the traditional lost-wax technique with brass and bell metal, features in the kit. One artefact highlights community efforts to protect sacred forests. A bell made by Bastar's tribal iron artisans using recycled scrap iron has also been included.

Goa's traditional wetlands showcased

Goa's hand-painted Azulejo tile art depicts the state's traditional khazan lands, a community-managed coastal wetland system involving dykes, bunds and sluice gates to regulate tidal water.

The traditional system supports activities including agriculture, fishing and salt production and has been presented as an example of nature-based ecosystem management.

Bhil and Bagh traditions from Madhya Pradesh

Madhya Pradesh's Bhil painting has been used to depict community efforts to preserve indigenous varieties of grains, pulses and vegetables.

The kit's fabric envelope features Bagh textile, traditionally produced in Bagh town using hand-carved wooden blocks and natural dyes. The craft is closely associated with the Baghini, or Bagh river.

Warli art highlights river restoration

Maharashtra's Warli painting showcases the restoration of the Kham river in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar.

The initiative involves communities, environmental groups and local organisations working on waste management, water treatment, plantation of native species and redevelopment of public spaces to revive the river ecosystem.

Four weaving traditions combined

A handwoven textile installation created in Maheshwar, Madhya Pradesh, will also be displayed at Rashtrapati Bhavan.

Made using the traditional Maheshwari weaving technique, the installation combines silk and cotton. Its border incorporates motifs from weaving traditions across all four states, including Maharashtra's Karvat Kathi sari, Goa's Kunbi sari, Maheshwari weaving and Chhattisgarh's Panika tradition.

Final assembly at NID Ahmedabad

After the individual craft components were completed in the four states, they were brought to the NID campus in Ahmedabad, where NID staff, students and artisans spent nearly a month assembling the final invitation kits.

Faculty members, alumni, students and technical staff worked on the project for around four months under Dr Mandal's leadership.

The resulting kit combines contemporary design with India's traditional craftsmanship, while highlighting the relationship between artisan communities, cultural heritage and local ecosystems.

Dr Mandal said the project provided an opportunity to understand traditional practices directly from artisans and reinterpret them through contemporary design, while giving India's diverse craft communities a national platform at Rashtrapati Bhavan.