Republic Day 2026: NID-Designed ‘At Home’ Invitation Showcases North-East India’s Living Heritage
NID Ahmedabad Designs Republic Day ‘At Home’ Invitation Showcasing North-East India’s Living Craft Traditions
- Bilkul Online
- Ahmedabad | 17 January 2026
The National Institute of Design, Ahmedabad has crafted the ceremonial ‘At Home’ invitation kit for distinguished guests attending the Republic Day reception at Rashtrapati Bhavan on January 26, 2026. Conceived as a tactile and visual tribute, the invitation celebrates the rich material cultures of India’s North-Eastern states, foregrounding living traditions through contemporary design.
Commissioned by Rashtrapati Bhavan, the project brings together the crafts of Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Sikkim, and Tripura. Initiated in late September, the process involved extensive field engagement with artisan communities across the region, informed by NID’s long-standing research and alumni networks. Over three months, iterative collaboration between NID teams and the Rashtrapati Bhavan culminated in artefacts that balance regional diversity with the realities of seasonal materials and distributed production.
More than 350 artisans collaborated with NID Ahmedabad under the leadership of Director Dr Ashok Mondal, with project direction by Prof. Andrea Noronha and Prof. Dr C. S. Susanth, alongside faculty, alumni, students, and technical staff. Production connected NID teams in Ahmedabad and Bengaluru with artisans working directly from their villages—resulting in an invitation that is both intimate and monumental.
At the heart of the kit is handloom weaving—integral to everyday life and women’s livelihoods across the North-East—represented through a colourful woven belt attached to the cover. Bamboo, central to the region’s economy and ecology, shapes the invitation box through a Tripura-style woven mat, complemented by a smoked bamboo ornament from Meghalaya and motifs inspired by Assamese manuscript painting. A bamboo wall-hanging scroll unfolds to reveal curated handcrafted elements from each state, evoking the portable loin-loom form and the Indian tricolour.
Each artefact tells a story: Lepcha nettle weaving from Sikkim inspired by Mount Kangchendzonga; green bamboo weaves from rain-rich Meghalaya; the melodic Gogona jaw harp of Assam; cane and bamboo jewellery from Tripura; rare wild rhea and nettle textiles from Nagaland; the ornate Puan Chei of Mizoram; and Longpi black pottery from Manipur, adorned with the Shirui Lily. Together, they honour the Ashta Lakshmi states and the artisans who sustain these traditions.
The invitation stands as a powerful reminder that India’s cultural heritage lives in the hands of its craft communities—an ethos embodied through design, collaboration, and respect for place.
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