NID Ahmedabad Designs Special Independence Day Invitation Kit for Rashtrapati Bhavan

Art, Craft and Sustainability Come Together in NID Ahmedabad’s I-Day Invitation Kit

  Dr. Ashok Mondal, Director, NID Ahmedabad: NID Ahmedabad Showcases Four States’ Craft Traditions in Rashtrapati Bhavan Invitation

• Bilkul Online
• Ahmedabad | 11 Aug 2026

The National Institute of Design (NID), Ahmedabad, has designed a special ceremonial invitation kit for distinguished guests attending the Independence Day reception at Rashtrapati Bhavan on August 15, 2026.

Commissioned by Rashtrapati Bhavan for India’s 80th Independence Day, the invitation kit celebrates the traditional crafts, ecological practices and conservation initiatives of Chhattisgarh, Goa, Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra.

The project, initiated in March 2026, involved NID designers and staff travelling across the four states to work closely with artisan communities. More than 220 people contributed to the design and production of the kit, including nearly 100 artisans who collaborated with the design team in their respective home regions.

The invitation brings together a range of traditional crafts. Chhattisgarh is represented through Dhokra casting and Bastar’s wrought-iron Pitwa craft, while Goa features hand-painted Azulejo tiles depicting the traditional Khazan coastal wetland system. Madhya Pradesh is represented through Bhil art highlighting community-led seed preservation and Bagh block-printed textiles, while Maharashtra’s Warli art depicts the restoration of the Kham River.

A specially designed ceremonial stole, handwoven in Maheshwar using the traditional Maheshwari silk-and-cotton weave, brings together motifs from the textile traditions of all four states.

The kit also highlights the close relationship between traditional craftsmanship and the environment. Through natural materials, resource conservation, sustainable practices and community knowledge, the project presents craft as an integral part of everyday life and ecological preservation.

The artifacts were subsequently brought to the NID Ahmedabad campus, where teams of faculty, students, alumni, staff and artisans assembled the invitation kits over nearly a month. The project was led by Dr. Ashok Mondal, Director, NID Ahmedabad, with the overall design and production process spanning four months.

The invitation serves as a tribute to India’s artisans and craftspersons and the centuries-old knowledge systems that continue to connect culture, livelihoods and the natural environment.

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