The National Institute of Design (NID), Ahmedabad, has designed a special ceremonial invitation kit commissioned by Rashtrapati Bhavan for distinguished guests attending India’s 80th Independence Day celebrations on August 15, 2026.
The invitation kit highlights the traditional crafts and ecological practices of Chhattisgarh, Goa, Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra. The project was developed through close collaboration between NID designers and artisans from the four states.
The project began in mid-March 2026, when NID Ahmedabad’s design team travelled across the four states to interact with artisan communities. Over the following month and a half, the team worked closely with the Rashtrapati Bhavan team and several stakeholders, refining the concepts through multiple rounds of discussions and iterations.
The kit highlights examples of sustainable environmental practices and conservation initiatives from the four states. It presents craft as an integral part of community life, reflecting traditional knowledge, local materials, ecological awareness and livelihoods.
More than 220 people contributed to the design and production of the invitation kit, including nearly 100 artisans who worked with the NID team from their respective home regions.
From Chhattisgarh, the kit features Dhokra casting inspired by community efforts to protect sacred forest groves, along with wrought-iron Pitwa craft used for the display frame and bell.
From Goa, hand-painted Azulejo tiles depict the state’s landscapes and the centuries-old Khazan system of community-managed coastal wetlands.
From Madhya Pradesh, Bhil art highlights traditional community seed-preservation practices, while Bagh block-printed fabric from Dhar district is used for the fabric envelope.
From Maharashtra, Warli art represents the restoration of the Kham River in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar and the community’s efforts to revive the local environment.
A ceremonial stole woven in Maheshwar, Madhya Pradesh, brings together motifs from the textile traditions of all four states in a specially designed border.
The artefacts were later brought to the NID Ahmedabad campus, where teams of staff, artisans and students assembled the invitation kits over nearly a month. The overall project was completed over four months under the leadership of NID Ahmedabad Director Dr Ashok Mondal, with faculty members, alumni, students and technical staff contributing to the initiative.
Traditional Crafts Featured in the Invitation
The outer canvas cover carries a motif inspired by Kaavi art from the coastal Konkan region. The traditional technique uses reddish-brown pigment derived from laterite soil and is etched into lime-plastered walls.
The address slip is accompanied by a handcrafted wrought-iron bell made by tribal ironsmiths in Bastar, Chhattisgarh, using recycled scrap iron.
The fabric envelope uses Bagh textile from Madhya Pradesh, known for hand-carved wooden blocks and natural vegetable-based dyes. The craft is closely linked to the Bagh River, whose mineral-rich water helps in setting and brightening the dyes.
The display frame features figurines made using Lauh-Shilp, also known as Pitwa art, a Bastar tribal craft that transforms recycled scrap iron into handcrafted sculptures and everyday objects.
The four-state collection further includes Dhokra art from Chhattisgarh, Azulejo tiles from Goa, Bhil painting from Madhya Pradesh and Warli art from Maharashtra. Each artwork has been linked to a local environmental or community initiative, including sacred grove conservation, wetland management, seed preservation and river restoration.
The guests will also be welcomed with a specially designed handwoven ceremonial stole made in Maheshwar using the traditional silk-and-cotton Maheshwari weaving technique. Its border combines motifs from the textile traditions of Maharashtra, Goa, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh.
The invitation kit serves as a tribute to the artisans and craftspersons who continue to preserve India’s diverse traditional knowledge, craftsmanship and cultural heritage.