Ahmedabad, Aug 12 (NationPress) The National Institute of Design (NID), Ahmedabad, has contributed its creative talent to the Rashtrapati Bhavan for the official invitation kit commemorating India’s 79th Independence Day festivities on August 15, 2025.

This year's kit honors the artistic and cultural heritage of eastern India, spotlighting the traditional crafts from Bihar, Jharkhand, Odisha, and West Bengal. Every component has been meticulously curated to embody the region's rich artisanal legacies and enduring heritage.

The invitation set showcases a delicately woven Sikki grass box from Bihar, crafted by rural women artisans using golden-hued grass—a craft that has been passed down through generations. Adding another layer of cultural significance is a handcrafted bamboo photo frame from Jharkhand, designed as a symbolic gateway, embellished with vibrant Madhubani art.

A hand block-printed tussar silk stole, adorned with regional motifs such as fish, lotus, and spring in a sophisticated tricolour palette, enhances the ensemble. The kit also includes an array of folk paintings from the area—Bihar’s striking Tikuli art, Jharkhand’s ancient Patkar scroll tradition, Odisha’s intricately engraved Tala Pattachitra on palm leaves, and West Bengal’s dynamic Bengal Pattachitra, a storytelling scroll art form practiced by the Patua community.

Together, these artisanal creations represent India’s vibrant heritage, creative spirit, and timeless resilience. The design and production process of the invitation kit was carried out by NID’s Bengaluru campus, in partnership with NID Ahmedabad. This project united faculty, staff, students, and master artisans from the involved states.

The National Institute of Design (NID) Ahmedabad, founded in 1961 under the guidance of design pioneers Charles and Ray Eames and backed by the Government of India, is esteemed as the country’s leading design education and research institution. Recognized as an “Institution of National Importance” by an Act of Parliament in 2014, NID has significantly influenced India’s design landscape across industrial products, communication design, crafts, and social innovation.

Grounded in a philosophy that merges modern design thinking with India's rich artisanal traditions, NID Ahmedabad has not only fostered generations of influential designers but has also connected traditional crafts with contemporary markets, positioning it as a crucial player in India’s creative economy.