New Delhi, Aug 9 (PTI) Nearly 50 artists from once Naxal-affected Chhattisgarh are part of a team of 130 artisans, who have created this year’s handmade invitation kit for Independence Day At Home, hosted by President Droupadi Murmu.
The invitation kit showcases the rich crafts, traditions, and cultural heritage of Chhattisgarh, Goa, Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh. Officials from the Rashtrapati Bhavan and a team from the National Institute of Design (NID), Ahmedabad, conceptualised it in alignment with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, reflecting India’s commitment to sustainability, inclusivity, and cultural preservation.
“The invitation kit was created by around 130 people, including nearly 50 artisans from the once Left-Wing Extremism-affected Bastar region of Chhattisgarh, highlighting the transformative impact of inclusive development and livelihood opportunities,” said Ashok Mondal, Director, NID.
He said over more than three months, these artisans, along with NID faculty members, designers and students, employed their traditional, eco-friendly craft practices to design this unique invitation kit to be sent on behalf of the President of India.
“The kit, which is completely handmade and eco-friendly, stands as a symbol of India’s artistic excellence, sustainable practices, and the empowerment of traditional artisan communities,” Mondal told PTI. The invitation showcases inspiring examples of sustainable environmental practices and conservation initiatives from Chhattisgarh, Goa, Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh — a region blessed with a rich landscape of rugged hills, winding river systems and abundant greenery.
Using the vibrant living art traditions of these states, the invitation offers a glimpse into the deep interdependence between communities, creativity and conservation.
Mondal said the invitation package showcases Dhokra casting (one of India’s oldest metal-casting traditions) from Chhattisgarh, representing the community’s practice of sacred grove protection and the wrought iron Pitwa craft, which contributes to the display frame and bell.
The NID director said that mirroring the daily life and culture of local tribes, this eco-friendly art form transforms recycled scrap iron into striking, minimalist sculptures and objects of daily use. Each piece is hand-forged from a single rod or sheet of metal without casting. The wrought iron bell attached to the address slip is also handcrafted by skilled tribal ironsmiths in Bastar, using recycled scrap iron.
The Azulejo tile painting on the invitation depicts Goa’s Khazan lands, which are community-managed coastal wetlands, reclaimed from mangrove forests and marshes.
Developed centuries ago, this ancient agro-aqua ecosystem uses an intricate network of dykes (bunds), embankments and sluice gates to control tidal river water, preventing saltwater from flooding crops while supporting paddy cultivation, fishing, and salt-panning, Mondal said.
The Khazan ecosystem is essentially a nature-based coastal defence system. The Warli painting on the kit highlights the restoration of the Kham River in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, Maharashtra, which is a collaborative effort between local institutions, environmental organisations, and community participants to renew the relationship between people and their natural environment.
Through waste management, water treatment, native species plantation, and revitalisation of shared public spaces, the river corridor gradually transformed into a more resilient ecological landscape, he said. Mondal said the Bhil artwork on the invitation showcases community-led seed preservation practices in Madhya Pradesh which continue to safeguard indigenous varieties of grains, pulses, and vegetables adapted to local climates and food systems. Bhil painting is a vibrant tribal art form from Madhya Pradesh, known for its intricate patterns of dots used to depict nature, mythological figures, and daily life, typically created using neem twigs.
“The guests will be welcomed upon their arrival at the reception by traditional draping of a specially designed Maheshwari stole,” the NID chief said. The stole, which celebrates the textile traditions of Chhattisgarh, Goa, Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra through a combination of unique regional motifs, was handwoven in Maheshwar, Madhya Pradesh using the traditional dual silk and cotton weave of the Maheshwari tradition.
Drawing from the ‘Kinar’ border of the ‘Karwat Kathi’ saree of Maharashtra, the ‘Rudraksha’ border of Goa’s ‘Kunbi’ saree, the ‘Kangra’ motif of Maheshwari weaving and the ‘Chinta Chowk’ motif of Chhattisgarh’s ‘Panika’ tradition, the design brings together four distinct weaving vocabularies within a single textile expression, Mondal said.
“This invitation is a tribute to the skilled artisans and craftspersons who are keeping alive the age-old wisdom and diverse traditions of the region,” he said. PTI AKV ASD ASD
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