Snippets of Information - Crafts
Rashtrapati Bhavan’s invitation card for Republic Day 2026 showcases India’s Northeast culture
* 25 Jan 2026
Guests were hosted by President Droupadi Murmu for a customary 'At
Home' reception at Rashtrapati Bhavan and greeted with a specially
designed Eri silk stole.
Commonly known as 'peace silk', Eri silk holds an important place in the
cultural fabric and livelihood systems of northeast India, valued for
both its ethical production and durability.
The invitation box itself is a keepsake, featuring a woven bamboo mat
made on a loom, using dyed cotton threads on the warp and finely split
bamboo on the weft - a practice associated with artisans in Tripura.
The outer cover includes a handmade paper tag bearing the invitee's
address, accompanied by a bamboo ornament crafted in Meghalaya.
Decorative patterns on both the cover and the box take inspiration from
Assamese manuscript painting.
Curated by the National Institute of Design (NID), Ahmedabad, the
invitation welcomes guests to "experience the cultural and artistic
heritage of Bharat," officials said, adding that 900 such boxes were
created and sent out, featuring works by over 50 artisans and
craftspeople from across the eight states.
Inside the box is a wall-hanging scroll made using an octagonal bamboo
weave. When unfolded, it reveals an artistically arranged display of
handcrafted works from Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya,
Mizoram, Nagaland, Sikkim, and Tripura.
Eight traditional art forms are featured here: Assam's bamboo jaw harp
'Gogona', Manipur's Longpi black pottery, cane and bamboo jewellery from
Tripura, mon shugu paper from Arunachal Pradesh, green bamboo weave
from Meghalaya, woven nettle fabric and embroidery from Sikkim, orange
wild rhea and stinging nettle from Nagaland, and the handwoven puan chei
from Mizoram.
Source: President Droupadi Murmu's R-Day 'At Home' invite: artistic
legacies of 8 Northeastern states in focus by Divya A, indianexpress.com, 25 Jan 2026
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