This is India’s  premier design institute and is located in Ahmedabad very near the City Museum or Sanskar Kendra by Le Corbusier.  Both are must see places if you have the time.  Access to the campus  is quite difficult. No one explained why ,but with all the guards checking credentials and asking for  a name as your connection to enter,  it is  fear  of terrorists. We did get passes for a tour and there are wonderful creative projects all over the area with many great displays of modern design.  We were allowed to wonder in and out of the studios as well and watch the artists at work.  David’s  students were very impressed at the quality of the machinery, computers,  and the quality of the finished products.  NID deserves it’s world wide reputation of excellence. 

Faculty and students work together to design, create, and display.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g-r9OZ7mfps

This is a great video showing the school, buildings and studios.

Well, from my title, I was writing on the NIDUS which  is National Institute of Design and US. It means a small beginning in Greek. Unlike the rest of the campus, the shop is easily accessible to all from the street.  This shop has lovely modern and contemporary merchandise similar to that sold at MOMA in New York. And the great thing is that everything is designed and created either by current students, faculty or alumnae of NID and they receive payment after commission to NIDUS. This shop was opened in 2005 as a testing ground for the artists.   The prices are very reasonable in the world of designer goods.  We went to do final shopping and bought rugs and smaller gifts of trivets, jewelry and scarves. The clerks were very helpful when we asked to have them sent to the US. They didn’t do that but called a man from a shipping store who came, weighed our package, and gave us a price.  And what is most important, it arrived intact on about the date promised!  We have visited other countries  where we were warned not to ship because  they don’t arrive , but you  are charged for the items! This was not our experience here.  The friendly solicitous shipping man also drove us back to the hostel as he assured us it was on his way home!  Is there any wonder we loved India?   Could we ever remember such service in the land of our birth?

Looks like shops in New York or  London !  Happy shopping. . . . .namaste. . . . .                     This Is Incredible  Ahmedabad India !