Simone Lawson
The original copies of the Indian Constitution are kept in the Library of the Parliament of India. There are three original copies, written in Hindi and English, and stored in special helium-filled cases. The constitution was signed by 284 members of the Constituent Assembly on 24 January 1950 and came into effect on 26 January 1950. The Constituent Assembly, which first met on 9 December 1946, took 2 years, 11 months, and 18 days to draft the constitution. The Indian Constitution is the world's longest for a sovereign nation, with 448 articles in 25 parts and 12 schedules.
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What You'll Learn
Location of the original copy
The original copies of the Indian Constitution are kept in the Central Library of the Parliament of India. The library has a security enclosure of three rooms, which you can cross to view them. The original copies are kept in a special helium-filled case. This is because the utmost care has been taken to ensure that the original copy of the Constitution isn't spoiled.
The original constitution had two copies, each written in Hindi and English. The manuscript consists of 251 pages, is 22 inches long, and 16 inches wide. It is written on sheets of parchment. The calligraphy in the book was done by Prem Behari Narain Raizda (also known as Prem Behari Narain Raizada). The illustrations in the book represent styles from the different civilizations of the subcontinent, ranging from prehistoric Mohenjodaro in the Indus Valley to the present. The illustrations were done by Nandalal Bose and other artists. The Indian Constitution is the world's longest for a sovereign nation, with about 145,000 words. At its enactment, it had 395 articles in 22 parts and 8 schedules. It now has 448 articles in 25 parts and 12 schedules.
The Constituent Assembly, which first met on December 9, 1946, took 2 years, 11 months, and 18 days to come up with the final draft. The drafting of the Constitution was finally complete on 26 November 1949 and it became effective on 26 January 1950. The assembly's final session convened on 24 January 1950. Each member signed two copies of the constitution, one in Hindi and the other in English. The first signature on the copy was by the first Prime Minister of India, Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru. Notably, 46 of the signatories signed in Hindi, including President Dr Rajendra Prasad. The constitution was published in Dehradun and photolithographed by the Survey of India. Production of the original constitution took nearly five years.
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Physical attributes of the original copy
The original copy of the Indian Constitution is kept in a special helium-filled (or nitrogen-filled) case in the Library of the Parliament of India. The document is signed by 284 members of the Constituent Assembly, with the first signature belonging to the first Prime Minister of India, Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru. Notably, 46 of the signatories signed in Hindi, including President Dr Rajendra Prasad.
The original constitution is handwritten, with each page decorated by artists from Shantiniketan, including Beohar Rammanohar Sinha and Nandalal Bose, who also illuminated the manuscript. The calligraphy was done by Prem Behari Narain Raizada (or Raizda). The manuscript consists of 234 or 251 pages, each measuring 22 by 16 inches, and weighs approximately 13 kg.
The constitution was published in Dehradun and photolithographed by the Survey of India. It took nearly five years to produce, with the constituent assembly taking almost three years to draft the constitution. The estimated cost of the Constituent Assembly was ₹6.3 crore.
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Signatories of the original copy
The original copy of the Indian Constitution was signed by 284 members of the Constituent Assembly on 24 January 1950. The Constituent Assembly was a 389-member assembly (reduced to 299 after the partition of India) that took almost three years to draft the constitution, holding eleven sessions over a 165-day period. The assembly's final session convened on 24 January 1950, and each member signed two copies of the constitution, one in Hindi and the other in English. Interestingly, the first signature on the copy was not that of the then President of India, Dr Rajendra Prasad, but of the first Prime Minister of India, Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru. Among the signatories were 15 women who contributed to drafting the constitution, and 46 members who signed in Hindi, including President Dr Rajendra Prasad.
The original copy of the Constitution is 22 inches long and 16 inches wide, and it is written on sheets of parchment. Its manuscript consists of 251 pages, and it took 2 years, 11 months, and 18 days to prepare. The calligraphy in the book was done by Prem Behari Narain Raizda (also known as Prem Behari Narain Raizada), and it was illuminated by Nandalal Bose and other artists from Shantiniketan, including Beohar Rammanohar Sinha. The constitution was published in Dehradun and photolithographed by the Survey of India.
The original copy of the Indian Constitution is kept in a special helium-filled case in the Library of the Parliament of India. There are three original copies of the Constitution, and they are all kept in the Central Library of the Parliament, in a security enclosure of three rooms. The Constitution came into effect on 26 January 1950, after being approved by the Constituent Assembly on 26 November 1949. It replaced the Government of India Act 1935 as the country's fundamental governing document, and the Dominion of India became the Republic of India.
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Artists involved in the original copy
The original copy of the Indian Constitution is kept in a special helium-filled case in the Library of the Parliament of India. It is a hand-written document, with each page decorated by artists from Shantiniketan, including Beohar Rammanohar Sinha and Nandalal Bose. The latter was called upon by Jawaharlal Nehru to lead the design process, and he was assisted by his students from Kala Bhavan, which included women artists as well.
Nandalal Bose was the master artist who embellished the original Constitution using indigenous techniques of applying gold leaf and stone colours. The illustrations on each page of the Constitution reflect India's rich history, with styles ranging from the prehistoric Mohenjodaro in the Indus Valley to the present.
The calligraphy in the book was done by Prem Behari Narain Raizda (also known as Prem Behari Narain Raizada). The original copy of the Constitution is 22 inches long and 16 inches wide, and it is written on sheets of parchment. Its manuscript consists of 251 pages, and it took nearly five years to produce. The Constitution was published in Dehradun and photolithographed by the Survey of India.
The Constituent Assembly adopted the Constitution on 26 November 1949, and it became effective on 26 January 1950. On 24 January 1950, the assembly's final session was convened, and each member signed two copies of the constitution, one in Hindi and the other in English. The first signature on the copy was by the first Prime Minister of India, Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru.
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History of the original copy
The original copy of the Indian Constitution is kept in a special helium-filled case in the Library of the Parliament of India. There are three original copies, all of which are housed in the Central Library of the Parliament, in a security enclosure of three rooms. The copies are signed by 284 members of the Constituent Assembly, with the first signature belonging to the first Prime Minister of India, Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru. Notably, 46 of the signatories signed in Hindi, including President Dr Rajendra Prasad. The constitution is 22 inches long, 16 inches wide, and consists of 251 pages of parchment. It is the largest written constitution in the world, with 395 articles in 22 parts and 8 schedules, and 145,000 words. It is written in Hindi and English and is decorated by artists from Shantiniketan, including Beohar Rammanohar Sinha and Nandalal Bose. The calligraphy in the book was done by Prem Behari Narain Raizada, in a flowing italic style.
The Constituent Assembly, which first met on December 9, 1946, took 2 years, 11 months, and 18 days to come up with the final draft. The constitution was approved by the Constituent Assembly on November 26, 1949, and became effective on January 26, 1950, after India gained independence from the United Kingdom. The constitution replaced the Government of India Act 1935 as the country's fundamental governing document, and the Dominion of India became a sovereign, democratic republic. The constitution has had more than 100 amendments since it was enacted and is celebrated annually on January 26 as Republic Day.
The framers of the constitution borrowed features from previous legislation, such as the Government of India Acts of 1858, 1919, and 1935, the Indian Councils Acts of 1861, 1892, and 1909, and the Indian Independence Act of 1947. They also drew inspiration from various other constitutions, including the concept of Five-Year Plans from the USSR, Directive Principles from Ireland, and the ideals of Liberty, Equality, and Fraternity from the French Revolution. The preamble to the constitution was inspired by the preamble to the Constitution of the United States of America.
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Frequently asked questions
The original copies of the Indian Constitution are kept in the Central Library of the Parliament of India in New Delhi.
The original copies are written in Hindi and English.
The Constituent Assembly of India adopted the Constitution on 26 November 1949, and it became effective on 26 January 1950.
