Malcolm Rivera
The Indian Constitution is a calligraphed document, handwritten by Prem Behari Narain Raizada, also known as Prem, in a flowing italic style. It was written in English and Hindi using a holder and nib, with the English version penned with a No. 303 nib and the Hindi with a nib imported from Birmingham. The calligraphy artist was approached by Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru to handwrite the constitution in the late 1940s when the draft was ready to be printed. The original document is kept in a special nitrogen-filled hermetically sealed case in the Library of the Parliament of India.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Calligrapher | Prem Behari Narain Raizada (or Saxena) |
| Illustrator | Nandalal Bose and his team from Kala Bhavana, Santiniketan |
| Language | Hindi and English |
| Nib used for English calligraphy | No. 303 |
| Nib used for Hindi calligraphy | Hindu nib, imported from Birmingham |
| Paper | Parchment |
| Binding | Black leather, embossed with gold patterns |
| Storage | Helium- or nitrogen-filled case in the Library of the Indian Parliament |
| Number of reproductions | 1,000 |
Explore related products
What You'll Learn
The Indian Constitution is handwritten in calligraphy
The Indian Constitution is the longest written constitution of any independent country in the world. It is also known as a "bag of borrowings" for its varied sources and features. Interestingly, the Indian Constitution is not typeset or printed but is instead handwritten in calligraphy in both English and Hindi. The calligraphy in the book was done by Prem Behari Narain Raizada, using a holder and a No. 303 nib for the English text. The Hindi calligraphy was written by another calligrapher, Vasant Krishna Vaidya, using a nib imported from Birmingham. The original copies of the Constitution are now kept in special helium- or nitrogen-filled cases in the Library of the Parliament of India.
The Indian Constitution is not only a legal document but also a work of art. It is illuminated by Nandalal Bose, known as the artist laureate of India, and his students from Kala Bhavan (Institute of Fine Arts), Visvabharati University. The illustrations in the Constitution represent styles from different civilizations of the subcontinent, ranging from the prehistoric Mohenjodaro in the Indus Valley to the present. Each of the 22 parts of the Indian Constitution begins with an illustration, and the artists have included depictions of important events and people in India's history, such as Mahatma Gandhi and the Dandi March.
The process of creating the Constitution of India was a collaborative effort. The Constituent Assembly, comprising indirectly elected and nominated members, took almost three years to complete the task of drafting this historic document. Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru proposed handwriting the Constitution in a calligraphic style when the draft was ready to be printed. The Constitution was then presented to the then-president of India, Rajendra Prasad.
The Indian Constitution is a unique and invaluable document that reflects the country's cultural values and teachings. It is a testament to the hard work and dedication of those involved in its creation and has undergone several amendments to ensure it remains relevant and effective.
Doctrines of the Indian Constitution: A Comprehensive Overview
You may want to see also
Prem Behari Narain Raizada is the calligrapher
The Indian Constitution is calligraphed, and Prem Behari Narain Raizada is the calligrapher. Born on December 16, 1901, into a family of renowned calligraphers, Raizada began learning calligraphy at a young age. His grandfather, Ram Prasad Saxena, was a scholar of English and Persian, and he taught Raizada the art of Indian calligraphy. Raizada also attended St. Stephen's College in Delhi, where he continued to refine his calligraphic skills.
When the Constituent Assembly of India finished drafting the Indian Constitution in the late 1940s, they knew they had created a historical document. The Constitution reflected the country's history, struggles, its leaders' vision, and its people's aspirations. Jawaharlal Nehru, the first Prime Minister of independent India, wanted the world's longest legal document to be handwritten, not printed. Raizada was chosen for the task.
Raizada wrote the 251-page manuscript over six months in a room in Constitution Hall (now known as the Constitution Club of India). He used 432 pen-holder nibs, imported from England and Czechoslovakia, to inscribe each letter beautifully. The manuscript, which consisted of 395 articles, 8 schedules, and a preamble, weighed 3.75 kg (8.26 lbs). Raizada incorporated his flowing style of calligraphy into the document, and not a single word is misplaced or blotted.
Raizada refused to accept any remuneration for his work, asking instead to be allowed to write his name and his grandfather's name on each page of the Constitution. This request was granted, and both names can be seen in the document. The original manuscript, which came into effect on January 26, 1950, is safely stored in a vault-like room in the Library of the Parliament of India, preserved in a helium-filled case.
The Lengthy Indian Constitution: A Comprehensive Guide
You may want to see also
The original was illustrated by Nandalal Bose and his team
The original Indian Constitution was indeed calligraphed and illuminated by Nandalal Bose and his team of talented artists from Santiniketan and Kala Bhavan (Institute of Fine Arts), Visvabharati University. Nandalal Bose, known as the "artist laureate of India", was a student of Abanindranath Tagore and became the Principal of Kala Bhavan in Shantiniketan in 1921 or 1922. He was a master of the Indian style of painting and was deeply influenced by the murals of the Ajanta Caves, which inspired his illustrations for the Constitution.
Bose and his team, including his three children, created twenty-two unique illustrations for the manuscript of the Indian Constitution. Each of the 22 parts of the Constitution begins with an illustration, ranging from the prehistoric Mohenjodaro in the Indus Valley to the present. The illustrations were done using indigenous methods, with gold leaf and stone colours, and featured ornamented borders. They depicted various scenes and figures from Indian history and culture, including the seal of Mohenjodaro, the Vedic gurukul, Gautama Buddha, Mahavira, Shivaji, Guru Gobind Singh, Tipu Sultan, Rani Lakshmibai, Emperor Ashoka, and the trade and industry of the Gupta period.
Bose's illustration of Mahatma Gandhi walking with a stick, created in 1930 to mark the Dandi March, also features in the Constitution in the section on the official language. Gandhi appears again in the section on emergency provisions, where he is visiting riot-hit Noakhali in southeast Bangladesh. The contributions of Subhas Chandra Bose and his Azad Hind Fauj are also acknowledged in the illustrations.
The calligraphy in the original Constitution was done by Prem Behari Narain Raizada, using a holder and a No. 303 nib for the English calligraphy and a Hindu nib, imported from Birmingham, for the Hindi calligraphy. The original calligraphed and illuminated Constitution is kept in a special nitrogen-filled hermetically sealed case in the Library of the Parliament of India.
Understanding Minority Rights and Definition in Indian Constitution
You may want to see also
Explore related products
It was written in English and Hindi
The Constitution of India is the country's supreme legal document and the longest written national constitution in the world. It lays down the framework for the fundamental political code, structure, procedures, powers, and duties of government institutions, and sets out the fundamental rights, directive principles, and duties of citizens.
The Indian Constitution was originally written in English and Hindi. The original manuscript is hand-written and calligraphed by Prem Behari Narain Raizada, with each page beautifully decorated by artists from Shantiniketan, including Beohar Rammanohar Sinha and Nandalal Bose. The calligrapher signed his name as "Prem" at the bottom left of the text window on each page. The illustrations were done in indigenous methods, using gold-leaf and stone colours. The constitution was published in Dehradun and photolithographed by the Survey of India.
The Hindi translation of the Indian Constitution was undertaken by Raghu Vira, a distinguished linguist, scholar, politician, and member of the Constituent Assembly. In 1948, Rajendra Prasad entrusted Raghu Vira and his team to translate the English text of the Constitution into Hindi. Using Sanskrit as a common base, Vira applied the rules of sandhi (joining), samasa (compounding), upasarga (prefix), and pratyaya (suffix) to develop several new terms for scientific and parliamentary use. The terminology was subsequently approved by an All India Committee of Linguistic Experts, representing thirteen languages.
The Constitution of India has since been translated into several other Indian languages, including Bengali, Meitei (officially known as Manipuri), and Sanskrit. The vocabulary developed for Hindi served as a base for translating the constitution into other Indic languages. The constitution has had more than 100 amendments since it was enacted and is the world's longest for a sovereign nation.
CAA: Unconstitutional and Un-Indian?
You may want to see also
It is kept in a special case in the Library of the Indian Parliament
The original Indian Constitution is kept in the Library of the Indian Parliament, also known as the Parliament Library Building, in New Delhi. It is preserved in a special case, specifically a helium or nitrogen-filled, hermetically sealed case. The original copy is handwritten and consists of 251 sheets of parchment, with each page measuring 22 by 16 inches. The calligraphy was done by Prem Behari Narain Raizada, using a holder and a No. 303 nib for the English version, and a Hindu nib imported from Birmingham for the Hindi version. The Hindi version was calligraphed by Vasant Krishan Vaidya. The illustrations were done by Nandalal Bose, known as the artist laureate of India, and his students from Kala Bhavan (Institute of Fine Arts), Visvabharati University. The artists used indigenous methods, employing gold-leaf and stone colours. The Constitution took nearly five years to produce and was signed by 284 members of the Constituent Assembly on 24 January 1950, before it became the law of India on 26 January 1950.
The Indian Constitution: Framing a Democratic Republic
You may want to see also
Frequently asked questions
Yes, the Indian Constitution is handwritten in calligraphy.
The calligraphy of the Indian Constitution was done by Prem Behari Narain Raizada, also known as Prem.
Raizada used a holder and nib for the English calligraphy and a Hindu nib, imported from Birmingham, for the Hindi calligraphy.
It took Raizada over six months to complete the task.
The original Indian Constitution is kept in a special nitrogen-filled, hermetically sealed case in the Library of the Parliament of India.
