Simone Lawson
The Constitution of India is not only the world's lengthiest written constitution but also the most richly illustrated. The task of illustrating the constitution was entrusted to Nandalal Bose, a master artist and pupil of Abanindranath Tagore, who is considered a pioneer of modern Indian art. Nandalal Bose worked with a team of collaborators, including his students and fellow artists, to create painted pieces and sketches for this integral text. The narrative scheme of the paintings represents different periods in Indian history, from the Indus Valley civilisation to the freedom struggle, also including scenes from the Ramayana and the Mahabharata.
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What You'll Learn
- Nandalal Bose: the master artist who led the design process
- Gauri Bhanja: one of five women artists who illustrated the Constitution
- Jamuna Sen: signed the illustration 'Scene from Mahavir's life'
- Beohar Rammanohar Sinha: sketched intricate patterns on the Preamble page
- Dinanath Bhargava: sketched the National Emblem, the Lion Capital of Ashoka
Nandalal Bose: the master artist who led the design process
Nandalal Bose, the master artist, was called upon by Jawaharlal Nehru to lead the design process for the Indian Constitution. Assisted by his students from Kala Bhavan, including five women artists, Gauri Bhanja, Jamuna Sen, Amala Sarkar, Nibedita Bose, and Bani Patel, he embellished the original manuscript with indigenous techniques of applying gold leaf and stone colours. Each of the 22 chapters in the Constitution commences with one or two illustrations, providing a distinctive perspective.
Bose was influenced by the murals of the Ajanta Caves, which he spent months copying in 1909, and he borrowed from these murals the borders and motifs for the pages of India's Constitution. He also drew inspiration from popular forms, urban and rural, Hindu and Muslim, from woodblock prints to palm-leaf paintings, to ephemeral designs drawn in rice powder directly on the ground. He travelled to China and Japan to study ink and brush painting, and his earlier works reflect these influences.
Bose was a great synthesizer, able to marshal discrete ideas into a unified programme for the creation of a new art movement in India. He was part of an international circle of artists and writers seeking to revive classical Indian culture, and his genius and original style were recognised by artists and art critics. He was the first artist to be elected Fellow of the Lalit Kala Akademi, India's National Academy of Art, in 1954, and he received numerous other honours throughout his career.
Bose's involvement in India's freedom movement began as early as the 1930s when he created a linocut print of Mahatma Gandhi walking with a stick to mark Gandhi's arrest for protesting the British tax on salt. The image became an icon of sorts for the Non-Violent Freedom Movement. Later, in 1935, Gandhi sought Bose's help to install an art and craft exhibition at the Lucknow session of Congress, and Bose went on to create artwork and installations for Congress Sessions in Indore, Faizpur, and Haripura (Gujarat).
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Gauri Bhanja: one of five women artists who illustrated the Constitution
The Constitution of India is a fascinating piece of art, with each page reflecting the country's rich history and heritage. The master artist, Nandalal Bose, and his team of students from Kala Bhavan, were entrusted with the task of illustrating this important document. Among these students were five women artists, one of whom was Gauri Bhanja.
Gauri Bhanja was the eldest daughter of Nandalal Bose. She was born on 20 January 1907 and had an innate inclination towards art. Gauri joined Kala Bhavan as a student and graduated with a diploma in painting at the age of nineteen. She received her early training in art from her father, Nandalal Bose, and her maternal uncle, Surendranath Kar. Over time, she became a skilled artist, singer, and dancer.
Gauri Bhanja's artistic contributions to the Constitution of India are noteworthy. She was one of the female illustrators who left their mark on this historic document. One of her notable works includes the illustration of the Chola Bronze Nataraja, which was created according to the instructions of the Shilpa-Shastras (Craft Treatise). This illustration showcases the rich cultural heritage of India.
In addition to Gauri Bhanja, the other four women artists who worked on the Constitution were Jamuna Sen, Amala Sarkar, Nibedita Bose, and Bani Patel. Jamuna Sen, Gauri's sister, was also the daughter of Nandalal Bose. She excelled in creating frescos, linocut printmaking, and painting. Amala Sarkar, on the other hand, was a prolific singer who often toured with Rabindranath Tagore and Shantidev Ghosh as part of a dance-drama troupe. Nibedita Bose, another talented illustrator, was Gauri's niece and the wife of Biswarup Bose. Lastly, Bani Patel, Gauri Bhanja's daughter, continued the family's artistic legacy by contributing her skills to the Constitution as well.
The illustrations in the Constitution of India represent a range of artistic styles and civilizations that have flourished in the subcontinent. They draw inspiration from sources such as the designs of Ajanta and Bagh Caves, Chola art, Deccani miniature, and 19th and 20th-century poster art of India. Each chapter of the Constitution commences with captivating illustrations, providing a unique perspective and paying tribute to the country's diverse artistic heritage.
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Jamuna Sen: signed the illustration 'Scene from Mahavir's life'
The Indian Constitution is not just a legal document but also a work of art reflecting the country's rich heritage. The process of drafting, writing, and illustrating the document took a total of five years. Nandalal Bose, a master artist from Shantiniketan, and his team of students were entrusted with the duty of creating painted pieces and sketches for this integral text. Among this talented group were five women artists, including Jamuna Sen, who signed the illustration "Scene from Mahavir's life".
Jamuna Sen was one of the five women artists who illustrated the Indian Constitution. The other four were Gauri Bhanja, Amala Sarkar, Nibedita Bose, and Bani Patel. Sen's illustration depicts a scene from the life of Lord Mahavir, a figure revered in Jainism. Mahavir is known for his teachings on non-violence, truthfulness, non-stealing, and chastity. The illustration by Sen features two trees in bloom, one on each side of Mahavir, with a peacock in the background, indicating harmonious coexistence in a natural setting. This is one of the few coloured images in the original constitution.
The illustration is signed by both Jamuna Sen and Nandalal Bose, with Sen's signature appearing on the left side or the bottom left corner of the border. Nandalal Bose was a renowned artist and the leader of the design process for the Indian Constitution. He was called upon by Jawaharlal Nehru to lead the design process, and he was assisted by his students from Kala Bhavan, including the five women artists mentioned earlier.
The inclusion of women artists in the illustration of the Indian Constitution is significant. In addition to Jamuna Sen, Gauri Bhanja, who was the teacher of another female artist named Sumitra Narayan, was also part of the team. Sumitra Narayan, who studied in Kala Bhavan from 1949 to 1953, later became an Arts and Crafts teacher in Patha Bhavan School, Kolkata, from 1965 to 1991. The contributions of these women artists are an important part of India's history and the creation of its Constitution.
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Beohar Rammanohar Sinha: sketched intricate patterns on the Preamble page
The Indian Constitution is not just a legal document but also a work of art reflecting the country's rich heritage. The document was drafted by visionary leaders such as Dr. B.R. Ambedkar, N. Gopalswami, and K.M. Munshi. It was then decided that the Constitution would be manually written and illustrated.
Beohar Rammanohar Sinha, born on 15 June 1929, was an Indian artist renowned for his intricate illustrations in the original final manuscript of the Indian Constitution, including the complete preamble page. He was the youngest son of Beohar Rajendra Sinha, a notable journalist, politician, scholar, historian, theologian, littérateur, Hindi activist, Ramayana authority, and freedom fighter. Growing up in a household frequented by famous freedom fighters and political figures like Mahatma Gandhi, Jawaharlal Nehru, and Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan, Rammanohar developed a strong sense of patriotism from a young age.
Rammanohar's artistic genius extended beyond the Constitution. He promoted Indian art in the Far East and brought Oriental Art to India, acting as a cultural ambassador. His frescos adorn the walls and dome of the Shaheed Samark (also known as the Martyrs Memorial Concert Hall) in Jabalpur, and his works are housed in prestigious public and private collections worldwide. Rammanohar was a favourite disciple of Nandalal Bose, the master artist who led the design process of the Constitution. Rammanohar initially refused to sign his artworks in the Constitution but eventually agreed to sign some pages, including the preamble page, in cursive Devanagari script as "Ram" or "Rammanohar".
For his illustrations in the Constitution, Rammanohar drew inspiration from various places, including Ajanta, Ellora, Bagh, Badami, Sanchi, Sarnath, and Mahabalipuram. He incorporated symbols and elements from India's rich cultural past, such as Vrishabha, a symbol of the Indus Valley Civilization, and the Swastika found in Persia. His intricate patterns and designs transformed the Constitution into a symbol of India's identity, unity, and ambition.
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Dinanath Bhargava: sketched the National Emblem, the Lion Capital of Ashoka
The Indian Constitution is not just a legal document but also a work of art reflecting the country's rich heritage. The Constituent Assembly wanted an illustration that could be easily reproduced as rubber stamps, letterheads, and stamps. Dinanath Bhargava, a student of the illustrious Nandalal Bose, was the artist who sketched and illuminated India's national emblem, the Lion Capital of Ashoka. Bhargava was born on November 1, 1927, in Multai, a small town in Madhya Pradesh's Betul district. He was just 20 years old and a first-year student at Kala Bhavana, where Bose was the principal, when he designed the emblem. Bhargava's impressive two-dimensional rendition of the three-dimensional structure of the four lions earned him the distinction of sketching the emblem that has become a symbol of Indian identity.
Bhargava's task was to capture the essence of the Lion Capital of Ashoka, which was meant to remind Indian citizens of their ancient and illustrious history. The four lions with open mouths once spread Buddha's message in the four cardinal directions. In a secular India, the Lion Capital was detached from its religious symbolism. Instead, the four lions came to represent a young nation's pride, courage, power, and confidence. Bhargava's design has been replicated in various places, including the cover of the Constitution, where it is embossed in gold, and on stamps.
Bhargava was part of a team of artists, which included five women, entrusted with the task of designing the pages of the Indian Constitution manuscript. Despite being solely responsible for sketching the national emblem, Bhargava did not see the complete manuscript until 2006, more than half a century after he created the emblem. This was because, once a section of the volume was complete, Nandalal Bose would send it to Delhi. Bhargava died on December 24, 2016, at the age of 89 from a heart attack.
The Indian artists who illustrated the Constitution drew inspiration from various sources, including the ornate designs of the Ajanta and Bagh Caves, Chola art, Deccani miniature, and 19th- and 20th-century Indian poster art. Each of the 22 chapters of the Constitution commences with one or two illustrations, and the entire process of drafting, writing, and illustrating the document took a total of five years.
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Frequently asked questions
Nandalal Bose was the principal artist entrusted with the task of illustrating the Constitution of India.
Nandalal Bose worked with a team of collaborators which included his students and fellow artists, including Kripal Singh Shekhawat, A Perumal, and Direndrakrishna Deb Burman. There were also five women artists—Gauri Bhanja, Jamuna Sen, Amala Sarkar, Nibedita Bose, and Bani Patel.
The illustrations in the Constitution of India reflect the country's rich heritage and history. They represent styles from different periods and civilizations in India, including the Indus Valley civilisation, the Ramayana, the Mahabharata, and the freedom struggle. The artists were influenced by various sources, including the ornate designs of the Ajanta and Bagh Caves, Chola art, and Deccani miniature paintings.
