Malcolm Rivera
The original Indian Constitution was handwritten by Prem Bihari Narayan Raizada, a master calligrapher born into a family of renowned calligraphers. Raizada was chosen by Jawaharlal Nehru, the first Prime Minister of independent India, to handwrite the historical document. Raizada worked on the manuscript for six months, using 432 pen-holder nibs from England and Czechoslovakia to inscribe each letter beautifully. The original constitution, consisting of 251 pages, was signed by the members of the Constituent Assembly on 24 January 1950 and came into effect on 26 January 1950. It is now safely kept in a vault-like room in the Library of the Parliament of India.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Name | Prem Behari Narain Raizada (Saxena) |
| Birthdate | December 16, 1901 |
| Death date | February 17, 1986 |
| Calligraphy Style | Flowing italic style |
| Pen Nibs Used | 432 |
| Pen Nib Type | No. 303 nibs |
| Pen Nib Origin | England and Czechoslovakia |
| Pen Holder Type | No. 303 |
| Pen Holder Origin | Birmingham |
| Time Taken | Six months |
| Number of Pages | 234 or 251 |
| Weight | 3.75 kg or 13 kg |
| Calligraphy Fee | No remuneration |
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What You'll Learn
Prem Behari Narain Raizada was the calligrapher
Prem Behari Narain Raizada, born on 16 December 1901, was the calligrapher of the Indian Constitution. He was a master calligrapher, born into a family of renowned calligraphers. His grandfather, Ram Prasad Saxena, was a scholar of English and Persian, and he taught Raizada the art of Indian calligraphy from a young age.
Raizada continued to refine his calligraphic skills at St. Stephen's College in Delhi, where he graduated with a degree. He gradually gained fame for his graceful handwriting, and Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru took note of his talent. When the Constituent Assembly of India finished drafting the Constitution in the late 1940s, Nehru wanted the document to be handwritten, not printed, and so Raizada was chosen for the task.
Raizada worked in a room in Constitution Hall (now known as the Constitution Club of India) for six months to handwrite the 395 articles, 8 schedules, and a preamble in both English and Hindi. He used 432 pen-holder nibs, brought from England and Czechoslovakia, to inscribe each letter beautifully on the leaves of the manuscript. The original manuscript, consisting of 251 pages, now lies in the library of the Parliament of India, safely stored in a vault-like room in a helium-filled case.
Raizada did not accept any remuneration for his work on the Constitution. However, he did have one request: that he be allowed to write his name on every page of the Constitution and his grandfather's name along with his own on the last page. This request was granted, and today, Raizada's name can be seen on the bottom left of the text window on each page, immortalising his contribution to this historic document.
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He worked for six months
Prem Behari Narain Raizada (1901–1966) was the calligrapher who hand-wrote the Constitution of India. Born into a family of renowned calligraphers, he began learning calligraphy at a young age. After graduating from St. Stephen's College in Delhi, he gradually gained fame for his graceful handwriting. When Jawaharlal Nehru, the first Prime Minister of independent India, heard about him, he was chosen to write the Constitution by hand.
Raizada worked for six months in a room in the Constitution Hall of India (now known as the Constitution Club of India). He rendered the document, consisting of 395 articles, 8 schedules, and a preamble, using hundreds of pen nibs in the course of his writing. He used 432 pen-holder nibs, brought from England and Czechoslovakia, and a No. 303 nib for English calligraphy and a Hindoo dip-pen nib from Birmingham for Hindi calligraphy.
Raizada's calligraphy style was flowing and italic. He incorporated this style into the document, ensuring not a single word was misplaced, and there was not one blotch of ink on the 251 pages. The borders of each page also featured artwork by Nandalal Bose and his students from Shantiniketan. The original manuscript, which came into effect on 26 January 1950, now lies in the library of the Parliament of India, safely placed in a vault-like room filled with helium.
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He did not charge a fee
Prem Behari Narain Raizada, born in December 1901, was the calligrapher who hand-wrote the original Constitution of India. He was chosen by Jawaharlal Nehru, the first Prime Minister of independent India, who wanted the longest legal document in the world to be handwritten, not printed.
When Raizada was asked what he would charge for hand-writing the constitution, he replied, "Not a single penny. By the grace of God, I have all the things, and am quite happy with my life." He did, however, make one important condition: that he be allowed to write his name on every page of the constitution and his grandfather's name, Ram Prasad Saxena, along with his own on the last page. This request was granted, and Raizada set to work.
Raizada worked in a room in the Constitution Hall of India for six months, using 432 pen-holder nibs brought from England and Czechoslovakia to inscribe each letter beautifully on the leaves of the manuscript. The finished manuscript consisted of 234 pages and weighed approximately 13 kg. It was signed by the members of the Constituent Assembly on 24 January 1950 and came into effect on 26 January 1950.
The original manuscript of the Constitution of India now lies in the library of the Parliament of India. It is safely placed in a vault-like room in a helium-filled case. In the 251 pages, not a single word is misplaced, and there is not one blotch of ink. Raizada, who died on 17 February 1986, immortalised his name and his grandfather's through his legendary work.
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He signed his name on every page
Prem Behari Narain Raizada, born in December 1901, was the calligrapher who hand-wrote the original Constitution of India. He was chosen by Jawaharlal Nehru, the first Prime Minister of independent India, to write the first copy of the document.
Raizada was born into a Kayastha Saxena family of calligraphers. His grandfather, Ram Prasad Saxena, was a scholar of English and Persian, and he taught Raizada the art of Indian calligraphy. After graduating from St Stephen's College in Delhi, he continued to refine his calligraphic skills.
When the Constituent Assembly was done with the Constitution of India, they knew they had drafted a historical document. Nehru wanted the longest legal document in the world to be handwritten, not printed. Raizada was chosen for the job.
Raizada did not charge a fee for his work on the Constitution. However, he did have one request: that he be allowed to sign his name on every page of the Constitution and that his grandfather's name be included alongside his on the last page. This request was granted, and Raizada set to work. Over six months, he worked in a room in the Constitution Hall of India. He used 432 pen-holder nibs, brought from England and Czechoslovakia, to inscribe each letter beautifully on the leaves of the manuscript.
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The Hindi version was calligraphed by Vasant Krishan Vaidya
The original Indian Constitution was calligraphed in English by Prem Behari Narain Raizada, using a graceful, flowing italic style. Raizada was born in 1901 and came from a long line of calligraphers. His grandfather, a scholar of English and Persian, taught him the art of Indian calligraphy.
The Hindi version, on the other hand, was indeed calligraphed by Vasant Krishan Vaidya. Vaidya rendered the document, consisting of 395 articles, 8 schedules, and a preamble, over six months. He worked in a room in Constitution Hall, now known as the Constitution Club of India. Vaidya incorporated his own flowing style of calligraphy into the document, using hundreds of pen nibs in the process.
The Constitution of India was drafted by the Constituent Assembly, which comprised indirectly and nominated members. It took them almost three years to complete the task, and the final document was enacted on 26 November 1949, coming into force on 26 January 1950. The original, hand-written constitution was adorned with pictures of Indian culture and heritage by Nandalal Bose, a pioneer of modern Indian art, and his students.
Vasant Krishan Vaidya, like Raizada, did not charge a fee for his work on the Constitution. Instead, he included his name and his grandfather's name in the document. This stipulation was honoured, and both names can be seen within the Constitution.
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Frequently asked questions
Prem Behari Narain Raizada.
He was born in December 1901 and came from a family of calligraphers. He began learning calligraphy at a young age and continued to refine his skills at St. Stephen's College in Delhi.
Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru wanted the Indian Constitution to be handwritten in a flowing italic style. When Nehru heard about Raizada, he was summoned to write the Constitution by hand.
Raizada used a holder and a No. 303 nib for English calligraphy and a Hindoo dip-pen nib from Birmingham for Hindi calligraphy.
No, Raizada refused to take any money for his work. However, he did request that he be allowed to write his name and his grandfather's name in the document, which was granted.
