Jonah Patel
The Constitution of India is the supreme legal document of India and the world's longest written national constitution. It lays down the framework for the fundamental political code, structure, procedures, powers, and duties of government institutions and sets out citizens' fundamental rights, directive principles, and duties. The Constituent Assembly of India sat for the first time on December 9, 1946, and in the span of two years and eleven months, it framed India's Constitution. The original constitution is hand-written and was illuminated by Nandalal Bose, known as the artist laureate of India, and his students from Kala Bhavan (Institute of Fine Arts), Visvabharati University.
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What You'll Learn
- The Constitution of India is the supreme legal document of India
- The Constituent Assembly sat for the first time on December 9, 1946
- The original constitution is hand-written and each page is decorated
- The calligraphy in the book was done by Prem Behari Narain Raizada
- The constitution was illuminated by Nandalal Bose and his students
The Constitution of India is the supreme legal document of India
The Constitution of India is considered federal in nature and unitary in spirit. It has features of a federation, including a codified, supreme constitution; a three-tier governmental structure (central, state, and local); division of powers; bicameralism; and an independent judiciary. It also has unitary features such as a single constitution, single citizenship, an integrated judiciary, a flexible constitution, and a strong central government. The Constitution provides for a single integrated system of courts to administer both Union and State laws. The Supreme Court of India is at the apex of the entire judicial system, followed by the High Courts in each State or group of States.
The original Constitution of India is handwritten and illuminated. The calligraphy in the book was done by Prem Behari Narain Raizada, and it was 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 represent styles from different civilizations of the subcontinent, ranging from prehistoric Mohenjodaro in the Indus Valley to the present. The original constitution took nearly five years to produce and has had more than 100 amendments since it was enacted.
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The Constituent Assembly sat for the first time on December 9, 1946
On 9 December 1946, the Constituent Assembly of India met for the first time, marking a significant step towards establishing the nation's independence and shaping its future. The Assembly, with 389 members at its inception, served as India's first Parliament and held the crucial mandate of drafting the Constitution of India, the supreme legal document that would outline the country's fundamental political code, structure, and rights.
The formation of the Constituent Assembly was a result of the 1946 Cabinet Mission Plan, which facilitated elections through a system of proportional representation. The initial Assembly included members from various provinces and princely states, with the Congress Party holding a dominant position, securing 208 seats. However, the Muslim League, which had won 73 seats, boycotted the first meeting, advocating for partition.
The Assembly's first session witnessed a notable address by Jawaharlal Nehru, who emphasised the Assembly's three-fold mission: to liberate India through a new constitution, address the pressing needs of the people, and empower all Indians to fulfil their potential. To achieve these goals, the Assembly worked diligently over the next two years, 11 months, and 18 days, convening for a total of 166 to 167 days.
During this period, the Assembly witnessed significant milestones, such as the presentation of the 'Objective Resolution' by Nehru on 13 December 1946, which laid down the foundational principles of the constitution and later became its Preamble. The Assembly also witnessed the formation of sub-committees, including the Sub-Committee on Fundamental Rights, which included prominent female members like Hansa Mehta and Amrit Kaur.
The Constituent Assembly's efforts culminated in the final session on 24 January 1950, where each member signed two copies of the constitution, one in Hindi and the other in English. The original constitution, a masterpiece of calligraphy by Prem Behari Narain Raizada, adorned with illustrations by renowned artists, stands as a testament to India's rich cultural heritage and democratic ideals.
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The original constitution is hand-written and each page is decorated
The Constitution of India is the supreme legal document of India and the longest written national constitution in the world. The original copies of the Constitution are kept in special helium- or nitrogen-filled cases in the Library of the Parliament of India. The original constitution is handwritten, with each page decorated by artists from Shantiniketan, including Beohar Rammanohar Sinha and Nandalal Bose. The work was calligraphed by Prem Behari Narain Raizada, a noted calligraphist, chosen by Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru, who wanted the text in a flowing italic style.
Raizada, the son of Shree Brij Behari Narain Raizada of Delhi, worked for Govan Brothers. Raymond Eustace Grant Govan, the founder of Govan Brothers, was the first President of the Board of Control for Cricket in India. Raizada used a holder and nib (No. 303 nib) to create the text. The original constitution took nearly five years to produce.
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. Nandalal Bose, known as the artist laureate of India, illuminated the document, along with his students from Kala Bhavan (Institute of Fine Arts), Visvabharati University. Other artists included Beohar Rammanohar Sinha (credited for the Preamble page), Dinanath Bhargava (who created the emblem of India), Kripal Singh Shekhawat, A. Perumal, and Vinayak Sivram Masoji. Bose's three children—Biswarup Bose (and his wife Nibedita), Gauri Bhanja (and her daughter, Bani Patel), and Jamuna Sen—also contributed to the artwork.
The Constituent Assembly of India's final session took place on 24 January 1950. Each member signed two copies of the constitution, one in Hindi and the other in English. Two days later, on 26 January 1950, it became the law of India. The Indian constitution has had more than 100 amendments since it was enacted. It is the world's most frequently amended national governing document.
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The calligraphy in the book was done by Prem Behari Narain Raizada
The Constitution of India is the supreme legal document of India and the longest written national constitution in the world. The document lays out the fundamental political code, structure, procedures, powers, and duties of government institutions, and sets out the fundamental rights, directive principles, and duties of citizens. It also espouses constitutional supremacy, as it was created by a constituent assembly rather than Parliament. The process of making the constitution was organised around the deliberations of the Constituent Assembly, which first sat on 9 December 1946 and completed its task in 2 years and 11 months.
The original, hand-written constitution is a work of art. Each page is decorated by artists from Shantiniketan, including Beohar Rammanohar Sinha and Nandalal Bose, the artist laureate of India. The calligraphy in the book was done by Prem Behari Narain Raizada, using a holder and a No. 303 nib. Raizada was the son of Shree Brij Behari Narain Raizada of Delhi.
The constitution was published in Dehradun and photolithographed by the Survey of India. It took nearly five years to produce the original constitution, and it has had more than 100 amendments since it was enacted. The Indian constitution is the world's most frequently amended national governing document.
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The constitution was illuminated by Nandalal Bose and his students
The Constitution of India is the country's supreme legal document and the world's longest written national constitution. It lays out the fundamental political code, structure, procedures, powers, and duties of government institutions, as well as the fundamental rights, directive principles, and duties of citizens. The constitution-making process was organised around the deliberations of the Constituent Assembly, which first sat in December 1946 and completed its task in 2 years and 11 months. During this time, the assembly had 11 sessions and sat for a total of 167 days.
The original, hand-written constitution is a work of art. The calligraphy was done by Prem Behari Narain Raizada, using a holder and nib (No. 303 nib). The document was 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 represent styles from different civilisations of the Indian subcontinent, ranging from prehistoric Mohenjodaro in the Indus Valley to the present.
Nandalal Bose and his students, including Beohar Rammanohar Sinha (credited for the Preamble page), Dinanath Bhargava (credited for the emblem of India), Kripal Singh Shekhawat, A. Perumal, and Vinayak Sivram Masoji, decorated each page of the constitution. The group also included three of Bose's children: Biswarup Bose (and his wife Nibedita), Gauri Bhanja (and her daughter, Bani Patel), and Jamuna Sen.
The original constitution was signed by each member of the Constituent Assembly, with one copy in Hindi and the other in English. It was published in Dehradun and photolithographed by the Survey of India. The process of producing the original constitution took nearly five years. On 26 January 1950, two days after the final session of the Constituent Assembly, it became the law of India.
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Frequently asked questions
Nandalal Bose, known as the artist laureate of India, illuminated the original document of the Constitution of India.
Yes, Nandalal Bose was assisted by his students from Kala Bhavan (Institute of Fine Arts), Visvabharati University, including Beohar Rammanohar Sinha, Dinanath Bhargava, Kripal Singh Shekhawat, A. Perumal, and Vinayak Sivram Masoji.
Prem Behari Narain Raizada did the calligraphy for the original document of the Constitution of India.
The original document of the Constitution of India is kept in a special nitrogen-filled hermetically sealed case in the Library of the Parliament of India.
