The original Calligraphed draft of the constitution of India

A brief about ‘The original Calligraphed draft of the constitution of India’

“The original calligraphed draft of the Indian Constitution features illustrations reflecting artistic styles from various civilizations across the subcontinent, spanning from the prehistoric Mohenjo-daro of the Indus Valley to contemporary times.”

The illustrations represent styles from different civilizations of the subcontinent, ranging from the prehistoric Mohenjodaro, in the Indus Valley, to the present. The calligraphy in the book was done by Prem Behari Narain Raizada, using a holder and nib (No. 303 nib). 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, including Beohar Rammanohar Sinha (credited, among other items, for the Preamble page), Dinanath Bhargava (credited for the emblem of India), Kripal Singh Shekhawat, A. Perumal, Vinayak Sivram Masoji and other artists, which included Bose’s three children: Biswarup Bose (and his wife Nibedita), Gauri Bhanja (and her daughter, Bani Patel) and Jamuna Sen. Amala Bose, later wife of ABP Group chairman Kanailal Sarkar, Jagdish Mittal (1) and Dhirendra Krishna Deb Barman were also in the team of illustrators. The illustrations were done in indigenous methods, using gold-leaf and stone colors. The name of the calligrapher is signed as Prem at bottom left of the text window on each page; the name of the illustrator is signed at bottom left of each illustrated page frame. Pictures are separately signed. The manuscript was written on microbe-resistant parchment sheets measuring 45.7 cm × 58.4 cm with a shelf life of a thousand years. The finished manuscript consisted of 234 pages and weighed ~13 kg. This manuscript was signed by the members of the Constituent Assembly on 24th January 1950.