Constitution of India (Facsimile Copy)

Bhimrao Ramji Ambedkar (Babasaheb Ambedkar), The Constitution of India, Government of India, 2010

366 pages including 231 colour pages with 22 drawings by Nandalal Bose; hardbound with dustjacket in a slipcase
17.5 x 12.9 in (44.5 x 33 cm)

This book has printed signatures of the framers of the Constitution, most of whom are regarded as the founders of the Republic of India. The illustrations represent styles belonging to different civilisations of the subcontinent, ranging from prehistoric Mohenjo-Daro in the Indus Valley, to contemporary cultures. The calligraphy in this book was done by Prem Behari Narain Raizada. It was illuminated by Nandalal Bose and other artists, and photo-lithographed at the Survey of India Offices.

The original Constitution of India, adopted on 26 January 1950, was not a printed document. It was entirely handcrafted by the artists of Shantiniketan under the guidance of Acharya Nandalal Bose, with the calligraphy done by Raizada in Delhi. This document is now preserved in a special helium-filled case in the library of the Parliament of India. In many ways, the original handcrafted Constitution represents one of the triumphs of Shantiniketan and Kala Bhavan.

The original handcrafted Constitution of India was exquisitely designed and executed. The fine calligraphy in the book was done by Raizada using a holder and nib (Nib no. 303).

Bose, along with his students, completed the manuscript in Shantiniketan. The "Preamble" page was done by Beohar Rammanohar Sinha. Another Kala Bhavan artist associated with the original copy was Kripal Singh Shekhawat from Rajasthan, who, after returning to his home state, went on to revive Jaipur blue pottery from near extinction.

Many pages of the Constitution are embellished with highly stylised decorative borders, headers, and backdrops. The complex patterns in the borders and in the front and back covers, embossed in gold on leather, are reminiscent of the Ajanta murals.

At the beginning of each part of the Constitution, Bose has depicted a phase or scene from India's history. The artwork and illustrations (22 in all), rendered largely in the miniature style, represent vignettes from different periods of the subcontinent’s history, ranging from the Indus Valley civilisation, the Vedic period, the Gupta and Maurya empires and the Mughal era, to pre-independent India in the 20th century. Through these illustrations, Bose takes us through a veritable pictorial journey across 4,000 years of India’s rich history, tradition and culture.

The Vedic period is represented by a gurukul scene (forest hermitage school) and the epic period by images from the Ramayana and Mahabharata. Then there are depictions of the lives of Buddha and Mahavira, followed by scenes from the courts of Ashoka and Vikramaditya. There is a beautiful line drawing of the Nataraja in the Chola bronze tradition.

Other important figures from India's history include Akbar, Shivaji, Guru Gobind Singh, Tipu Sultan, and Lakshmibai. The freedom movement is depicted by Mahatma Gandhi's Dandi march and his tour of Noakhali as the great peacemaker; Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose makes an appearance too. Scenes of the Himalayas, the desert, and the ocean are also included.