CONSTITUTION OF INDIA (FACSIMILE COPY)
Bhimrao Ramji Ambedkar (Babasaheb Ambedkar), Constitution of India, reprinted under the authority of the Government of India, Ministry of Culture, Youth Affairs & Sports, Department of Culture, and the directions of the Surveyor General of India, by Directorate of Survey (Air), Survey of India with supplementary logistics from Surya Print Process Pvt. Ltd., New Delhi, 2000
[1] + State Emblem of India or the National Emblem of the Republic of India page + 1 list of illustrations + 1 "Preamble" page + 231 illustrated colour broadside including 22 drawings by Nandalal Bose for each chapter + 2 pages; original full black rexine with gilt title to cover & spine, elaborate gilt decoration to cover, all edges gilt, dust jacket
16.7 x 12.7 x 1.5 in (42.5 x 32.5 x 4 cm)
This book has the printed signature by the framers of the constitution, most of whom are regarded as the founders of the Republic of India. The illustrations represent styles from the different civilizations of the subcontinent, ranging from the prehistoric Mohenjodaro in the Indus Valley, to the present. The calligraphy in the book is done by Prem Behari Narain Raizda. It was illuminated by Nandalal Bose and other artists.
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 texts done by Prem Behari Narain 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 Prem Behari Narain Raizada using a holder and nib (nib no. 303). He did not charge any fee for this work.
In Shantiniketan, along with his students, Nandalal Bose completed the artwork. The "Preamble" page was done by Beohar Rammanohar Sinha. Another Kala Bhavan artist associated with the artwork was Kripal Singh Shekhawat from Rajasthan, who after returning to his home state, subsequently 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, Nandalal Bose has depicted a phase or scene from India's national experience and history. The artwork and illustrations (22 in all), rendered largely in the miniature style, represent vignettes from the different periods of the history of the Indian subcontinent, ranging from Mohenjodaro in the Indus Valley, the Vedic period, the Gupta and Maurya empires and the Mughal era to the national freedom movement. By doing so, Nandalal Bose has taken us through a veritable pictorial journey across 4000 years of the rich history, tradition and culture of the Indian subcontinent.
The Vedic period is represented by a scene of a gurukula (forest hermitage school) and the epic period by images from the Ramayana and Mahabharata. Then there are depictions of the lives of the Buddha and Mahavira, followed by scenes from the courts of Ashoka and Vikramaditya. There is a beautiful line drawing of the Nataraja from 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.