I
The Calligrapher Who Charged No Money, Only a Name
“Handwritten with 303 English calligraphy nibs over six months without taking a single rupee in fee.”
The original Constitution of India was not typed or printed; it was entirely handwritten by master calligrapher Prem Behari Narain Raizada in flowing italic style. When Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru asked what fee he would charge, Raizada replied: "Not a single penny. By the grace of God I have all the things. My only request is that my name will be on every page and on the last page my grandfather’s name with mine."
II
Shantiniketan’s Artistic Journey Across 5,000 Years
“22 master illustrations representing every era of Indian civilization, executed in natural vegetable and stone dyes.”
Pioneering modern artist Nandalal Bose and his disciples from Kala Bhavana, Visva-Bharati, Shantiniketan (including Beohar Rammanohar Sinha) hand-illustrated each page’s borders. The illustrations capture India’s 5,000-year history—from the Indus Valley seal (Mohenjo-daro), Vedic Gurukuls, Rama returning to Ayodhya, the Buddha, Mahavira, Akbar’s court, Shivaji, Guru Gobind Singh, Rani Lakshmibai, to Mahatma Gandhi’s Dandi March.
III
Preserved in Sealed Helium Chambers in Parliament
“Kept at a constant 20°C and 30% relative humidity inside inert helium to last for centuries.”
The original 1950 parchment copies of the Constitution weigh roughly 13 kilograms each and measure 16x22 inches. To preserve the parchment paper, calligraphy ink, and pure gold leaf illuminations against Delhi’s humidity and oxidation, the original Hindi and English manuscripts are sealed inside temperature-controlled, hermetically sealed glass cases filled with pure Helium gas in the Parliament Library.
IV
Rain on January 24, 1950: An Auspicious Sign
“284 founding members signed both Hindi and English copies while rain poured outside the Constitution Hall.”
On January 24, 1950, the Constituent Assembly gathered for its final sitting to sign the historic manuscripts. As 284 members queued up to sign, heavy unseasonal rain broke out over New Delhi. Rather than being dismayed, members celebrated it as a divine Vedic blessing (shubh shagun) showering prosperity and peace upon the new democratic republic.
V
15 Visionary Women Who Shaped the Republic
“Ensured India granted universal adult suffrage to all women from day one, decades before many Western democracies.”
Out of 299 members in the Constituent Assembly, 15 were trailblazing women from diverse backgrounds. Leaders like Hansa Mehta championed gender-neutral wording in human rights, Amrit Kaur fought for universal public health, Dakshayani Velayudhan was the first and only Dalit woman member who championed anti-untouchability, and Sucheta Kripalani led the assembly in singing Vande Mataram on independence eve.
VI
The Longest Written Constitution in Human History
“Approximately 30 times longer than the US Constitution, designed to govern unprecedented diversity.”
India possesses the longest written constitution of any sovereign state in the world. At its adoption in 1949, it contained a Preamble, 395 articles in 22 parts, and 8 schedules, comprising approximately 145,000 words. Today it has grown to over 448 articles in 25 parts and 12 schedules. By contrast, the United States Constitution contains just 7 articles and under 4,500 words.
VII
Crafted Over 2 Years, 11 Months, and 18 Days
“A total expenditure of roughly ₹6.4 crore was incurred to craft the nation's bedrock law.”
The Constituent Assembly first met on December 9, 1946, and took precisely 2 years, 11 months, and 18 days to finalize the Constitution. During this monumental process, the Assembly held 11 sessions spanning 165 days. The Drafting Committee under Dr. B. R. Ambedkar scrutinized over 7,600 tabled amendments, debating 2,473 amendments in rigorous clause-by-clause scrutiny.
VIII
The Hindi Calligraphy Master: Vasant Krishan Vaidya
“Both identical English and Hindi manuscripts were signed by all members on January 24, 1950.”
While Prem Behari Raizada calligraphed the English manuscript, the official Hindi master copy was beautifully handwritten by Vasant Krishan Vaidya in Devanagari script. The Hindi illuminations and title borders were crafted by Shantiniketan maestro Beohar Rammanohar Sinha, creating a monumental national twin treasure.
IX
Global Wisdom, Indian Soul: Best Features Synthesized
“Dr. Ambedkar affirmed: "Nobody holds any patent rights in the fundamental ideas of a Constitution."”
Often respectfully called a "mosaic of constitutional wisdom", our framers studied over 60 global constitutions: Fundamental Rights and Judicial Review were inspired by the USA, Parliamentary Governance and Rule of Law by the UK, Directive Principles by Ireland, the Federal system by Canada, and the Preamble ideals of Liberty, Equality, Fraternity by France.
X
The Elephant: Official Seal of the Constituent Assembly
“Embossed on all official invitations, drafts, and proceedings of the Constituent Assembly.”
The official seal of the Constituent Assembly was the Elephant. The elephant was chosen as the emblem to symbolize great strength, monumental wisdom, patience, resilience, and the vast scale of the Indian subcontinent.
XI
Dr. Ambedkar’s "Heart and Soul": Article 32
“Guarantees the 5 historic constitutional writs: Habeas Corpus, Mandamus, Prohibition, Quo-Warranto, and Certiorari.”
When asked in the Constituent Assembly which single article he considered the most pivotal, Dr. B. R. Ambedkar replied without hesitation: "If I was asked to name any particular article in this Constitution as the most important... I could not refer to any other article except this one. It is the very soul of the Constitution and the very heart of it." Article 32 empowers any citizen to approach the Supreme Court directly for constitutional remedies.
XII
The 1950 Preamble Did Not Have "Socialist" or "Secular"
“The only time the Preamble of the Constitution of India has ever been amended in its history.”
The original 1950 Preamble signed by the founders described India as a "Sovereign Democratic Republic". The words "Socialist", "Secular", and the phrase "and integrity" were introduced 26 years later in 1976 through the 42nd Constitutional Amendment during the Emergency, transforming the description into "Sovereign Socialist Secular Democratic Republic".
XIII
Sir B. N. Rau: The Honorary Architect Who Refused Any Salary
“Prepared the initial 243-article draft without accepting a single rupee in compensation.”
Sir Benegal Narsing Rau, Constitutional Advisor to the Assembly, drafted the foundational initial framework of the Constitution entirely pro bono. When offered a salary by the government, he categorically declined, serving purely in an honorary capacity. In 1947, Rau traveled across the USA, UK, Ireland, and Canada to consult leading global jurists, including US Supreme Court Justice Felix Frankfurter, who advised him against including the American "due process" clause to safeguard progressive Indian social welfare reforms.
XIV
Why January 26? The Sacred 1930 Purna Swaraj Pledge
“November 26 celebrates Constitutional Adoption, while January 26 honors the 1930 Independence pledge.”
Although the Constitution was formally adopted and signed on November 26, 1949, the framers deliberately postponed its commencement until January 26, 1950. This specific date was chosen to commemorate the historic January 26, 1930 "Purna Swaraj" (Declaration of Complete Independence) resolution proclaimed on the banks of the Ravi River in Lahore under Jawaharlal Nehru’s leadership, fulfilling a solemn 20-year national pledge.
XV
Dr. Rajendra Prasad’s Accidental Double Signature on Parchment
“The only framer whose signature appears twice on the master English parchment page.”
On January 24, 1950, during the signing ceremony, Assembly President Dr. Rajendra Prasad mistakenly penned his signature inside the space reserved on the English parchment for Drafting Committee Chairman Dr. B. R. Ambedkar. Rather than discarding or defacing the irreplaceable calligraphed page, Dr. Prasad signed his name once more directly above the line, making him the only framer whose signature appears twice on that historic page.
XVI
1,000 Certified First Edition Copies by the Survey of India
“Exactly 1,000 photolithographic leather-bound master copies were distributed to founding members and state assemblies.”
Because the Constitution was handwritten and never set in metal type, producing official copies required unprecedented technological mastery. The Survey of India in Dehradun photographed every hand-illustrated page and produced exactly 1,000 photolithographic replicas in 1950. Each copy was printed on handmade archival parchment and bound in black morocco goat leather embossed with 24-karat gold leaf.
XVII
The Great Deletion: The Right to Property (1978)
“The only Fundamental Right in Indian constitutional history ever completely removed from Part III.”
The original 1950 Constitution guaranteed the Right to Property as an inviolable Fundamental Right under Articles 19(1)(f) and 31. However, repeated litigations by erstwhile zamindars continually obstructed nationwide land reforms and agrarian redistribution. In 1978, the 44th Constitutional Amendment formally deleted property from Part III (Fundamental Rights), reclassifying it as an ordinary legal right under Article 300A.
XVIII
The Shortest Article: Just Seven Words of Supreme Authority
“Seven words that establish the Head of State and Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces.”
Among hundreds of intricate, multi-clause provisions, Article 52 stands as the shortest article in the entire Constitution, consisting of just seven English words: "There shall be a President of India." Despite its extreme brevity, this single sentence creates the ceremonial Head of the Indian Republic, Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces, and the constitutional symbol of national sovereignty.
XIX
Hansa Mehta: Correcting "All Men" to "All Human Beings"
“An Indian framer altered the global language of human rights from "men" to "human beings".”
Beyond championing Article 15 inside India’s Constituent Assembly to prohibit gender discrimination, Hansa Mehta served on the UN Universal Declaration of Human Rights drafting committee in 1947–1948. She passionately challenged Eleanor Roosevelt’s draft phrase "all men are born free and equal", arguing that countries would use it to exclude women. Thanks to her relentless advocacy, the global charter was amended worldwide to "all human beings are born free and equal".
XX
The Ashoka Lion Capital: Studied from Live Lions for the Seal
“Studied live lions at Kolkata Zoo for a month to render the state emblem with anatomical authenticity.”
On January 26, 1950, India adopted the Lion Capital of Ashoka at Sarnath as its State Emblem with the Upanishadic motto "Satyameva Jayate". To illustrate this emblem for the original manuscript, Dinanath Bhargava, a 21-year-old art student under Nandalal Bose at Shantiniketan, traveled daily to the Kolkata Zoo for a month to closely study live lions’ anatomy, musculature, and regal expressions before sketching the definitive national emblem.
