Introduction:

The Constitution of India was adopted by the Constituent Assembly on November 26, 1949,
and came into effect on January 26, 1950. The original Constitution contained 395 articles
divided into 22 parts and eight schedules. Four more Parts, four more Schedules, and four
more Articles were added later (1 Part was repealed). In addition, the Indian Constitution has
been amended 104 times (as of January 2020).
The word "prem" is written at the bottom of each page of the Indian Constitution if you ever
have the chance to read it over. Well, prem truly earned that privilege, for prem Behari
Narain Raizada was the man who literally wrote the Constitution. When asked what he would
charge as a fee, Raizada responded that the only payment he required was to have his name
included on each page, along with the name of his grandfather, on the very final page, who
had grown him and taught him the art of calligraphy. Raizada spent six months writing the
assignment of his life while seated in the constitution hall, now known as the Constitution
Club of India. To execute every flourish and cursive stroke to perfection, Raizada used
number 303 nibs for his dip pens. That's a total of 432 nibs.
Following a unanimous decision, Santiniketan's famous artist Nandalal Bose was appointed
to oversee the artworks. Bose and his team chose paintings and drawings of saints, gurus,
rulers, and mythological characters from Indian history to decorate various parts/sections of
the Constitution. Each of these drawings and paintings conveyed a distinct message and
purpose about India's vast heritage and legacy.
The first part begins with the bull, a popular Indus Valley seal mark. The zebu-bull may
represent the herd's leader, whose strength and virility protect the herd and ensure the species'
procreation, or it may represent a sacrificial animal. When carved in stone, the zebu bull
represents the most powerful clan or top officials of Mohenjo-Daro and Harappa.
India's Vedic Age represents the part on citizenship. This was a time when worshipping
personified powers (Agni, Indra, Surya, etc.) was common, and there was little artistic
representation of these. The majority of sacred rituals and practices were only known to
Brahmans and were passed down orally to students.
This was also the time when the popular epics Ramayana and Mahabharata were written. The
depictions alongside their titles are unmistakable. The section on Fundamental Rights is
illustrated with Rama, Lakshman, Sita, and State Policy, beginning with the iconic scene of
Arjun and Krishna's conversation before the war.
The image of Buddha's enlightenment is used in the part on President and Vice President
rules. At the time, the term "enlightenment" could also refer to the awakening of the human
race from ignorance to consciousness.
Spiritual and philosophical speculation had advanced by the eighth century and were more
Kshatriya in origin than Brahman. This led to a period of significant social change. As a
result, Mahavira dominates the following page.
The Gupta period was India's Golden Age, characterized by brilliant intellectual and spiritual
development and was also characterized by great art and literature. The Gupta Rule manifests
itself in this artwork representing Nalanda University (established at that time), where the
intermingling of cultures was common.
The change between the Ancient and Early Medieval eras was marked by some great art,
particularly in the South. On different pages, this is depicted by a rendering of Arjuna's
Penance (from Mahabalipuram) and a Nataraja Chola Bronze. I adore these two depictions
for their symbolism and unparalleled creative process.
The following pages depict everything we appear to remember about our history: A scene
from Akbar's court depicting Mughal rule (known for pioneering art and architecture),
leading to Maratha and Sikh depictions of Shivaji and Guru Gobind Singh.
Shivaji and the Sikh regime eventually weakened Mughal rule, and European trade gave way
to what we now call Imperial rule.
The Freedom Struggle is portrayed by a series of heroes, beginning with Rani Lakshmibai
and Tipu Sultan and continuing with Gandhi's Dandi March and his tour of Noakhali as the
great peacemaker. Subhash Chandra Bose has an artwork dedicated to him as well.
Hence, the story of making Independent India's Constitution is full of drama and excitement.
It took place during momentous times that changed the political contours of South Asia. It
was a near-impossible task to transform a diverse, heterogeneous country into a unified
nation.