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Bhimrao Ramji Ambedkar (Babasaheb Ambedkar), The Constitution of India, Hathibarkala, Dehra Dun: Survey of India Offices, [1950]

[1] + State Emblem of India or the National Emblem of the Republic of India page + list of illustrations page slightly smaller in size, originally inserted loosely + 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
43 x 32 x 4 cm

This is the first edition of The Constitution of India written by Bhimrao Ramji Ambedkar (Babasaheb Ambedkar) and published by the Government of India in 1950. The book is a historically significant document that marks the culmination of years of intense debate, discussion, and deliberation among the members of the Constituent Assembly of India. It embodies the ideals and aspirations of the Indian people for a just and democratic society.

It is a comprehensive document that sets out the framework for the governance of the country. It outlines the fundamental principles and values that guide the functioning of the state, and it lays down the rights and responsibilities of citizens. The Constitution of India is a seminal document that reflects the hopes and aspirations of a newly independent nation. It has served as the bedrock of India's democracy for over seven decades and remains a testament to the wisdom and foresight of the framers of the Constitution.

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 civilizations 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 of Rampur (an employee of Govan Brothers) in Delhi on handmade Millbourne Loan paper 16 1/2" x 20 1/2 inches, 36 lbs., imp., 500 sheets, supplied by the Controller of Printing and Stationery, India. Shri Raizda that took up the job of calligraphy on 28 November 1949 and completed it on the last week of April 1950. The fine calligraphy in the book was done by Raizada using a holder and nib (Nib no. 303). A token amount of Rs. 4000/- only (inclusive of expenses for his lodging and boarding) was paid to Sri Raizada for his dedicated work.

The calligraphy sheets were tastefully decorated and illuminated by Shri. Nandalal Bose, the well-known artist of Santiniketan and other artists of Kala Bhavan, Santiniketan, who completed the job in four years’ time in Santiniketan. The work was photolithographed at the Survey of India Offices. The "Preamble" page was done by Beohar Rammanohar Sinha, Dinanath Bhargava (credited for the emblem of India). 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, Rajniti Singh and Dhirendra Krishna Deb Barman were also in the team of illustrators. 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.

The illumination work was done in accordance with the suggestions of Shri Jawaharlal Nehru to have real gold spray on the margins and also to provide illumination in rectangular form all around the space of 8 x 13 inches in the middle of paper for calligraphy. Shri Bose was paid a sum of Rs. 21,000 only for this rare feat of blending art and history together in the 221 pages of this prestigious document. Parliament Secretariat (the predecessor of the Lok Sabha Secretariat) took over the project from Constituent Assembly on the 26 January, 1950, and since then has preserved and treasured this monumental document for future generation as a symbol of our nation's achievement.

This edition is said to have been limited to 1000 offset printed copies and which were made out from the original calligraphed copy of the Constitution of India by Hathibarkala, Dehra Dun: Survey of India Offices, [1950]. The cost of offset printing was Rs. 70,000 only. Another sum of Rs. 25,000 was spent on binding which included inter alia, the following:-

1. Rexine binding with decoration all around;
2. Asoka Seal embossing in gold; and
3. Decorated and board containers for keeping the copies.

This document is now preserved in a special helium-filled case jointly developed by National Physical Laboratory, New Delhi and Getty Conservation Institute, USA, in March 1994 and installed in the library of the Parliament of India. In many ways, the original handcrafted Constitution represents one of the triumphs of Santiniketan and Kala Bhavan.