Constitution by calligraphy

“A calligraphy is an art form that uses ink and a brush to express the very souls of words on paper.” Kaoru Akagawa

On 27th January 2022, the students of class 8  got an opportunity to learn about the famous Indian calligraphist, Prem Behari Narain Raizada who penned the constitution of India. Class teacher, Ms Srishti shared a special video to introduce  the students to this notable personality.

Calligraphy is not like ordinary writing meant for ordinary communication. Calligraphy is art in the sense that its purpose is to produce aesthetic writing. The emphasis, therefore, is not on readability or even communication but finding the proper pen movement or brush strokes to express one’s artistic creativity. Calligraphy has also played a significant role in the advancement of the written word throughout the world.

The constitution of India is the longest written constitution of any sovereign country in the world. It is associated with Dr BR Ambedkar. While Dr Ambedkar, the chairman of the drafting committee, was undoubtedly its architect, little is known about the man who penned the constitution.

This historic document is an original calligraphed copy of the constitution of India in English. It was calligraphed by Shri. Prem Bihari Narain Raizada of Rampur. The Government of India entrusted Prem Behari the prestigious job of penning the constitution. He was allotted a room in the Constitution Hall, later to be known as Constitution Club. At this point, the draft consisted of of 395 articles, 8 schedules, and its preamble. Prem Behari took six months to complete the task.

The students of class 8 were overwhelmed with what they learnt. Students also posed questions with their teacher regarding, both the constitution and about Prem Bihari Narain Rayzada. They also learnt about calligraphy and its use. They also talked about the ideals of the Indian constitution.