Indian constitution was handwritten in 2 yrs 11 months: Republic Day trivia of lesser known facts

As India is about to celebrate the 74th Republic Day on 26 January, 2023, we bring to you some lesser known facts about the day. 

India commemorates the day when the Constitution of India came into effect in the year 1950, three years after the country got Independent from the colonial rule of the British Empire. 

The constitution was formulated by a drafting committee headed by Dr B R Ambedkar. The committee was formed on 29 August 1947 by the Constituent Assembly to formulate the Constitution of India and Dr Bhimrao Ambedkar, the then Union Law minister was assigned the leadership of the drafting committee. 

India till date commemorates this day, by parades on Red Road in New Delhi and several other capital cities across the country. It is celebrated with grandeur in national capital New Delhi. On this day, tableaux of each state are presented and the programme is wrapped with an air show by the Indian Air Force.

Here are 5 lesser known facts about Republic day and the Indian constitution

Who actually wrote the constitution?

Prem Behari Narain Raizada handwrote the Indian constitution. he was the calligrapher who handwrite the original constitution of India in a flowing italic style. Notably, the original version was beautified and decorated by artists from Shantiniketan including Nand Lal Bose and Beohar Rammanohar Sinha.

The Indian Constitution was hand-written in 2 years 11 months and 18 days.

Longest Constitution in the World!

The Indian Constitution is credited with being the longest constitution of the world. The Constitution of India was approved by the Constituent Assembly in 1949, however, it came into effect only by 1950. The Constitution has undergone 2000 amendments in 74 years. 

The Indian Constitution consists of a Preamble, 22 Parts with 448 Articles, 12 Schedules, 5 Appendices and a total of 1.46 lakh words.

Bag of Borrowings

The Indian Constitution is also known as the Bag of Borrowings because it has borrowed many provisions from the constitutions of various other countries.

Addressing the nation

The President of India addresses the nation on the occasion of Republic Day. The Prime Minister of India addresses the nation on Independence Day celebrated on 15 August every year. 

Chief Guest on Republic Day

First organised in 1955, Republic Day attracts people from all corners of the country for its grandeur. Every year, for the Republic Day parade, the President, or the Prime Minister or the head of the nation is invited as the chief guest. This year’s chief guest will be Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi.

Bonus trivia

The performers gather at the venue at 3am in order to prepare for the celebration. The state tableaux moves at the speed of 5km/hr so that people can observe them well.