The rare first edition of the Indian Constitution was auctioned and sold at a record price of so many lakhs..
A rare first edition of the Constitution of India recently sold for ₹48 lakh at an auction, the highest price ever paid for the document.
This special edition is one of only 1,000 copies printed by the Survey of India in Dehradun, commissioned by the central government in 1950. Beyond its role as a fundamental legal document, this edition of the Constitution is a tangible piece of India's history, containing the printed signatures of its makers, including the Constitution's chief architect Dr. B.R. Ambedkar.
The blueprint bears the handprints of all 284 members of the 1946 Constituent Assembly, as well as Kamala Chaudhary's Hindi signature and the English signature of then Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru.
The document is also adorned with calligraphy by Prem Bihari Narayan Raizada, who meticulously handwrote it over six months from November 1949 to April 1950. Raizada was paid ₹4,000 for his work, which was done on handmade Milborne Loan paper. The pages were later decorated and illuminated by renowned artist Nandalal Bose and his team from Kala Bhavana, Shantiniketan, following guidance from Nehru, who suggested using real gold spray on the margins.
Bose also created 22 illustrations, each depicting the beginning of different parts of the Constitution. These illustrations, rendered in miniature style, depict different periods of Indian history and art. For his contribution, Bose was paid ₹21,000, reflecting the immense value of his work in capturing the spirit of India in the 221-page document.
This rare copy was part of a three-day online auction organized by SaffronArt from July 24 to 26. The auction showcased antiques representing centuries of Indian history, art, literature, and more.
