Republic Day 2022: Indian Constitution Original Copy Kept in Helium Gas Chamber. Here Is Why

Original copies of the Indian Constitution, written in both Hindi and English, are kept in a special helium-filled case in the library of the Parliament.

Indian Constitution. (Image Source: PTI)

New Delhi: India will celebrate its 73rd Republic Day on January 26. It is celebrated on this day as the Constitution of India came into force on January 26, 1950.

But do you know where is the original copy of our Constitution? Read on to find out.

Original copies of the Indian Constitution, written in both Hindi and English, are kept in a special helium-filled case in the library of the Parliament.

Initially, the original copy of the Indian Constitution was kept wrapped in flannel cloth and stored with naphthalene balls.

In 1994, India, like America, decided to keep the original copy of the Constitution in a gas chamber at the library of Parliament House.

After an agreement between India's National Physical Laboratory and the Getty Institute of America, a gas chamber was built in the country.

The Indian Constitution is written entirely in black ink. The ink oxidises fast, thus it must be stored at a humidity level of roughly 50 grammes per cubic metre to be preserved. As a result, the airtight chamber was designed for the Indian Constitution.

Monitors have been installed in the gas chamber to keep the humidity at a constant level. The chamber's gas is emptied once a year. This chamber is also inspected every two months and is continuously under CCTV watch.

Interesting Facts About Indian Constitution

The original Indian Constitution was drafted in both Hindi and English. Each member of the Constituent Assembly that drafted the Constitution, signed two copies -- one in Hindi and the other in English.

The Constitution took two years, 11 months, and 18 days to be written.  On August 29, 1947, a draft committee was formed to prepare the Indian Constitution. The committee's head was Dr Bhimrao Ambedkar, who created the Constitution after carefully studying all of the world's constitutions. The Constituent Assembly passed the Constitution on November 26, 1949.

The Indian Constitution is the longest of any sovereign country in the world. It has a Preamble, 22 parts with 448 articles, 12 schedules, five appendices and 115 amendments.

Both the Hindi and English editions of the Constitution were handwritten. It is the longest handwritten Constitution in the world. It was written by Prem Behari Narain Raizada. The original Constitution is decorated by artists from Shantiniketan.