A new building to house the Indian Parliament was inaugurated by the Indian Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi, in the presence of the Lok Sabha Speaker, Shri Om Birla, on Sunday, 28th May, 2023.
Here are ten key things to know about the new Parliament Building.
1. Architecture different from the old circular building
2. People who worked on the construction of the building were honoured on the day of the inauguration
3. The Dedication Plaque is in 3 languages – English, Hindi, Sanskrit, and followed the art pattern of the Preamble to the Constitution
4. Enhanced Seating
The new Lok Sabha hall can seat 888 people, while the new Rajya Sabhal hall can seat 384 people. There is also the facility to have 1272 seats for a joint sitting of the two houses.
Image: View of the new Lok Sabha, from above.
5. Tech Enabled Parliament
Every seat now comes equipped with a screen, mic, and headphone. There are also projection screens.
Image tweeted by Smt. Hema Malini, MP
6. Built Up Area: 64,500 meters
The new building has a built-up area of 64,500 meters and is spread over three floors.
Indian motifs – peacock, Ashok Chakra, Sarnath Lion Capital, Chanakya, etc. dominate the visual elements.
7. 899 Days to Completion
The Foundation Stone was laid on 10th December 2020. The building was inaugurated on 28th May 2023 – a total of 899 days all inclusive.
8. The Sengol is finally installed
The Sengol is, in the Tamil culture, a symbol of transfer of power. A ceremonial Sengol was gifted to Shri Jawaharlal Nehru on August 14, 1947 to symbolise his taking over the reigns of the nation.
This Sengol was displayed in the museum as a walking stick received by JL Nehru.
The Sengol was installed in the new Parliament building with ceremonial pooja accompanying it.
9. Elements of India
Carpets are from Mirzapur, Bamboo flooring from Tripura, Granite, marble and other stones from India, stone jaalis from Rajasthan and Noida, Teakwood from Nagpur, and Stone carvings from Rajasthan.
Pictured below: Green granite stone in the background, and the Sengol installation.
10. A Foucault Pendulum in attendance!
A Foucault pendulum is also part of the building. It has been installed by NCSM – National Council of Science Museums. It is a simple pendulum that demonstrates the rotation of the Earth.
11. The President was not there
The First Citizen of India and the Head of the Executive, The President of India, was conspicuous by her absence at the ceremony.