In a historic moment for India, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday morning inaugurated the new Parliament building as part of the renovated Central Vista project. Amid Vedic chanting, the Prime Minister performed “Ganapati Homam” to invoke the deities at the inauguration ceremony of the new Parliament House.
Modi then carried the “Sengol” to the new Parliament building amid “Nadhaswaram” tunes and Vedic chanting and installed it in a special enclosure to the right of the Speaker’s chair in the Lok Sabha chamber.
Union ministers Rajnath Singh, Amit Shah, S Jaishankar and Jitendra Singh, chief ministers of several states and BJP president JP Nadda were present on the occasion.
The four-storey building, to be constructed at an estimated cost of Rs 970 crore, has been designed by Ahmedabad-based HCP Design, Planning and Management and constructed by Tata Projects Limited. The interior of the ‘Temple of Democracy’ has three national symbols – the lotus, the peacock and the banyan tree – as its theme.
Key facts about the new Parliament House
▶ Triangular Shaped Design for Optimum Space Utilization: The new Parliament House has been designed in a unique triangular shape to ensure efficient use of space. This design allows for maximum functionality and accommodates large legislative chambers.
Built-up area of 64,500 sqm, the four-storey structure of the new Parliament House has three main gates – Gyan Dwar, Shakti Dwar and Karma Dwar – and separate entrances for VIPs, MPs and visitors.
▶Lok Sabha: The peacock-themed new Lok Sabha chamber features designs of the national bird’s feathers on the walls and ceiling, complemented by teal carpets and furnishings. The lower house has 888 seats from the current 543, with the option of expanding seating to 1,272.
The new Parliament does not have the Centra Hall, which was the base of the old building. The Lok Sabha will be used for joint sitting of both the Houses in his absence.
▶Rajya Sabha: The Rajya Sabha chamber in the new parliament has been designed with the national flower-lotus as its theme. The Upper House has orange carpets and furnishings and can seat 384 Members of Parliament (MPs), while the old building has an existing capacity of 250.
The increased capacity of both Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha can meet any increase in the number of MPs after delimitation.
▶Environmental and Divyangjan Friendly: The new Parliament is Divyang friendly (accessible to people with disabilities). It is built using green manufacturing techniques, and can reduce power consumption by up to 30 percent compared to the old one. Modern eco-friendly techniques of rainwater harvesting and solar power generation have been incorporated into the design of the new building. According to the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, the new building is to be functional for the next 150 years.
▶Constitution Hall: The new Parliament House has a notable addition in the form of a Constitutional Hall, where the journey of Indian democracy has been documented. It is located at the center of the campus and serves as an important space within the building.
▶ Safe Designing: The new Parliament House is designed to be earthquake-safe as per the building code, as Delhi is in seismic zone-V. The new building also includes improved fire safety measures.
▶Vastu Shastra Appropriate & Modern Amenities: The design of the new Parliament complex is Vaastu-friendly. Based on their importance in Indian culture and Vastu Shastra, auspicious animals are displayed as guardian idols at all its entrances. Indian Express,
The material used in the new building has been sourced from across the country. It is also equipped with modern technology as there is a multimedia display in front of each seat in the New Parliament House to enhance the legislative experience and facilitate communication. In addition, tablets and iPads will become a norm in the new building.
▶Facility for MPs: There has been an increase in the number of committee rooms in Parliament with sophisticated audio-visual systems. It also houses a lounge for MPs, a library, several committee rooms, dining areas and ample parking space.
▶ Facilities for Media Personnel: The new complex has special facilities for the media, including 530 seats dedicated to journalists.
▶ Public Friendly: Efforts are underway to make the new Parliament House more accessible to the public. It has galleries for the general public to view parliamentary proceedings. It also has two special entrances for children, elderly and differently-abled persons to access the Public Gallery and the Central Constitutional Gallery.