The grand old Parliament, an iconic heritage structure in the heart of Delhi that has witnessed intense debates and historic legislations being passed that has shaped the country since its inauguration in 1927, is set to fade into pages of history as Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate the new Parliament building on Sunday.
On Friday, Modi said the new Parliament building, equipped with state-of-the-art technology, will make every Indian proud and shared a video of the new complex.
The event comes amid a boycott by several Opposition parties which insist that President Droupadi Murmu as head of the state should do the honours.
With carpets from Mirzapur in Uttar Pradesh, bamboo flooring from Tripura and stone carvings from Rajasthan, the new Parliament building reflects India's diverse culture.
‘Sengol’, a historical sceptre from Tamil Nadu which was received by India’s first prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru to represent the transfer of power from the British and was kept in a museum in Allahabad, will be installed in the new Parliament building.
Timeline of old and new Parliament buildings:
1918: Blueprint for the Council House
Following initial discussions regarding the architectural form of the building, both Herbert Baker and Sir Edwin Lutyens reached a final decision to adopt a circular shape for the Council House. T
his choice was made in order to evoke the grandeur and ambiance reminiscent of a colosseum design. While it is widely speculated that the distinctive circular structure of the Chausath Yogini temple in Morena, Madhya Pradesh, sambienceerved as an inspiration for the Council House’s design, there is a lack of historical evidence to support this claim.
During the peak of construction, an impressive workforce consisting of approximately 2,500 skilled stonecutters and masons was employed solely for the purpose of shaping the stones and marbles. The utilisation of advanced mechanical equipment, such as large-scale cranes, combined with an abundant supply of labour, propelled the project forward with unparalleled speed and efficiency.
The construction work for North and South Block buildings was much further along, by the time the construction for the Council House began.
1927: Formal inauguration
The foundation stone of the collonaded building was laid by Prince Arthur, the Duke of Connaught in 1921, and the building was inaugurated on January 18, 1927.
At present
The Parliament House has served as the ‘The Temple of National Discussions’ in the world’s largest democracy. The two houses of the Parliament have been the pillars that have supported the socio-economic growth of the country since independence. The recently concluded monsoon session of Parliament could perhaps be the last in the old building.
In the making: Foundation stone of new Parliament building
Prime Minister Narendra Modi laid the foundation stone of the new Parliament building on December 10, 2020 in New Delhi at an event that was attended by leaders from various political parties, cabinet ministers and ambassadors of different countries. Modi also performed the ground-breaking ceremony for the building. The new Parliament will have an area of 64,500 square metres.
Costs incurred and more
- Employment generated: 23,04,095 (in man-days)
- Steel used: 26,045 (in MT)
- Cement used: 63,807 (in MT)
- Fly ash used: 9,689 (in cubic metre)
- Costs: The building, which was built at a cost of ₹971 crore, can accommodate 888 members in the Lok Sabha and 300 members in the Rajya Sabha.
Source: hindustantimes
