New Delhi, 28 May: At 7.30 a.m., Prime Minister Modi arrived at the new Parliament Building. PM unveiled inauguration plaque. He and Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla then sat for a pooja. Once the puja completed, the Prime Minister prostrated before the ancient sceptre ‘sengol’.
The Adheenam seers presented the’sengol’ to the Prime Minister, who thanked them for their blessings on this historic occasion. The Prime Minister then brought the historic sceptre into the Lok Sabha chamber, where it was placed beside the Speaker’s chair. The Prime Minister then congratulated a group of construction workers who had contributed to the great new parliament’s development.
Following this, representatives from many religions offered’sarv-dharma’ (all faith) prayers.
The ancient parliament building, which was finished in 1927, is now 96 years old. It was discovered over time to be insufficient for modern standards.
The new parliament building can easily accommodate 888 Lok Sabha members and 300 Rajya Sabha members. The Lok Sabha chamber can seat 1,280 MPs for a combined session of both chambers. The materials for the new structure came from all around the country. To mention a few, the teak wood came from Nagpur in Maharashtra, while the red and white sandstone came from Sarmathura in Rajasthan.
The new parliament building symbolises India’s rich culture, including carpets from Mirzapur in Uttar Pradesh, bamboo flooring from Tripura, and stone sculptures from Rajasthan. To commemorate the momentous occasion, the government has issued a commemorative ?75 coin.
The new Parliament building, designed by Tata Projects Ltd, has a large constitution hall to display India’s democratic legacy, a lounge for MPs, a library, various committee rooms, eating places and enough parking space.
The four-story triangular structure has a built-up area of 64,500 square metres. It contains three major gates – Gyan Dwar, Shakti Dwar, and Karma Dwar – as well as separate entrances for VIPs, Members of Parliament, and guests. Opposition parties boycotted the inauguration of the new parliament building, insisting that President Droupadi Murmu should do the honours.
