Prime minister (PM) Narendra Modi on May 29, 2023, inaugurated the new Parliament building. The new building has been developed under the government’s Central Vista Redevelopment Project, replacing the earlier 96-year-old structure. The prime minister also installed a Sengol, a historical gold sceptre in the new building. Modi dedicated the New Parliament House to the nation, and said it reflected the aspirations and dreams of 140 crore Indians.
New Parliament Building: Location
The New Parliament Building is located along the Sansad Marg, Gokul Nagar, in New Delhi. It is around 750 metre from the Rashtrapati Bhavan, and close to prominent government buildings such as the Hyderabad House, the Vijay Chowk, the India Gate, the National War Memorial, etc.
New Parliament Building: Nearest metro stations
| Metro Station | Delhi Metro route |
| Central Secretariat | Yellow Line |
| Udyog Bhawan | Yellow Line |
| Patel Chowk | Yellow Line |
| Janpath | Violet Line |
| Rajiv Chowk | Yellow Line |
New Parliament Building: Features
Spread over an area of around 65,000 sqm, the new Parliament building has a triangular layout for optimum space utilisation, with additional seating capacity compared to the old structure. It houses the legislative chambers of Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha. Moreover, the new Parliament house is a Platinum-rated Green Building, focusing on energy efficiency.
Source: centralvista.gov.in
In the new Sansad Bhavan, the Lok Sabha has a capacity of up to 88 seats while the Rajya Sabha has a capacity of up to 384 seats. The Lok Sabha Hall can accommodate up to 1,272 seats for joint sessions.
Source: centralvista.gov.in
The new building’s architecture reflects Indian culture. The design theme of the Lok Sabha is based on the national bird Peacock while the Rajya Sabha is based on Lotus, the national flower. There is a courtyard in the new complex, which has a banyan tree, the national tree of India.
Source: centralvista.gov.in
The building also includes a central lounge, a Constitutional Hall and modern office spaces equipped with the latest communications technology, including digital language interpretation and programmable microphones. The new Sansad Bhavan also houses spacious committee rooms equipped with the latest audio-visual systems.
The central lounge has been designed to enable the Parliament members to interact with each other.
Source: centralvista.gov.in
The new building is designed to be Divyang Friendly and it is easily accessible by people with disabilities.
See also: Kartavya Path
New Parliament Building: Construction timeline
- September 2019: The Central government launches Central Vista Redevelopment Project
- September 2020: Tata Projects wins contract worth Rs 862 crore by Central Public Works Department (CPWD).
- October 2020: HCP Design Planning and Management wins contract for architectural consultancy work.
- December 2020: PM lays the foundation stone for the project.
- July 2022: PM unveils the statue of national emblem on top of the new building.
- August 2022: Main structure is completed.
- May 2023: Construction complete; the new Parliament building is inaugurated.
FAQs
Why is the new Parliament building triangular?
The new Parliament building has a triangular shape to ensure optimum space utlisation.
Who designed the new Parliament building?
Bimal Patel is the architect in charge of the redesign of Central Vista. He designed the new Parliament building.
Who designed India's old Parliament?
The old parliament building, which was constructed in 1927, was designed by the architects Edwin Lutyens and Herbert Baker.
(Header image: centralvista.gov.in)
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