A New Parliament Building For A New India
Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated India’s new Parliament building on May 28, 2023. The new Parliament building is not just a physical structure but a symbol of India’s democratic spirit, heritage and culture. The new building will serve as an emblem of India’s glorious past, present and future as a world leader.
In its 75th year of independence, India has proudly presented its new Parliament building to the world. This building is constructed by Indians for Indians.
Why was a new Parliament Building needed?
The Parliament of India is the highest law-making body in India. The Parliament makes the laws that everyone in the country has to follow. The Parliament is made up of elected representatives called members of Parliament (MPs). The MPs discuss and debate a topic before making a new law. This requires a place for them to sit and conduct meetings. This place is called the Parliament House.
The previous Parliament House is a heritage building that was constructed in 1927. The Parliament House was designed by Edwin Lutyens and Herbert Baker.
The building is now old and showing signs of wear and tear. It also needed more space as the number of MPs is expected to increase in the future. For this reason, the Government of India decided to build a new Parliament building. This new building is better in terms of space, technology, amenities, safety, parking facilities and offices.
Let us explore the New Parliament Building:
The new Parliament building is shaped like a triangle and covers an area of 65,000 square metres.
The building has three main gates. These are the Gyan Dwar, Shakti Dwar and Karma Dwar. These are separate entrances for important persons such as MPs and visitors.
The new building has 888 seats in the Lok Sabha chamber and 384 seats in the Rajya Sabha chamber.
The Lok Sabha Hall is three times bigger than the old one. It is peacock-themed based on India’s national bird.
The Rajya Sabha Hall is lotus-themed based on India’s national flower.
The building has ultra-modern office spaces. These spaces will use smart display screens, fingerprint sensors and other digitally-advanced audio-visual systems.
The new building is designed to be safe from earthquakes. It is eco-friendly and uses clean energy. It will also focus on rainwater harvesting, solar panels and waste management.
The public entrances have three galleries. The Sangeet Gallery showcases India’s traditional dances and music. The Sthapatya Gallery showcases India’s architectural heritage. The Shilp Gallery showcases the unique handicraft traditions of India’s many states.
The new building also presents a unique union of tradition and modernity through symbols such as Sengol and Foucault’s Pendulum.
The Sengol: Prime Minister Modi placed a historic object called Sengol in the Lok Sabha chamber of the new Parliament building. The name Sengol comes from the Tamil word for righteousness, "Semmai". The Sengol is a sacred sceptre made of gold and silver. A sceptre is a decorated rod carried by kings or queens on special occasions as a symbol of their power. The Sengol is 5 feet in length. There is a small statue of Nandi at the top of the Sengol. Nandi is the bull deity associated with Lord Shiva.
The Sengol has a long history. This history goes back to the time when the Chola dynasty ruled over parts of South India and Sri Lanka between the 9th and 13th centuries. The Cholas had a tradition of passing down the Sengol sceptre from one king to the next. This was a symbol of the transfer of power and legality. On Aug. 14, 1947, the Sengol was presented to India’s first Prime Minister, Jawaharlal Nehru. The Sengol has since been kept at a museum. Now, the government has decided to put it in the new Parliament building. This has been done to highlight the importance of this historical object in India’s cultural heritage. The Sengol’s presence in the Lok Sabha chamber signifies the connection between the past and the present. It also shows the country’s commitment to its traditions and democratic ideals.
Foucault’s Pendulum: Another interesting feature of the new Parliament building that has caught everyone’s attention is Foucault’s pendulum. It is named after the French scientist Leon Foucault. Foucault invented this pendulum to show that the Earth is rotating. The pendulum is a ball hanging from a string. Foucault’s pendulum has a heavy ball hanging from a height with a long string. It swings back and forth but slowly starts to change its direction. For example, when the pendulum swings in a north-south direction, it gradually shifts towards the eastwest direction. This shows that the Earth is rotating. The pendulum installed in the Parliament House is quite tall. It is about 22 metres high when suspended from the ceiling and weighs around 36 kilograms. It also has a power supply to make sure it swings smoothly. The pendulum was built fully in India. It has been installed in the gallery section of the Constitution Hall. The pendulum represents how India is connected to the universe.
