Inauguration of the New Parliament Building

The new Parliament building was inaugurated on May 28, by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Delhi. The ceremony was held in the morning. Religious offerings were made to mark the beginning of the ceremony, followed by chanting of Vedic mantras. The historical Sengol was handed over to Narendra Modi, who installed it near the Speaker’s chair of the Lok Sabha. 

The new Parliament building has 888 seats in the Lok Sabha and 384 seats in the Rajya Sabha. Because the Lok Sabha Hall can accommodate a large number of people, it will act as the Central Hall as well. The old Parliament building could only hold a total of 793 seats in the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha. The triangular structure of the new Parliament building helps with maximum space optimization as compared to the old one which had a circular structure. The new Parliament building is built to be earthquake-safe as Delhi falls in seismic zone-V. 

The new Parliament was designed by a 61 year old architect named Bimal Hasmukh Patel. Some of his notable works include the Kashi Vishwanath and Sabarmati Riverfront projects. The Lok Sabha Hall has a peacock theme while that of the Rajya Sabha has a lotus theme symbolizing the national bird and flower of India, respectively. Different construction materials were brought from various parts of the country to build the new Parliament. A 16-foot tall Mahatma Gandhi statue which used to stand at the entrance of the old Parliament building, has been placed on the lawn between the old and new Parliament building.  

During the inauguration of the new Parliament building, Narendra Modi addressed the crowd and called the building a reflection of the aspirations of new India.