PM Narendra Modi inaugurates new Parliament building
On May 28, 2023, Prime Minister Narendra Modi officially opened the new Parliament building. He arrived at Gate No. 1, wearing traditional attire, and was greeted by Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla. Accompanied by priests from Karnataka’s Shringeri Math, the Prime Minister participated in a ceremonial “Ganapati Homam” to seek divine blessings for the inauguration of the new Parliament building. Vedic chants added a spiritual atmosphere to the occasion.
PM Modi, Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, Union Ministers and CMs of different States attend a multi-faith prayer meeting under way at the new Parliament building. PM Narendra Modi felicitates the workers who helped in the building and development of the new Parliament House.
Installs ‘Sengol’ near Lok Sabha Speaker’s chair
Modi led a procession carrying the “Sengol“ while traditional “nadaswaram” tunes played and Vedic mantras were chanted. The procession made its way to the new Parliament building, where Modi placed the “Sengol” in a dedicated enclosure on the right side of the Speaker’s chair in the Lok Sabha chamber. During the ceremony, the Prime Minister also honored select workers who had made significant contributions to the construction of the new Parliament building.
About the Sengol
Made of silver and gold, the five-feet long sceptre was handed over by Lord Mountbatten to Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru on August 14, 1947, as a symbol of the transfer of power, according to the government. The Sengol, a symbol of governance in Tamil kingdoms of yore, was then kept for display in The Allahabad Museum.
Historic Scepter ‘Sengol’ Finds Home In New Parliament Building
About the Parliament building
- The new building is located in the Central Vista area of New Delhi and is designed to accommodate the growing size and needs of the Indian Parliament.The new Parliament building has been designed to accommodate future requirements, with seating for 888 members in the Lok Sabha and 384 members in the Rajya Sabha.
- The new building will also house six committee rooms equipped with state-of-the-art audio-visual systems. This is a significant improvement compared to the present structure, which has only three such rooms.
- Unlike the circular shape of the old Parliament building, the new building takes on a triangular shape to optimize space utilization, covering an area of approximately 65,000 square meters.
- The four-storey building has been constructed at an estimated cost of ₹970 crore. The building has been designed by Ahmedabad-based HCP Design, Planning and Management, and constructed by Tata Projects Limited.
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