India's Parliament House

Christopher Benninger

India's new Parliament building, which replaces the old colonial Council House, draws its context from the Central Vista and the surrounding heritage buildings. While it carries forward India's democratic values, the triangular building seeks to put to rest the idea that the old Parliament, with its Chamber of Princes, Council of State and a Legislative Assembly, reflected - that India is a mere extension of Western cultural mores and traditions, writes Christopher Benninger.

Coomi Kapoor

Under a beautiful central dome, members of the Constituent Assembly legislative met to draft the Constitution for a newly independent India. This domed hall would go on to be Parliament's Central Hall, the one space where parliamentarians, across the aisle, would mingle with each other and the media. Coomi Kapoor on the most popular hangout in Parliament, once the country's most exclusive club and hub for select senior parliamentary correspondents, when the House was in session.

Voices From The House

Shafiqur Rahman Barq,
MP from Sambhal

He had been doing wuzu in the old Parliament building when a younger colleague walked in and asked him what he was up to. Shafiqur Rahman Barq, the nonagenarian Samajwadi Party MP who represents Sambhal, Uttar Pradesh, on a chance meeting and fruitful discussions in the old Parliament building

Priyanka Chaturvedi,
MP from Maharashtra

It symbolises the responsibility Parliamentarians have as advocates for the people they represent. Over the years, it has seen power shifts, the rise and fall of the mighty and the triumph of the underdog. Priyanka Chaturvedi, Shiv Sena UBT MP, on the legacy of the old Parliament building and the awe it inspired

Santosh Gangwar,
MP from Bareilly

When he had first entered Parliament, he had been awed by the dedication of veteran parliamentarians, who sat through proceedings listening to colleagues across party lines and studied issues before weighing in on them. Septuagenarian BJP MP Santosh Gangwar on what it takes to be a good Parliamentarian

Dean Kuriakose,
MP from Idukki

As a student, he had followed parliamentary proceedings on television with great interest. When he stepped into the building for the first time, the weight of its history and the responsibility on his shoulders came home to him. Congress MP Dean Kuriakose on his favourite moments in the old Parliament building

A New Address

The new building is triangular in shape, mostly because the plot of land that it is built on is a triangle. According to Bimal Patel, the shape is also a nod to the sacred geometry in different religions. Its design and materials are meant to complement the old Parliament, with two buildings - both old and new - expected to function as one complex. The red sandstone and jalli-work on the facade of the new building are given a contemporary edge. At all the six entrances of the building, auspicious animals as guardian statues will be exhibited, based on their importance in Indian culture and vaastu shastra. These include the elephant, the horse, the eagle, the swan, an aquatic creature called makara and a mythical creature called shardula.
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The new Parliament building has four storeys and a built-up area of 64,500 sqm. The Lok Sabha chamber will have 888 seats, up from the existing 543, with the option of expanded seating up to 1,272. The Lok Sabha will be used for joint sittings of both Houses in the absence of a Central Hall, which was the fulcrum of the old building. As per building codes, since Delhi is in seismic zone-V, the building is primed to be earthquake-safe. While arguing against the legal challenges to the project, the government had said the existing Parliament building was at-risk from earthquakes.
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The Rajya Sabha chamber can accommodate 384 Members of Parliament( MPs), as opposed to the existing capacity of 250. The increased capacity of both chambers is meant to cater to any future increase in the number of MPs following delimitation. The new Lok Sabha chamber has a peacock theme, with designs drawn from the national bird’s feathers carved on the walls and ceiling, with teal carpets. The Rajya Sabha chamber has been decorated with the lotus as its theme, with red carpets. In both the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha, two MPs will be able to sit on one bench and each MP will have a touch screen on the desk.
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The building has three ceremonial entrances on three sides of the triangle for the President, the Vice-President, the Lok Sabha Speaker and the Prime Minister. The entrance for the public, including visitors for the Parliament tour, is likely to be on Parliament Street, near the Press Trust of India building, where a temporary reception has been functioning throughout the construction period. Apart from the two Houses, the building has a Constitution Hall, where the journey of Indian democracy has been documented.
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A golden scepter, given to Jawaharlal Nehru on the eve of Independence to mark the transfer of power from the British, will sit in the new Lok Sabha chamber. This scepter, which came from priests in Tamil Nadu, will be installed near the speaker’s podium.
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A Collector's Item

A special commemorative poster on India's Parliament House

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Once Upon A Parliament

Voices From The House

Shafiqur Rahman Barq,
MP from Sambhal

Priyanka Chaturvedi,
MP from Maharashtra

Santosh Gangwar,
MP from Bareilly

Dean Kuriakose,
MP from Idukki

A Walk Through History

A New Address

A Collector's Item

Voices From The House

Shafiqur Rahman Barq,MP from Sambhal

Priyanka Chaturvedi,MP from Maharashtra

Santosh Gangwar,MP from Bareilly

Dean Kuriakose,MP from Idukki

A Walk Through History

A New Address

A Collector's Item

Shafiqur Rahman Barq,
MP from Sambhal

Priyanka Chaturvedi,
MP from Maharashtra

Santosh Gangwar,
MP from Bareilly

Dean Kuriakose,
MP from Idukki