PM Modi laid the foundation stone of the New Parliament building on December 10 with a ‘bhoomi pujan’ for the project which is to be completed by 2022.
To Sanskrit chants by six priests from the Sringeri Mutt in Karnataka, the PM performed rituals around a holy pyre organized beneath a flower-decked marquee.
Pujaris from the Sringeri Math Karnataka did the rituals for the ‘bhoomi pujan’ at the new Parliament building site. However, no construction can immediately begin as various pleas against the project are pending before the Supreme Court.
Around 200 dignitaries, including Union Ministers, MPs, foreign envoys and religious leaders attended the function that was webcast live. Ratan Tata, whose Tata Projects has the contract for the new parliament building, was also present.
Speaking on the occasion, the PM said the new Parliament building would exemplify ‘co-existence of the new and the old’ and would be a witness to ‘Aatmanirbhar Bharat’.
“In the old building, the work to fulfil the necessities of the nation was done. In the new building, the ambitions of India of the 21st century will be realised,” said Modi.
New Parliament building:
In the new building, the Lok Sabha chamber will have 888 seats while there will be 384 seats in the Rajya Sabha chamber. Currently, the strength of Lok Sabha is 543 and that of Rajya Sabha 245.
During a joint session, the new Lok Sabha chamber will be able to accommodate 1224 members. The new building will not have a Central Hall.
The building, which is going to come up in an area of 64,500 sq m at a cost of Rs 971 crore, will be earthquake-resistant, and adaptable to the most modern digital technology.
It will incorporate indigenous architecture from different parts of the country, and showcase cultural diversity.