Parliament House, New Delhi
 | A request that this article title be changed to Old Parliament House of India is under discussion. Please do not move this article until the discussion is closed. |
| The Old Parliament House | |
|---|---|
Purani Sansad Bhavan | |
 Old Parliament House, seen from Kartavya Path | |
  | |
| Former names | The Parliament House |
| Alternative names | The Old Parliament Building |
| General information | |
| Status | Retired and waiting for heritage restoration |
| Type | Heritage |
| Architectural style | Lutyens' Delhi |
| Address | Sansad Marg, New Delhi, National Capital Territory of Delhi |
| Town or city | New Delhi |
| Country |  India |
| Coordinates | 28°37′02″N 77°12′29″E / 28.6172°N 77.2081°E |
| Current tenants | Museum of Indian Democracy |
| Construction started | 1921 |
| Opened | 1927 |
| Owner | Government of British India (1927–1947) Government of India (1947–present) |
| Design and construction | |
| Architect(s) | |
| Other information | |
| Seating capacity | 790 |
| Public transit access |
|
The Old Parliament House (IAST: Purani Sansad Bhavan) in New Delhi was the seat of the Parliament of India between 26 January 1950 and 27 May 2023. It housed the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha which represent lower and upper houses respectively in India's bicameral parliament.
The building was designed by British architects Edwin Lutyens and Herbert Baker and was constructed between 1921 and 1927. It was opened in January 1927 as the seat of the Imperial Legislative Council. Following the end of British rule in India, it was taken over by the Constituent Assembly of India, and then by the Indian Parliament once India's Constitution came into force on 26 January 1950 with India becoming a republic.[1] The Chausath Yogini Temples found in India are believed to be its inspiration [2] whereas the new Parliament building is based on the Karana Mudra of Buddha.[citation needed]
The New Parliament House, built near this building on a triangular plot from 2020 to 2023 was inaugurated on 28 May 2023. It was built as part of the Indian government's Central Vista Redevelopment Project.
History[edit]
See also Chausath Yogini Temple, Mitaoli
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The parliament architecture built in 1927 was entirely influenced by Hindu Yogini Temple at Mitaoli.[3][4] which was designed by the British architects Sir Edwin Lutyens and Sir Herbert Baker in 1912-1913, and completed in 1927.[5]
The foundation stone was laid by HRH Prince Arthur, Duke of Connaught and Strathearn, in February 1921. It took five years to complete the building. On 18 January 1927, Sir Bhupendra Nath Mitra, Member of the Governor-General's Executive Council, in charge of the Department of Industries and Labour, invited Lord Irwin, then Viceroy of India to inaugurate the building. The third session of Central Legislative Assembly was held in this house on 19 January 1927.[6][7]
At 8 April 1929, Hindustan Socialist Republican Association's (HSRA) revolutionary Bhagat Singh threw low intensity bombs from visitors' gallary at this parliament's central legislative assembly (Now Loksabha or lower house). Batukeshwar Dutt was also with him but he did not throw any bomb. Both of them hurled pamphlets and shouted slogans against British government such as 'down the imperialism, workers of the world unite, Long live revolution'. They got arrested, Bhagat Singh who was the mastermind of the bombing was inspired by French anarchist Auguste Vaillant who had bombed the French Chamber of Deputies in the year 1893. HSRA's revolutionaries intended to spread ideas of revolution and inspire Indians to fight against the Government. Due to the explosions minor injuries happened to the people who was sitting.[8][9]
After freedom, the house served as Constituent Assembly from 1947-1950 and Constitution of India was created here, under the presidency of Rajendra Prasad.
In subsequent years it got some renovations, Air conditioners, digital screens and digital voting system got added.
Two floors were added to the structure in 1956 due to a demand for more space.[10]
The Parliament Museum, opened in 2006, stands next to the Parliament House in the building of the Parliamentary Library.
Description[edit]
The perimeter of the building is circular, with 144 columns on the outside. At the centre of the building is the circular Central Chamber, and surrounding this Chamber are three semicircular halls that were constructed for the sessions of the Chamber of Princes (now used as the Library Hall), the State Council (now used for the Rajya Sabha), and the Central Legislative Assembly (now used for the Lok Sabha). The parliament is surrounded by large gardens and the perimeter is fenced off by sandstone railings (jali).[11] The current building is planned to be converted into a Museum of Democracy after the new Parliament House is operational.[12]
New Parliament House[edit]
Background[edit]
Proposals for a new parliament building to replace Parliament House emerged in the early 2010s as a result of questions being asked about the stability of the original structure.[13] In 2012, a committee was assembled by the then-Speaker, Mira Kumar, to suggest and assess several alternatives to the usage of the building.[14]
Commencement[edit]
In 2019, the Indian government launched the Central Vista Redevelopment Project, a multi-billion dollar project to redevelop the Central Vista, India's central administrative area near Raisina Hill, New Delhi. The construction of a new parliament building, as well as redeveloping the Rajpath will create a new office and residence for the Indian prime minister, as well as combining all ministerial buildings in a single central secretariat.[15]
The groundbreaking ceremony for the new building was held in October 2020 and the foundation stone was laid on 10 December 2020.[16][17]
Museum of Democracy[edit]
After the inauguration of the New Parliament House, this old parliament building was converted to a Museum of Democracy.[18]
Incidents[edit]
2001 terror attack[edit]
The 2001 Indian Parliament attack was a terrorist attack on the Parliament of India in New Delhi, India on 13 December 2001. The perpetrators belonged to Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) - two Pakistan-raised terrorist organisations.[1][3] The attack led to the deaths of six Delhi Police personnel, two Parliament Security Service personnel, and a gardener – in total 9 – and led to increased tensions between India and Pakistan, resulting in the 2001–02 India–Pakistan standoff. The 5 terrorists were killed outside the parliament.[19]
Gallery[edit]
Lord Mountbatten addressing the Chamber of Princes as Viceroy in 1947.
A Constituent Assembly of India meeting in 1950.
Jawaharlal Nehru addressing the constituent assembly in 1946.
Indian Prime Minister Morarji Desai listens to U.S President Jimmy Carter as he addresses the Indian Parliament House in 1978.
U.S President Barack Obama addressing Joint Session of the Parliament in 2010.
Indian Parliament House building depicted on the obverse of the 10 Rupees silver coin of 1972, commemorating the 25th Anniversary of Independence (1947—1972).
Erstwhile Lok Sabha chamber.
,_featuring_male_and_female_figures_standing_(the_man_carrying_Indian_National_Flag)_before_the_Parliament_of_India_building.jpg)
See also[edit]
References[edit]
- ^ Anisha Dutta (31 January 2020). "New Parliament complex may seat 1,350 members". Retrieved 1 February 2020.
- ^ "Temples which inspired design of Indian Parliament: Madhya Pradesh's Chausath Yogini Mandir". Financialexpress. 11 May 2019. Retrieved 24 May 2023.
- ^ Dey, Monidipa (11 May 2019). "Temples which inspired design of Indian Parliament: Madhya Pradesh's Chausath Yogini Mandir". Financial Express (India). Retrieved 26 October 2020.
- ^ "Government should have confidence in this House". The Hindu. 9 August 2012. Archived from the original on 20 March 2018.
- ^ Ghosal, Jayanta (27 September 2019). "Sansad Bhavan to be revamped; all MPs to get separate offices". India TV. Retrieved 26 October 2020.
- ^ "History of the Parliament of Delhi". delhiassembly.nic.in. Retrieved 13 December 2013.
- ^ Chopra, Prabha (1976). "Delhi Gazetteer".
- ^ "Remembering..." The Economic Times.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ^ "Simon was present...when hurled bombs". The Print.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ^ Patel, Shivam; Lakhani, Somya (24 January 2020). "Diversity, efficiency, flexibility: The brief for redeveloping New Delhi's Central Vista". The Indian Express. Retrieved 5 January 2021.
- ^ "Parliament House: 144 pillars of pride". Hindustan Times. 7 June 2011. Retrieved 20 August 2018.
- ^ "Construction of new Parliament building: Shaping the Central Vista". The Financial Express. 16 January 2021. Retrieved 16 January 2021.
- ^ "Delhi may see a new Parliament building". The Times of India. 13 July 2012. Archived from the original on 15 July 2012. Retrieved 13 December 2013.
- ^ Firstpost (13 July 2012). "Speaker sets up panel to suggest new home for Parliament". Firstpost. Retrieved 15 August 2012.
- ^ "Central Vista Redevelopment Project". Drishti IAS. 23 April 2020. Retrieved 22 September 2020.
- ^ PTI (1 October 2020). "Groundwork For New Parliament Building Begins, To Be Completed In 22 Months". BloombergQuint. Retrieved 6 March 2021.
- ^ Mathew, Liz (6 December 2020). "PM Modi to lay foundation stone for new Parliament building on December 10". The Indian Express. New Delhi. Retrieved 6 December 2020.
- ^ https://www.timesnownews.com/india/new-parliament-building-may-not-be-called-parliament-house-may-get-a-new-name-article-100487418
- ^ "Terrorists attack Parliament; five intruders, six cops killed". rediff.com. 13 December 2001. Retrieved 13 December 2013.
External links[edit]
Media related to Sansad Bhavan at Wikimedia Commons
