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Mahesh

20/09/23 06:08 AM IST

Back Old Parliament building to be called as ‘Samvidhan Sadan’

In News
  • Prime Minister announced the new name of the old parliament building which will be called “Samvidhan Sadan" (Constitution House).
  • The old Parliament Building which was designed by British architects Sir Edwin Lutyens and Herbert Baker and was completed in 1927.
Old Parliament
  • The foundation stone was laid on February 12, 1921, by the Duke of Connaught
  • The architects, Sir Edwin Lutyens and Sir Herbert Baker, incorporated Indian motifs and styles into the building’s design.
  • The building was inaugurated on January 18, 1927, by Lord Irwin, the Viceroy of India at the time. It initially housed the Imperial Legislative Council.
  • The Constituent Assembly of India took control after independence, and it became the Parliament of India in 1950.
  • The Chamber of Princes in the Parliament Building was also used by the Federal Court of India before independence. Afterwards, it served as the Supreme Court’s location for over ten years before the court moved to its own building.
New Parliament
  • The new building is triangular in shape, mostly because the plot of land that it is built on is a triangle.
  • The new building's design is influenced by sacred geometry found in various religions. Its design and materials are meant to complement the old Parliament, with the two buildings expected to function as one complex.
  • Built using green construction techniques, the new building is supposed to reduce electricity consumption by 30%, compared to the old one.
  • Rainwater-harvesting and water-recycling systems have been included. It has been designed to be more space efficient and meant to function for the next 150 years.
  • The new Lok Sabha chamber has a peacock theme, with designs drawn from the national bird’s feathers carved on the walls and ceiling, complemented by teal carpets.
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • For the interior and exterior of the building, construction materials have been brought in from across the country, including sandstone from Sarmathura in Dholpur and granite from Lakha village in Jaisalmer, Rajasthan.
  • Similarly, the wood used in the decor is from Nagpur and craftsmen from Mumbai have led the wooden architecture design.
  • Bhadohi weavers from Uttar Pradesh have made the traditional hand-knotted carpets for the building.
Source- PIB

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