INDIAN PARLIAMENT HOUSE

The Parliament House is one of the most magnificent buildings in New Delhi which has one of the brightest clusters of architectural gems possessed by any country in the world. The building was designed by two famous architects – Sir Edwin Lutyens and Sir Herbert Baker – who were responsible for the planning and construction of New Delhi. Parliament House is a massive circular edifice, 560 feet (170.69 metres) in diameter. Its circumference is one-third of a mile and it covers an area of nearly six acres (24281.16 square metres). The open verandah on the first floor is fringed with a colonnade of 144 creamy sandstone columns, each 27 feet (8.23 metres) high.

The Central Hall of Parliament House has been witness to many historic events. The Central Hall, located at the centre of the circular Parliament House, is surrounded by three Chambers and three well laid-out courtyards with lush green lawns and fountains. You will find short passages radiating from three equidistant points on the circumference of the Hall connecting with the Lok Sabha Chamber, the Rajya Sabha Chamber and the earlier Library Hall. Its dome, 29.9 metres (98 feet) in height, is one of the most magnificent domes in the world. It was in this Central Hall that India began its tryst with destiny on the midnight of 14-15 August 1947. Our Constituent Assembly which framed the Constitution of India met in this very Hall. One finds it adorned with portraits of eminent national leaders whose memories we dearly cherish. The President of India addresses members of both Houses of Parliament assembled together in this Hall which is also used for other ceremonial occasions. When the Parliament is in session, the Central Hall is used by members of Parliament as a common lobby for informal discussions among themselves.

The Chamber of the Lok Sabha is semi-circular in shape with a floor area of about 4800 square feet (446 square metres). The Chair of the Speaker is placed conspicuously at the centre of the diameter connecting the two ends of the semi-circle. In the pit of the Chamber just below the Speaker’s Chair is the table of the Secretary-General of the House. The Chamber has seating accommodation for 550 members. In the wood work around the Lok Sabha Chamber, there are 35 gilded designs representing the various Provinces of Undivided India, the Dominions and certain other British Settlements.

The Rajya Sabha Chamber is almost on the same pattern as that of the Lok Sabha Chamber but it is smaller in size, with a seating capacity of 250.

As one enters the Parliament House, one is fascinated by a row of beautiful paintings adorning the walls of the outer circular corridor on the ground floor. The paintings are the works of eminent artists of India, depicting scenes from the long history of this country right from the Vedic age down to the British period culminating in the attainment of Independence in 1947.

There are several passages of noble words described on the Parliament Building which serve as the guiding spirit for the deliberations in the two Houses