Parliament
On Ganesh Chaturthi, India's parliamentarians shift to new block
New Delhi/IBNS: Almost 800 parliamentarians from two houses- Rajya Sabha and Lok Sabha- formally shifted to the new Parliament Building on the occasion of Hindu festival Ganesh Chaturthi on Tuesday.
Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Congress Leader of Opposition Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, on Tuesday spared some time to deliver their addresses in the old block, a historic site which witnessed the transfer of power from the British to India, proceedings for the last eight decades.
The shifting took place on the second day of the ongoing special session called by the government.
In his first address to the new parliament building, Modi said, "It is historic... This day will be remembered forever."
"Along with the shift in building, we need a shift in our thought processes too," said the Prime Minister.
Parliament Inauguration
In the month of May, Modi inaugurated the new Parliament building and installed a historic sceptre ‘Sengol' beside the Lok Sabha Speaker's chair on Sunday in a grand ceremony marked by multi-faith prayers.
A mega puja and multi-faith prayers were held on the occasion. He also unveiled a commemorative plaque for the new building.
PM Modi himself took part in a mega puja to mark the formal inauguration of the new Parliament building.
Around 60 religious heads were present at the event which also comprised a mega havan in the Parliament premises outside the new building.
Besides PM Modi, Speaker Om Birla also took part in the puja along with PM Modi.
The ceremonial sceptre 'Sengol' was handed over to PM Modi by the high priests of the Shaivite order.
PM Modi sought blessings from the priest holding the 'Sengol' in his hand.
He then carried the Sengol inside the building and placed it beside the Speaker's chair amid the chanting of religious hymns.
Details
The new parliament building offers more space than the current building which was built in 1927.
With carpets from Mirzapur in Uttar Pradesh, bamboo flooring from Tripura and stone carvings from Rajasthan, the new Parliament building "reflects India's diverse culture".
The interior has three national symbols - the lotus, the peacock, and the banyan tree - as its themes.
The triangular-shaped four-storey parliament building has a built-up area of 64,500 sqm. The building has three main gates - Gyan Dwar, Shakti Dwar, and Karma Dwar.
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