India’s Pride - “Temple of Democracy”

-- Aaditya Biju, X-B, Indian Learners’ Own Academy

Wednesday, June 14, 2023

“In 25 years, India will complete 100 years of its Independence!!”

On May 28, the people of India awoke to a new Parliament building, which is their temple of democracy. It was inaugurated by Prime Minister Mr. Narendra Modi, who also installed the historic Sengol in a special enclosure on the right side of the Speaker's chair in the Lok Sabha chamber.

India’s new Parliament building replaces the old British colonial Council House, reflecting the structure of British rule, which was designed by Herbert Baker and commissioned in 1927. In the 75th year of Independence, India has a new Parliament building, built by Indians, and embodying the culture, pride, and spirit of the entire nation.

The new building is a pentagon to ensure optimum space utilisation, and it has three main gates -- Gyan Dwar, Shakti Dwar, and Karma Dwar. It will have separate entrances for VIPs, MPs, and visitors.The new Parliament building features the essence of whole India and every corner inside the complex has a significance of different Indian states. In line with Red Fort and Humayun's Tomb in Delhi, the sandstone has been procured from Sarmathura in Rajasthan.The Kesharia green stone, installed inside the Lok Sabha chamber, has been brought from Rajasthan's Udaipur. Red granite, installed inside the Rajya Sabha chamber, brought from Ajmer's Lakha and the white marbles from Ambaji in Rajasthan.The teakwood has been procured from Maharashtra's Nagpur.Furniture installed inside was crafted in Mumbai.The lattice work in stone surrounding the building were brought from Rajasthan, Noida and Uttar Pradesh.False ceilings structures made of steel were procured from Daman and Diu.Materials used in sculpting Ashoka Emblem were brought from Aurangabad and Jaipur.Both Ashoka Chakras installed inside the upper and lower Houses were sourced from Indore.Sculptors from Abu Road in Udaipur did the stone carving work and stone aggregates were brought from Kotputali. The Lok Sabha hall is based on the peacock theme, India’s national bird and the Rajya Sabha is based on the lotus theme, India’s national flower.



The Temple of Democracy has a grand constitution hall to showcase India's democratic heritage, a lounge for MPs, a library, multiple committee rooms, dining areas and ample parking space. The new parliament is also ‘divyang-friendly’ and people with disabilities will be able to move around freely. The building can comfortably seat 888 members in the Lok Sabha chamber and 300 in the Rajya Sabha chamber. For a joint sitting of both Houses, 1,280 MPs can be accommodated in the Lok Sabha chamber. It is designed to withstand earthquakes.

The sceptre, known as the ‘Sengol,’ is made of gold and silver, was used to symbolise the transfer of power during India’s Independence. In 1947, the ‘Sengol’ was made on the advice of C Rajagopalachari, the last Governor General of India, when Nehru asked his cabinet how the transfer of power from British should be marked. Rajaji referred to the ancient Chola custom of the ‘rajaguru’ handing over a sceptre to the king on his coronation. Madras jeweller Vummudi Bangaru Chetty was commissioned to make the ‘Sengol’ in four weeks.



On August 14, Viceroy Mountbatten handed the sceptre over to the Tamil pontiffs who purified it and handed it over to Prime Minister Pandit Jawaharlal Nehruat around 10:45 pm on August 14, 1947,just before he left for Parliament House to deliver the historic “tryst with destiny” speech in the intervening night of August 14-15, 1947.

Associated with the new Parliament building inauguration, Prime Minister Mr. Narendra Modi specially bowed down to the foresight of Raja ji and other various Adheenams and highlighted the Sengol which initiated the freedom from every symbol of hundreds of years of slavery. The seers handed over the ‘Sengol' to PM Modi who walked into the new Parliament building and installed historic sceptre ‘Sengol' near the Lok Sabha Speaker's chair.



With the hashtag 'MyParliamentMyPride' people are conveying a spirit of pride that the nation is getting a new Parliament, which strengthens the proud heritage of Indian Democracy.