Prime Minister Narendra Modi, along with Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla on Sunday inaugurated the new Parliament building. From performing a ‘puja’ to installing the historic ‘Sengol’ in the Lok Sabha chamber to PM Modi’s hour-long speech, several moments took place that would be ingrained in the country’s history.
The four-storey new Parliament House has a built-up area of 64,500 sqm and has two chambers – the 888-seater Lok Sabha, which can accommodate 1,272 members for the joint sitting of both the Houses, and the 384-seater Rajya Sabha chamber. The building opens into a central courtyard with a banyan tree and is home to nearly 5,000 artworks, including paintings, wall panels, stone sculptures, and metal murals.
Here are the highlights of the new Parliament launch:
Vedic Rituals
The inauguration ceremony began with traditional prayers and Vedic rituals which continued for an hour. PM Modi also performed ‘Ganapati Homam’ to invoke Gods in order to bless the inauguration of the new Parliament building.
Installation of ‘Sengol’
A historical sceptre called ‘Sengol’ was installed in the Parliament’s Lok Sabha chamber – placed next to the Speaker’s chair – by PM Modi. The ‘Sengol’ was handed over to PM Modi by high priests from various ‘adheenams’ or mutts in Tamil Nadu. This is same ‘Sengol’ which was accepted by India’s first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru at his residence on the night of August 14, 1947, in the presence of several leaders.
The PM prostrated before the ‘Sengol’ and sought blessings from high priests with the holy sceptre in hand. He then carried it in a procession amid tunes of “nadaswaram” and chanting of Vedic mantras to the new Parliament building and installed it.
₹75 coin launch
PM Modi also launched a special ₹75 coin to mark the inauguration of the new Parliament building. The coin is circular with a 44 mm diameter and it weighs around 35 grams. It has 200 serrations and is composed of 50 percent silver, 40 percent copper, 5 percent nickel, and 5 percent Zinc.
PM Modi’s speech
In his first hour-long address from the new Parliament, PM Modi said that during the development of every country, “some moments become immortal and May 28 is such a day”. “The new Parliament isn’t just a building, it is the symbol of the aspiration of the 140 crore people of India. It gives a message to the world about India’s determination,” he said.
