National Emblem crowned on India’s new Parliament

Context

Prime Minister Narendra Modi unveiled the National Emblem cast on the roof of the new Parliament building.

About

The National Emblem

Cast at the top of the Central Foyer of the new Parliament building, the 6.5-metre-high National Emblem is made of bronze, and weighs 9,500 kg.
A supporting structure of steel weighing around 6,500 kg has been constructed to support the Emblem.

National Emblem:

It is an adaptation from the Sarnath Lion Capitol of Ashoka.
Carved out of a single block of polished sandstone, the Capitol is crowned by the Wheel of the Law (Dharma Chakra).
In the original, there are four lions, mounted back to back, on a circular abacus, which itself rests on a bell-shaped lotus.
The frieze of the abacus has sculptures in high relief of an elephant, a galloping horse, a bull and a lion separated by intervening Dharma Chakras.
The profile of the Lion Capital showing three lions mounted on the abacus with a Dharma Chakra in the centre, a bull on the right and a galloping horse on the left, and outlines of Dharma Chakras on the extreme right and left was adopted as the State Emblem of India on January 26, 1950.
- The bell-shaped lotus was omitted.
The words Satyameva Jayate from Mundaka Upanishad, meaning ‘Truth Alone Triumphs’, are inscribed below the abacus in Devanagari script.

The building’s interiors

The new building will have six granite statues of important personalities, four galleries each for the two Houses of Parliament, three ceremonial foyers, three India galleries, and one Constitution gallery.
Each wall in the building will have a dominant theme — dedicated, for instance, to the contribution of tribal leaders, or to showcasing the contribution of women.
Displays including a mix of portraits, illustrative arts, installations, sculptures, and decorative art will frame storylines.

Architectural style

Bimal Patel of HCP Designs, Ahmedabad, is the architect in charge of the building, which is triangular in shape, and incorporates architectural styles from around India.
- The building is coming up adjacent to the existing Parliament complex, and is of almost the same size.
Seating capacity: The new Parliament House will have a seating arrangement of 888 members in the Lok Sabha. At present, India has 543 Lok Sabha seats.
- Similarly, 384 members will be able to sit in the Rajya Sabha of the new Parliament House, which currently has 245 seats.
- When a joint meeting of the two houses is convened at the new Parliament House, the hall earmarked for it will have a seating arrangement of 1,272 members. At present, the joint meeting of the two Houses is held at the Centre Hall with only 430 seats.
- The new Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha halls will have increased seating capacities (888 and 384 seats, respectively) in anticipation of an expanded Parliament; a 25-year-old freeze on increasing state-wise distribution of seats ends in 2026.
The building will have an open-sky area of 2,000 sq metres for a banyan tree.

Cost of the project

The new Parliament building project was awarded to Tata Projects for Rs 971 crore.
- The estimated project cost has shot up by nearly 24 per cent to about Rs 1,200 crore due to additional works, changes in construction plan, and pandemic-related delays.
The building is part of the Central Vista Project, which also includes a joint central secretariat, revamp of the Rajpath, a new Prime Minister’s residence, a new Prime Minister’s Office, and a new Vice-President’s enclave.

The current Parliament building

The present Parliament House was inaugurated on January 18, 1927. Its architectural work was entrusted to Sir Herbert Baker.
The giant circular building with its 144 sandstone columns was designed by Sir Edward Lutyens, who also designed the heart of Delhi – from the seat of the government in the North Block to the iconic Connaught Place.
- Sir Herbert Baker wanted the Parliament House to be triangle-shaped. A central hall should be built in between.
But then British architect Sir Edwin Lutyens opposed it. He had suggested shaping it round in his proposal. Ignoring Herbert Baker's suggestion, the British had accepted Edwin Lutyens' proposal.
The existing Parliament building will be conserved as an archaeological asset of the nation.