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The Parliament House, now known as "Sansad Bhavan",
has a circular design with 144 pillars. It has a diameter of 174m and a
central dome. The original plan was that the dome would be visible from
the outside, but a second storey was built, hiding the 28m central dome.
Parliament House has a dome, a circular hall and three semi-circular
structures. They are the chambers of Lok Sabha, Rajya Sabha and the
Library. The boundary wall is made up of blocks of sandstone, which are
carved into geometrical designs. For Indian Nationals, visitor's pass can
be obtained by applying at the Parliament Secretariat. Foreign Nationals
should apply through their Embassies or High Commissions.
Parliament House Estate
Parliament House Estate comprises the Parliament House, Reception Office
building and Parliament House Annexe, 36
Gurdwara Rakabganj Road, 23
Mahadev Road and the extensive lawns around it where ponds with fountains
have been provided. Special floral decoration is done at important points
in the building during sessions of Parliament as well as on other
important occasions. By the very nature of things, Parliament House Estate
as a whole and the Chambers of the two Houses in particular are subject to
strict security precaution all round the year.
An ornamental red sandstone wall or iron grill with iron gates that can
be closed when occasions demand encloses the entire Parliament House
Estate. The approach roads, which cut across the Parliament House Estate,
form that part of the Estate, which is prohibited to be used as public
thoroughfares
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. Visitors to the capital invariably pay a visit
to this building as the two Houses of Parliament--the Lok Sabha or the
House of the People and the Rajya Sabha or the Council of States are
located within its walls.
Construction Of The Building
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. His Royal Highness, the Duke of Connaught, laid
the Foundation stone of Parliament House on 12th February 1921. The
construction of the building took six years and the opening ceremony was
performed on the 18th January 1927 by the then Governor-General of India,
Lord Irwin. The cost of construction for the building was Rs 83 lakhs.