India To Get New Parliament Building: See artists' impressions of the temple of democracy

The ground-breaking ceremony for the country’s new Parliament building will be held on Thursday in the presence of leaders from various political parties, cabinet ministers, and ambassadors of different countries. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will lay the foundation stone of the new building which is expected to be completed by 2022 at an estimated cost of Rs 971 crore.

The event will begin at 12:55 pm and the foundation stone will be laid at 1 pm, followed by a 'Sarva Dharma Prarthana' (inter-faith prayer) at 1.30 pm. Some Chief Ministers and governors will also attend the event virtually. The ceremony is being held at a time when the existing temple of democracy is completing its 100 years. 

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Here’s a look at the planned interiors of the New Parliament Complex:

The new Parliament building will have an area of 64,500 square meters, with a grand Constitution Hall to showcase India's democratic heritage, a lounge for members of Parliament, a library, multiple committee rooms, dining areas, and ample parking space.

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In the new building, the Lok Sabha chamber will have a seating capacity for 888 members, while Rajya Sabha will have 384 seats for members. The Lok Sabha chamber will have an option to increase its sitting capacity to 1,224 members during joint sessions. This has been done keeping in mind the future increase in the number of members for the two houses. At present, Lok Sabha has a sanctioned strength of 543 members and Rajya Sabha 245.

The existing Parliament House building will be suitably retro-fitted to provide more functional spaces for parliamentary events, to ensure its usage along with the new building.

In September this year, Tata Projects Limited won the bid to construct the new Parliament building. The new building will be constructed close to the existing one under the Central Vista redevelopment project.

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