New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday dedicated to the nation the new Parliament building, built at a cost of Rs 970 crore under the Central Vista project. The new building was inaugurated with full Vedic rituals, during which the Prime Minister also installed the 'symbol of transfer of power' Sengol (Dharmdanda or Rajdanda) near the Lok Sabha Speaker's podium.

Highlights of the inauguration ceremony of the new Parliament building

  • New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday morning performed 'havan-pujan' in the new Parliament house complex. Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla was also present on the occasion of the puja that started at 7:30 pm.

  • The prime minister performed 'Ganpati Homa' to invoke the deities to bless him on the occasion of the inauguration of the new Parliament building amid chanting of Vedic mantras by the priests of Karnataka's Sringeri Mutt.

  • On this occasion, PM Narendra Modi accepted Sengol from Shaiva priests from Tamil Nadu, bowed it down, and then installed it in the Lok Sabha House. Sengol was installed near the Lok Sabha Speaker's podium.

  • Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, Home Minister Amit Shah, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, Science and Technology Minister Jitendra Singh, Chief Ministers of several states and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) national president J.P. Nadda were present on the occasion. Nadda was also present.

  • During the program organized for the inauguration of the new Parliament building, Prime Minister Narendra Modi honored the workers whose contribution has been in the construction of the Parliament House.

  • An all-religion prayer meeting was also organised during the grand opening ceremony, during which the divine was remembered in many languages from many states.

  • The building was built in the year 1927, and now it is 96 years old. For a long time, the old Parliament building was considered inadequate according to today's needs.

  • The new Parliament building can accommodate 888 members in the Lok Sabha chamber and 300 in the Rajya Sabha chamber. As many as 1,280 MPs can be seated in the Lok Sabha chamber for the joint session of Parliament.

  • The new Parliament building, built by Tata Projects Ltd, has a grand Constitution Hall, lounge for MPs, library, committee room, dining area and ample parking space to showcase India's democratic heritage.

  • The four-storey building, built in the shape of a triangle, has a built-up area of 64,500 square meters. It has three main gates - knowledge gate, shakti gate and karma gate. There are separate entrances for MPs, VIPs and visitors.