PM Modi to inaugurate India's new Parliament building today

NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate the new Parliament building equipped with state-of-the-art technology today.

Various rituals according to the Vedas will be performed ahead of the inauguration of the new Parliament building by PM Modi, sources said.

PM Modi and Lok Sabha Speaker, Om Birla will lead the inauguration ceremony of the new Parliament building on Sunday.

Even though the exact details of the inauguration have not been made public, ANI has learnt through reliable sources that the inauguration will take place in two phases.

The inauguration ceremony will begin at around 12 noon. However, in the run-up to the event, preparations would be done since morning. However, it is known through reliable sources that an elaborate ceremony will take place on Sunday morning starting from 7:15 am. During the inauguration, various programs will be held from Sunday morning including puja, after which PM Modi will receive the Sengol and will install the Sengol after a ceremony. After which diya will be lightened followed by the unveiling of the plaque.

Furthermore, PM Modi will interact with Shramjeevis and Sarv Dharma Sabha will be held. PM Modi will felicitate the worker who worked on the Parliament construction. The inauguration ceremony will begin with puja performed by Vedic ritual way starting at 7:30 am.

These pujas will go on till 9 am. The sources told ANI that the rituals ahead of the inaugural ceremony will begin in the morning and is likely to be held in a pandal (canopy) near the Gandhi statue in Parliament.

PM Modi, Lok Sabha Speaker, Om Birla, Rajya Sabha Deputy Chairman Hariwansh and some senior ministers in the government are likely to be part of the ceremony. It is learnt that after the pujas, the dignitaries will examine the premises of the Lok Sabha's chamber and the Rajya Sabha chamber in the new building.

It is likely that the sacred 'Sengol' will be installed in the Lok Sabha chamber, right next to the Speaker's chair, after performing some rituals, for which priests from Tamil Nadu, including the original jeweller who designed it, will be present.

A prayer ceremony will also be organised on the premises of the parliament-building">new parliament building, say the sources.

The morning phase will end at close to 9:30 am after which the second leg of the ceremony is expected to begin at noon with the singing of the national anthem in the Lok Sabha chamber in the presence of all the dignitaries including PM Modi.

At 11:30 am, all the invitees including members of Parliament, Lok Sabha Speaker and Rajya Sabha, chairman and other distinguished guests are expected to be seated in the Lok Sabha chamber in the new building. During this phase, a speech will be delivered by the Deputy Rajya Sabha Chairman, Hariwansh, who will further read a written congratulatory message on behalf of Rajya Sabha, Chairman, Jagdeep Dhankar. A written message by President Droupadi Murmu will also be read out on the occasion. In fact, two short audio-video films will also be showcased for the dignitaries present to talk about the process of construction of the new parliament, building and its significance. Lok Sabha Speaker, who is the custodian of the Parliament will also be making a speech on the occasion. PM Modi will also be releasing a coin and stamp on the historic occasion and will also be making his speech on the occasion following which the Secretary-General Lok Sabha will deliver the Vote of Thanks to mark the closing of the ceremony, the sources told ANI. The function is expected to begin at about 12 pm and is expected to be over by around 1:30 pm. The Adheenams (priests) handed over the sacred sceptre, 'Sengol', to PM Modi on Saturday, on the eve of the inauguration of the new Parliament building.

'Sengol', which marked the symbol of the transfer of power from the British to India, will be kept as a legacy in the new Parliament building. PM Modi on Friday shared a video glimpse of the new Parliament Building stating that the iconic building will make every Indian proud. In a tweet, PM Modi said, "The new Parliament building will make every Indian proud.

This video offers a glimpse of this iconic building. I have a special request- share this video with your own voice-over, which conveys your thoughts. I will re-Tweet some of them. Don't forget to use #MyParliamentMyPride." The task of constructing the new Parliament building was a mammoth endeavour. It witnessed several key construction activities being done off-site as well.

Further, the construction also saw the usage of materials sourced from across the country. As per the government officials, Teak wood was sourced from Nagpur, Maharashtra while sandstone (red and white) was procured from Sarmathura, Rajasthan. The carpets to be floored inside the new building were procured from Mirzapur in Uttar Pradesh.

The bamboo wood flooring came from Agartala, Tripura. From Rajnagar, Rajasthan and Noida, UP Stone Jali Works were obtained. The material involved in constructing Ashoka Emblem was sourced from Aurangabad, Maharashtra and Jaipur, Rajasthan while Ashok Chakra came from Indore, Madhya Pradesh. Some of the furniture acquired was procured from Mumbai.

From Lakha, Jaisalmer Lakha Red granite was obtained. Ambaji White marble was procured from Ambaji, Rajasthan. Kesharia Green Stone was procured from Udaipur.

The stone carving work was obtained from Abu Road and Udaipur, and the stone aggregate was from Kotputali, Rajasthan. The M-Sand was procured from Chakari Dadri, Haryana, and Fly Ash Bricks from NCR Haryana and Uttar Pradesh and the Brass work and Pre-cast Trenches were got from Ahmedabad, Gujarat, while the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha false ceiling steel structures came from UT of Daman and Diu. The new Parliament building symbolises the spirit of self-reliant India (Aatmanirbhar Bharat) and maintains the government.

The present building of the Parliament was completed in 1927, and is now going to be almost 100 years old. The lack of space was being experienced in this building as per the present requirements.

In both Houses, there was also a lack of convenient arrangements for the sitting of the MPs which was affecting the efficiency of the work of the Members. Considering the above, both the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha passed resolutions urging the government to construct a new building for the Parliament. Consequently, on 10 December 2020, the foundation stone of the new building of Parliament was laid by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The newly constructed Parliament building has been built in record time with quality construction.

Now the newly constructed building of Parliament, which will work to further enrich India's glorious democratic traditions and constitutional values, is also equipped with state-of-the-art facilities which will help the Members to perform their functions in a better way.

The new Parliament building will enable 888 members to sit in the Lok Sabha. In the present building of the Parliament, there is a provision for the sitting of 543 Members in the Lok Sabha and 250 in the Rajya Sabha. Keeping in view the future requirements, arrangements have been made for a meeting of 888 members in the Lok Sabha while 384 members in the Rajya Sabha in the newly constructed building of the Parliament.

The joint session of both Houses will be held in the Lok Sabha Chamber. To mark the inaugural event, the Centre has received a confirmed list of 25 political parties, including some which are not a part of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA), that will participate in the inauguration ceremony of the new Parliament building on May 28.

Apart from BJP, several parties in the NDA including AIADMK, Apna Dal, the Republican Party of India, the Shinde faction of Shiv Sena, NPP, and NPF have confirmed their attendance for the function on Sunday. Several neutral parties, including Biju Janata Dal, TDP, and YSRCP will be present for the inauguration.

Amongst the opposition parties, Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD), Bahujan Samajwadi Party (BSP) and Janata Dal-Secular will also attend the function on Sunday. Invitations for the inauguration of the new parliament, building have been sent both physically as well as through e-invitation. The sources told ANI that apart from sitting members of Parliament of both houses, invitations have been sent to former Lok Sabha Speakers and former Rajya Sabha Chairman.

All chief ministers have also been invited to attend the inauguration ceremony. Invitations have also been sent to Secretaries of all ministries of the government of India. The chief architect of the parliament-building">new parliament building, Bimal Patel and reputed industrialist Ratan Tata whose company TATA has constructed the new building have also been invited to the inauguration of the new building. An invitation has also been sent to certain prominent personalities, including film stars and sports persons.