Parliament House of India
¤ Also Known As Sansad Bhawan - A Large Legislative Assembly
If it were not for the Montagu-Chelmsford reforms of 1919, the
Parliament House may not have been built. It’s corny how the
building most indispensable to modern Indian democracy came up as an
afterthought. Earlier called the Circular House, it was added to the
layout at a later stage following the reforms which created a large
Legislative Assembly.
This edifice is the brainchild of Herbert Baker and was much
criticized in comparison with Lutyens creations. An article by Robert
Byron in Architectural Review, January 1931describes it thus: "The
Council Chamber has been Sir Herbert’s unhappiest venture. Its
effect from a distance has been described. It resembles a Spanish
bull-ring, lying like a mill-wheel dropped accidentally on its side."
Quick bytes
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State :
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Delhi
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Location : |
On the northwest of Vijay Chowk, next to the
Secretariat buildings at the end of Parliament Street (Sansad Marg).
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Time to Visit : |
Entry into Parliament House requires official
permission, whether Parliament is in session or not. Visitors can
enter the public galleries of the Indian Parliament with prior
permission, after receiving an official pass. |
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Famous as : |
The place where the Indian Parliament meets
and the world's largest democracy functions. |
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Admission Fee : |
Free, but prior permission required
(foreigners/citizens: from their embassies or High commissions/ from
the reception office on Raisina Road) |
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Photography charges : |
nil (prior permission required) |
¤ The Massive Structure
To the northwest of Vijay Chowk, this huge circular, colonnaded
building comprises three semicircular chambers for the Legislatures
and a Central Library crowned by a 27.4m high dome. It is 173m in
diameter and covers 2.02 hectares in area, with colonnaded verandahs
enclosing the entire circumference. The three semi-circular areas were
designed for the Chamber of Princes, the Council of State and the
Legislative Assembly. Today they house the chambers of the Lok Sabha
(House of the People), Rajya Sabha (Upper House) and the library. A
verandah with 144 columns surrounds the three chambers. The boundary
wall has blocks of sandstone carved in geometrical patterns that echo
the Mughal jalis.
An entry pass to the library can be obtained from the Visitor’s
reception on Raisina Road by providing a letter of introduction from a
Member of Parliament. The library working hours are from 1000-1800. To
obtain a visitor’s pass to Sansad Bhawan, Indian nationals should
apply to the Parliament Secretariat. Foreign nationals should apply
through their embassies or high commissions.
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