Old Parliament House, New Delhi

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Old Parliament House
Samvidhan Sadan
New Delhi government block 03-2016 img3.jpg
Old Parliament House as seen from Kartavya Path
Location map India Delhi EN.svg
Red pog.svg
Former names
  • Parliament House
  • Council House
General information
StatusRetired and under restoration
TypeHeritage
Architectural style Classical and Indian
Location New Delhi
Address Sansad Marg
Town or city Delhi
CountryIndia
Coordinates 28°37′02″N77°12′29″E / 28.6172°N 77.2081°E / 28.6172; 77.2081
Groundbreaking12 February 1921
Opened18 January 1927
Owner Government of India
Design and construction
Architect(s)
Other information
Public transit access Delhi Metro logo.svg Central Secretariat

The Old Parliament House, officially known as the Samvidhan Sadan (Constitution House), was the seat of the Parliament of India between 26 January 1950 and 18 September 2023. It housed the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha (the lower and upper houses) respectively in India's bicameral parliament for nearly 73 years. Earlier it had served as the seat of the Imperial Legislative Council between 18 January 1927 and 15 August 1947, and the Constituent Assembly of India between 15 August 1947 and 26 January 1950.

Contents

The building was designed by British architects Edwin Lutyens and Herbert Baker and was constructed between 1921 and 1927. It was opened in January 1927 as the seat of the Imperial Legislative Council and was known as the Council House. Following the Indian Independence in 1947, it was taken over by the Constituent Assembly of India, and then became the seat of the Indian Parliament on 26 January 1950 with India becoming a republic following the adoption of the Indian Constitution.

A New Parliament House, built adjacent to this building was inaugurated on 28 May 2023, and replaced the old Parliament building.

Early history

The Council House, during the final phase of its construction, in 1926. Parliament House, British India (1926).png
The Council House, during the final phase of its construction, in 1926.

Background

During the coronation of George V as the Emperor of India on 12 December 1911, he announced the transfer of the seat of the colonial government from Calcutta to Delhi. [1] In 1919, the Montagu–Chelmsford Reforms transformed the Imperial Legislative Council into a bicameral structure with two houses – Central Legislative Assembly and Council of State. The reforms necessitated the construction of the building to accommodate the houses. [2]

Planning and design

The building was designed by English architects Edwin Lutyens and Herbert Baker. Lutyens proposed a circular design for the new building, which he believed would be the most efficient given the triangular shape of the plot of land on which the building is located. [3] The circular design was also chosen due to its reminiscence to the Roman Colosseum. [4]

The architectural style of the structure is an amalgamation of classical architecture, inspired from Greece and Rome, alongside structural elements and decorative motifs from Indian architecture. [5] Lutyens believed that there was no "real Indian architecture or any great tradition." In his view, even picturesque structures of the subcontinent were supposedly pervaded by a "childish ignorance" of basic architectural principles. [6] However, Baker supported a blend of classical and Indian architecture, in what was termed "orientalised" classicism. [7]

Before the project commenced, Baker—encouraged by Lord Hardinge, and often accompanied by Lutyens, visited ancient cities in northern and central British India, from Lahore to Bodh Gaya, in an effort, as Baker put it, "to learn all that I could of India." Baker sought to take the region's climate and cultural heritage into consideration, when designing the blueprint of the building. Following his tour, several "distinctly Indian" architectural practices appealed to him. [8] Furthermore, Hardinge also pressed Lutyens and Baker to adopt Indian elements such as chhatri (dome-shaped pavilion) and chhajja (overhanging eave or roof). [7] However, Baker was also concerned with the political implications that the design would elicit. As he wrote, the architecture "must not be Indian, nor English, nor Roman, but it must be imperial." [9]

Construction

The foundation stone was laid by Prince Arthur, Duke of Connaught and Strathearn, on 12 February 1921. [4] [10] The building consisted of 144 sandstone columns on the exterior. At the center was the circular central chamber, and which was surrounded by three semicircular halls, for the sessions of the Chamber of Princes, the Council of State, and the Central Legislative Assembly. The structure was surrounded by expansive gardens, and its perimeter enclosed by jali (latticed sandstone railings). [11] About 2,500 stone cutters and masons were employed to shape the stones and marbles required for construction. [4] The structure was built over a period of six years, beginning in 1921 and culminating in 1927. [1]

Inauguration

On 18 January 1927, Bhupendra Nath Mitra, a member of the governor-general's executive council, in charge of the department of industries and labour, invited Lord Irwin, then viceroy and governor-general of India, to inaugurate the building. [1]

As the Council House

The Council House in 1927. Central Assembly Hall, New Delhi.jpg
The Council House in 1927.

The third session of the Central Legislative Assembly was held in the new building on 19 January 1927, a day after its inauguration. [12] [13] Named the Council House, the building acted as the seat of the Imperial Legislative Council, from its inauguration in 1927 till Indian independence in 1947. [4]

1929 bombing

On 8 April 1929, Bhagat Singh, an Indian anti-colonial revolutionary, affiliated with the Hindustan Socialist Republican Association (HSRA), bombed the Council House, with the help of Batukeshwar Dutt. [14] The bombing was conducted as a protest against the Public Safety Bill and the Trade Dispute Bill, which had been rejected by the Central Legislative Assembly, but enacted by the viceroy due to the latter's special powers. [15] Following the bombing, the men chanted "Inquilab Zindabad!" ("Long Live the Revolution!") and threw leaflets. They were subsequently arrested. [16]

Post-independence

Jawaharlal Nehru addressing the Constituent Assembly in 1946. Jawaharlal Nehru addressing the constituent assembly in 1946.jpg
Jawaharlal Nehru addressing the Constituent Assembly in 1946.

After India gained independence from the British Raj on 15 August 1947, the building served as the seat of the Constituent Assembly of India, tasked with creating the Constitution of India. When the Constitution came into effect on 26 January 1950, the building became the seat of the Parliament of India. [17] The building was renamed to Parliament House, officially known as Sansad Bhavan. [4] In 1956, Baker led the addition of two new floors to the structure, due to a demand for more space. [18]

2001 Parliament attack

On 13 December 2001, five terrorists from Lashkar-e-Taiba and Jaish-e-Mohammed, two Pakistan-based militant organisations, attempted to invade the Parliament House. They were killed outside the building in a firefight with the security forces. The attack resulted in the deaths of six Delhi Police personnel, two Parliament Security Services personnel, and a gardener. The attack increased tensions between India and Pakistan, resulting in the 2001–2002 India–Pakistan standoff. [19]

New Parliament House

View of the New Parliament House with the Old Parliament House in the background Glimpse of the new Parliament Building, in New Delhi.jpg
View of the New Parliament House with the Old Parliament House in the background

Proposal for a new parliament building to replace the existing complex emerged in the 2010s due to ageing of the old building and space constraints. [20] A committee to suggest alternatives to the current building was set up by the then speaker of the Lok Sabha Meira Kumar in 2012. [21] In 2019, the Indian government launched the Central Vista Redevelopment Project, which aimed at redeveloping the area around the Central Vista, the major administrative area in New Delhi. [22] [23] [24] The project included a plan to construct a new parliament building at plot number 118 of the Parliament Estate in Rafi Marg. [25] [26] The construction of the entire project was completed on 20 May 2023. [27] On 28 May 2023, Indian prime minister Narendra Modi officially opened the new parliament building, [28] On 19 September 2023, the first house proceedings at the new building commenced as a part of a special session of the parliament. [29] [30]

Museum of Democracy

After the inauguration of the new Parliament House, the Old Parliament House was proposed to be converted to a Museum of Democracy. [31] [ needs update ] In a speech held on 19 September 2023, Modi proposed that the building be renamed Samvidhan Sadan ("Constitution House"). [32] Speaker of the Lok Sabha, Om Birla, announced later that day that it had been so renamed. [33]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 "With the New Parliament building's inauguration, the story of how the old parliament building came up". The Indian Express . 28 May 2023. Archived from the original on 28 May 2023.
  2. ↑ Irving, Robert Grant (1981). Indian Summer: Lutyens, Baker and Imperial Delhi. New Haven; London: Yale University Press. p. 295.
  3. ↑ Baker, Herbert (1926). "The New Delhi". Journal of the Royal Society of Arts. 74 (3841): 781–782. JSTOR   41357264. Archived from the original on 29 January 2024. Retrieved 29 January 2024.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 "From Council House to Indian Parliament building after Independence: The history behind the edifice". The Indian Express. 27 May 2023. Archived from the original on 27 May 2023.
  5. ↑ Volwahsen, Andreas (2002). Imperial Delhi: The British Capital of the Indian Empire. Munich; New York: Prestel. p. 140.
  6. ↑ Metcalf 1989, p. 228.
  7. 1 2 Metcalf 1989, p. 225.
  8. ↑ Metcalf 1989, pp. 222–223.
  9. ↑ Metcalf 1989, p. 222.
  10. ↑ Shikha, Swati (18 January 2024). "Old Indian Parliament: An Odyssey Of Colonialism, Independence And Protest". Outlook . Archived from the original on 6 October 2024. Retrieved 18 July 2025.
  11. ↑ "Parliament House: 144 pillars of pride". The Hindustan Times . 7 June 2011. Retrieved 20 August 2018.
  12. ↑ "History of the Parliament of Delhi". delhiassembly.nic.in. Archived from the original on 22 September 2017. Retrieved 13 December 2013.
  13. ↑ Chopra, Prabha (1976). "Delhi Gazetteer".
  14. ↑ Gaur 2008, pp. 100–101.
  15. ↑ Gaur 2008, p. 100.
  16. ↑ Gaur 2008, p. 101.
  17. ↑ Original edition with original artwork – The Constitution of India. New Delhi: Government of India. 26 November 1949. Archived from the original on 22 March 2019. Retrieved 22 March 2019.
  18. ↑ Patel, Shivam; Lakhani, Somu (24 January 2020). "Diversity, efficiency, flexibility: The brief for redeveloping New Delhi's Central Vista". The Indian Express . Archived from the original on 23 January 2021. Retrieved 5 January 2021.
  19. ↑ "Terrorists attack Parliament; five intruders, six cops killed". Rediff.com . 13 December 2001. Archived from the original on 15 November 2017. Retrieved 13 December 2013.
  20. ↑ "We need a new House, but preserve Parliament House: MPs". The Hindu . 15 July 2012. Retrieved 1 December 2013.
  21. ↑ "Speaker sets up panel to suggest new home for Parliament". Firstpost . 13 July 2012. Archived from the original on 11 August 2012. Retrieved 15 August 2012.
  22. ↑ Chitlangia, Risha (8 September 2022). "Central Vista revamp: Project of 'national importance' for New India". The Hindustan Times . Retrieved 1 June 2024.
  23. ↑ ""Rs 20,000 crore on Central Vista amid pandemic?" Cente dispels myths". NDTV . 6 June 2021. Archived from the original on 7 June 2021. Retrieved 7 June 2021.
  24. ↑ Srivastava, Ritesh (13 May 2021). "What is 'Central Vista' and why it is being opposed". Zee News . Archived from the original on 6 June 2021. Retrieved 6 June 2021.
  25. ↑ "8 new buildings likely under new Central Vista". The Hindu . 4 December 2021. Archived from the original on 30 May 2024. Retrieved 1 June 2024.
  26. ↑ Dutta, Anish (4 March 2023). "Central Vista revamp: New Parl, Vice Prez house will be first to be completed". The Hindustan Times . Archived from the original on 24 February 2024. Retrieved 1 June 2024.
  27. ↑ "New Parliament building explained: Costs, construction, design & more". Business Standard . 23 September 2013. Retrieved 1 June 2024.
  28. ↑ "PM Modi inaugurates new Parliament building". The Hindu . 28 May 2023. Archived from the original on 11 December 2023. Retrieved 1 June 2024.
  29. ↑ "Parliament special session to be held from Sept 18-22, all-party meet on Sept 17; here's what you need to know". Business Today . 14 September 2023. Retrieved 1 December 2024.
  30. ↑ "How the new Parliament building is readying for special session". Firstpost . 12 September 2023. Archived from the original on 14 January 2025. Retrieved 14 September 2023.
  31. ↑ "New Parliament Building May Not be Called Parliament House, May Get a New Name". Times Now . 25 May 2023. Archived from the original on 27 May 2023. Retrieved 1 June 2025.
  32. ↑ "Old Parliament building to be known as 'Samvidhan Sadan': Modi". The Statesman. 19 September 2023. Retrieved 1 June 2025.
  33. ↑ "Lok Sabha Speaker OM Birla notifies renaming old Parliament building as 'Samvidhan Sadan'". The Statesman. 20 September 2023. Archived from the original on 24 April 2025. Retrieved 1 June 2025.

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