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Parliament House |
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| Parliament House, located at the end of the Parliament
Street is an imposing circular colonnaded building where the
representatives of world's largest democracy meets and decides
the fate of the over 1 billion people of India. Though just
one storey tall, the building stands 75 feet high and measures
570 feet in diameter. It was originally planned to be just an
extension of the Viceroy's House (Rashtrapati Bhavan) but after
the Montague-Chelmsford reforms of 1919, it was designated as
a Parliament House or Legislative Assembly of the country. |
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| Designed by Herbert Baker, the Duke of Connaught
laid the foundation stone of the building on 12th February 1921.
Inaugurated by Lady and Lord Irwin in 1927, the building was
designed in such a way that it houses a domed central hall and
three semi-circular structures, originally meant to accommodate
the Chamber of Princes, the Council of State and the Legislative
Assembly. Presently they house the Chambers of the Lok Sabha
(Lower House of Parliament), the Rajya Sabha (Upper House of
Parliament) and the Parliament library and are attached to each
other by galleries. The three semi-circular chambers are surrounded
by a circular corridor, which has 144 imposing pillars, giving
the whole building a very grand and majestic look. Beautiful
lawns, gardens, fountains and waterways all around the building,
further enhance the royal look of this 'Temple of Democracy.'
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| Parliament House holds a very significant place
in the history of democratic India, as it was in the central
hall of this building that the transfer of power took place
in the midnight of 14th August 1947. India became a democratic
country from that day, free from British rule and Parliament
House, the symbol of its democracy. |
| Today the Lok Sabha has 550 seats. Of these,
530 members are elected representatives of the Indian states
and 20 elected members represent Union Territories (territories
governed by the Central (Federal) government). The Rajya Sabha
has 250 members, 238 of whom represent states and Union Territories
and the 12 nominated members are nominated on the basis of eminence
in the fields of arts, sciences, literature etc. |
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