Parliament
House accommodates the two Houses of Parliament, Lok Sabha (House of the
People) and Rajya Sabha (Council of States). Sir Edwin Lutyens and Sir
Herbert Baker, the architects of New Delhi, designed this building. His
Royal Highness, the Duke of Connaught, laid the foundation stone of
Parliament House in the year 1921. It took six years to complete the
Delhi Parliament House and its was inaugurated in the year 1927 by the
then Governor-General of India, Lord Irwin. A circular building, it also
houses ministerial offices, a number of committee rooms and a brilliant
library. The Rajya Sabha and Lok Sabha meetings are held in the domed circular central hall and the three semi-circular buildings. Sansad Bhavan of New is adorned with an open verandah with 144 columns and a 28 m central dome. Made up of blocks of sandstone, it has a diameter of approximately 174 m. Enclosing the Parliament House Estate is an attractive red sandstone wall or iron grill with iron gates. It is necessary to take prior permission before visiting the Parliament House of Delhi. Indians need to get permission by applying at the Parliament Secretariat and foreigners through their Embassies or High Commissions.
