Parliament House Information :

Location : Parliament Street, just north of Rajpath
Designed By : Sir Herbert Baker
Originally Called As : Circular House
Now Known As : Sansad Bhawan

Parliament House in Delhi : 

The seat of Indian Parliament is a marvelous piece of architecture designed by the famed architect Lutyens and constructed under the direct supervision of Sir Herbert Baker. Visitors are not allowed to loiter inside the building without special permission, for security reasons. For the foreign visitors permits are given only after they obtain an introductory letter from the respective embassy. Designed as a circular structure, the House is 171 meters in diameter and about one-third of a mile in circumference. The two semicircular house chambers flank the Central Hall with its impressive dome. The building has a continuous open corridor on the first floor fringed with a colonnade of 144 creamy sandstone pillars. The exterior walls of red sandstone are carved in geometric patterns that echo Moghul jaalis. It is a marvellous piece of architecture which can be admired only from outside on account of security restrictions. It is domed almost circular structure about a kilometer in circumference and is the seat of the Indian Parliament. During the sessions of Parliament there is a flurry of activity in and around the structure. The Parliament House- Sansad Bhawan or the Parliament house is the supreme law making body in the country. The parliament consists of three halls- Lok Sabha, Rajya Sabha and the central hall. Parliament House is the seat of the two houses of the Indian Parliament. Members of the Lok Sabha (Council of the People) and the Rajya Sabha (Council of the States) hold sessions here at least three times a year. The Prime Minister of India is the leader of the ruling coalition, the Lok Sabha. The Speaker presides over the proceedings of the Lok Sabha. The Vice President of India chairs the Rajya Sabha. The President of India addresses joint sessions in the Central Hall of the Parliament. The Hall is used also for special functions. The Parliament House was designed by Herbert Baker (a colleague of Edwin Lutyens) as a Council House that had the Chamber of Princes, the Council of State, and the Legislative Assembly. Work on the building began in 1921 and was completed six years later. The building was inaugurated by then-Viceroy of India, Lord Irwin, on January 18, 1927. Since Independence in August 1947, the Parliament has served as a symbol of India’s vibrant democracy. The structure was built entirely of indigenous material. The building encloses an area of six acres and has 12 gates, five of them distinguished with magnificent porches. Interior courtyards contain a number of larger-than-life-size statues of historic Indian political leaders.  

Architecture British:

Welcome to the Parliament House, the power-corridors of the largest democracy in the world, India. Also known as Sansad Bhawan, the Parliament House in Delhi is the hub of political activity of India. Tucked away in the heart of the city, it is to the northwest of Vijay Chowk, next to the Secretariat buildings at the end of Parliament Street. This beautiful circular structure is a landmark example of the British architectural marvel.

Features :

Just one storey tall, the massive structure stands 75 feet high and measures 570 feet in diameter. This sitting house of the elected members of India covers the Chambers of the Lok Sabha, the Lower House of Parliament, the Rajya Sabha, the Upper House of Parliament and the Parliament library, attached to each other by galleries. A verandah with 144 columns borders the three semi-circular chambers. The boundary wall has blocks of sandstone carved in geometrical patterns reminding of the elegance of the Mughal jalis. Lavish lawns, gardens, fountains and waterways all around the building, further heighten the grand and majestic appeal of this 'Temple of Democracy.'

How To Reach :

The Sansad Bhawan is situated at the end of Parliament Street, just north of Rajpath. You won't find buses plying in that section, but you can always hire taxis and autorickshaws from all over the city to reach the Parliament House. Permits to visit the Parliament, so you can sit and view sessions in the public gallery, are available from the reception office on Raisina Road, but you will need a letter of introduction from your embassy.