Page 8 - Parliament of India

THE PARLIAMENT HOUSE

The Parliament House, one of the most magnificent buildings
in New Delhi, is a massive circular edifice 560 feet {about 171
metres) in diameter and one-third of a mile (0.54 kilometre) in
circumference. The building was designed by two famous archi-
tects—Sir Edwin Lutyens and Sir Herbert Baker, who were also
responsible for the planning and construction of New Delhi.

The foundation-stone of the building was laid on the 12//i
February 1921 by H.R.H. the Duke of Connaught. The construc-
tion of the building took six years and the opening ceremony was
performed on the \Sth January !927 by the then Governor-General
of India, Lord Irwin.

This circular edifice—symbolizing unity and permanence—
was built at a cost of Rs. 83 lakhs (Rs. 8.3 millions). With 12
gales, 5 of them with porches, it encloses an area of six acres. This
building which bears the imprint of the Indian tradition, was built
entirely by Indian labour and with indigenous material—the black
marble used in the columns in the Chambers and in the Central
Hall came from Gaya; the white and hued marble lining the walls
of the Library Hall, from Makrana; the teak and other varieties of
timber used for doors, from Assam and Burma; and the black wood
(Shisame), from South India.

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