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.
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
thumb|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. In 1919, the Montagu–Chelmsford Reforms transformed the Imperial Legislative Council into a bicameral structure with two houses, those being the Central Legislative Assembly and Council of State. The reforms necessitated the construction of the building to accommodate the houses.
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. The circular design was also chosen due to its reminiscence to the Roman Colosseum.
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. 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. However, Baker supported a blend of classical and Indian architecture, in what was termed "orientalised" classicism.
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. Furthermore, Hardinge also pressed Lutyens and Baker to adopt Indian elements such as chhatri (dome-shaped pavilion) and chhajja (overhanging eave or roof). 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."
Construction
The foundation stone was laid by Prince Arthur, Duke of Connaught and Strathearn, on 12 February 1921. The building consisted of 144 sandstone columns on the exterior. At the core 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). About 2,500 stone cutters and masons were employed to shape the stones and marbles required for construction. 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. The building was renamed to Parliament House, officially known as Sansad Bhavan.
2001 attack
On 13 December 2001, five militants 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.
New Parliament House
thumb|View of the [[Parliament House, New Delhi|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. A committee to suggest alternatives to the current building was set up by the then speaker of the Lok Sabha Meira Kumar in 2012.
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. The project included a plan to construct a new parliament building at plot number 118 of the Parliament Estate in Rafi Marg. The construction of the entire project was completed on 20 May 2023. On 28 May 2023, Indian prime minister Narendra Modi officially opened the new parliament building,
On 19 September 2023, the first house proceedings at the new building commenced as a part of a special session of the parliament.
Constitution House
In a speech held on 19 September 2023, prime minister Modi proposed that the building be renamed Samvidhan Sadan ("Constitution House"), and Om Birla, Speaker of the Lok Sabha, announced later that day that it had been renamed so. After the inauguration of the new Parliament House, the Old Parliament House was proposed to be retrofitted to provide space for government events and host the proposed "Museum of Democracy". In January 2026, Lok Sabha speaker Om Birla stated that experts have been invited to provide suggestions regarding the use of the building, and the final decision would be taken later at the general body meeting of the Lok Sabha.
Gallery
<gallery widths=180>
File:Lord Mountbatten addressing the Chamber of Princes.jpg|Mountbatten addressing the Chamber of Princes as viceroy and governor-general of India in 1947.
File:A Constituent Assembly of India meeting in 1950.jpg|A Constituent Assembly of India meeting in 1950.
File:Obverse of the 10 Rupees silver coin of 1972, commemorating the 25th Anniversary of Independence (1947—1972), featuring male and female figures standing (the man carrying Indian National Flag) before the Parliament of India building.jpg|The Old Parliament House building depicted on the obverse of the 10 Rupees silver coin of 1972, commemorating the 25th Anniversary of Independence (1947—1972).
File:Stamp of India - 1977 - Colnect 578217 - 25th Anniversary of Rajya Sabha.jpeg|A 1977 India Post stamp showing the Rajya Sabha chamber.
File:Indian Prime Minister Morarji Desai listens to Jimmy Carter as he addresses the Indian Parliament House. - NARA - 177385.tif|Indian Prime Minister Morarji Desai listens to U.S. President Jimmy Carter addressing the Indian Parliament in 1978.
File:A lighting illumination of Parliament building on the occasion of the 61st Independence Day in New Delhi on August 15, 2007.jpg|The Old Parliament House, illuminated for the 61st Indian independence day on 15 August 2007.
File:Barack Obama at Parliament of India in New Delhi addressing Joint session of both houses 2010.jpg|U.S. President Barack Obama addresses the Parliament of India at the Central Hall in 2010
File:Inside Indian Parliament.jpg|Lok Sabha chamber in 2020
</gallery>
See also
- Lutyens' Delhi
- Parliament House, New Delhi