PM unveils National Emblem on new Parl building

By Our Special Correspondent

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday unveiled the 6.5 meter-tall National Emblem on top of the under-construction new Parliament building.

The emblem made of bronze weighs 9,500 kg. A supporting steel structure of 6,500 kg was made to support its weight, a statement from the Prime Minister’s Office said.

The metal sculpture has been built in Aurangabad, Jaipur and Delhi by artists Sunil Deore and Lakshman Vyas. The earlier design incorporated a spire atop the building and was replaced with the Ashoka Emblem in 2020.

“He also interacted with the Shramjeevis involved in the work of the new Parliament,” the PMO said in a statement.

Work on the new Parliament, a ground plus two-storey triangular-shaped building, is expected to be completed before the Winter Parliament session. In its initial plan, the new Parliament was to be crowned with a spire, but it was replaced with the design of the Ashoka emblem.

The central foyer has been renamed the Constitution Hall as it is expected to display the Constitution for public viewing. A library will also come up near the central foyer.

“The concept sketch and process of casting of the national emblem on the roof of new Parliament building has gone through eight different stages of preparation from clay modeling/computer graphic to bronze casting and polishing,” the PMO statement said.

“Honorable Prime Minister Narendra Modi ji inaugurated the national emblem installed on the top of the new building of Parliament. While the new Parliament House will fulfill the aspirations of a new India, this national symbol will continue to inspire us to keep the unity, integrity and sovereignty of India intact,” Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla tweeted.