Parliament House (Sansad Bhavan) in New Delhi
The Parliament House, known as Sansad Bhavan in Hindi, is the place where the Indian Parliament meets. It is the place where parliamentarians of our country sit and discuss various issues of national interest. The Parliament House is located on the northwest of Vijay Chowk, at the end of Parliament Street in New Delhi. The Parliament House is constructed in the shape of a circle standing at a height of 75 feet and measures 570 feet in diameter.
The Indian Parliament is regarded as the supreme legislative body of the country. It consists of the two Houses - the Upper House and the Lower House - and the office of the president of India. The Upper House of the Parliament is known as the Lok Sabha and the Lower House in known as the Rajya Sabha in Hindi.
For any bill to become an act, it needs to be passed by both the houses of the Parliament and also requires the consent of the President. The Central Hall of the Parliament, located at the centre of the circular Parliament House, has historical significance as it has witnessed many historic events. This hall is generally used for combine sitting of both the houses of Parliament. The Parliament House (or Sansad Bhavan) was designed in a way that it houses a central hall and three semi-circular structures surrounding it.
The Parliament House is designed by Sir Herbert Baker, and the foundation stone of the building was laid on 12 February 1921. The building was inaugurated by Lady and Lord Irwin in 1927.
Though entry to Parliament House is free, it requires official permission for visitors to enter the Parliament; be it in session or not. Parliament House is located at a stretegic point at the heart of New Delhi and tourists can take local buses from various locations within city to reach the Parliament house. If not bus, one can also hire auto-rickshaws and taxis or reach through metro rail. The total time required to see the Parliament House is approximatly 2 hours and photography within the premises is not allowed without prior permission. The best time to visit Parliament House is when it is in session.
There are various other tourist attractions located in close vicinity to the Parliament House, including India Gate, Rashtrapati Bhavan, Jantar Mantar, Gurudwara Bangla Sahib and Hanuman Mandir, which you can visit while visiting the parliament.
For shopping lovers, there are markets nearby like Connaught Place, Central Cottage Industries Emporium, Baba Kharak Singh Marg, Janpath, and Palika Bazaar. All these markets offer a wide range of articles including cloths, crafts, accessories, and various other souvenir articles.
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