Tripura bamboo adores new Parliament building

Subhasish Mitra

Tripura’s eco-friendly bamboo products or bamboo artifacts adore the new Parliament building in the national capital.

 

Carpet mats made from bamboo have been used for flooring of the iconic structure.

 

The use of bamboo highlights the sustainable and eco-friendly nature of the material, showcasing Tripura’s contribution to the project and its commitment to environmentally conscious practices.

 

Besides, carpets from Mirzapur in Uttar Pradesh and stone carvings from Rajasthan for the edifice reflects India's diverse culture.

 

The teakwood used in the building was sourced from Nagpur in Maharashtra, while the red and white sandstone was procured from Sarmathura in Rajasthan. The sandstone for the Red Fort and Humayun's Tomb in the national capital was also known to have sourced from Sarmathura.

 

The Kesharia green stone has been procured from Udaipur, the red granite from Lakha near Ajmer and the white marble has been sourced from Ambaji in Rajasthan.

 

"In a way, the entire country came together to construct the temple of democracy, thus reflecting the true spirit of Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat," an official said.

 

The steel structure for the false ceilings in the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha chambers have been sourced from the union territory of Daman and Diu, while the furniture in the new building was crafted in Mumbai.

 

The stone 'jaali' (lattice) works dotting the building were sourced from Rajnagar in Rajasthan and Noida in Uttar Pradesh.

 

The materials for the Ashoka Emblem were sourced from Aurangabad in Maharashtra and Jaipur in Rajasthan, while the Ashok Chakra on the walls of the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha chambers and the exteriors of the parliament building were procured from Indore in Madhya Pradesh.

 

The new parliament building used manufactured sand or M-sand from Charkhi Dadri in Haryana for creating concrete mix for the construction activities. M-Sand is considered environment friendly as it is manufactured by crushing large hard stones or granite and not by dredging of river beds.

 

Fly ash bricks used in the construction were sourced from Haryana and Uttar Pradesh, while brass works and pre-cast trenches were from Ahmedabad in Gujarat.

 

Thus, the construction of the new Parliament building has brought together materials from various states, symbolising unity and cooperation on a national level.

 

The new Parliament building surpasses its predecessor in both size and design.

 

Covering an area of 64,500 square meters, the new structure is approximately three times larger than the old building.

 

While the old Parliament building featured a circular design, the new building boasts a striking triangular shape. This modern and innovative design showcases India’s commitment to progress and represents a departure from traditional architectural norms.

 

The new Parliament building accommodates a significantly larger number of representatives in both the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha.

 

The Lok Sabha chamber, inspired by the national bird - the peacock - has been designed to accommodate 888 members, an increase from the previous 543 seats.

 

Similarly, the Rajya Sabha chamber has been designed on the pattern of the national flower, the lotus, with an expanded seating capacity of 384, compared to the previous 250 seats.

 

These symbolic designs reflect the essence of Indian national identity within the parliamentary space. Unity in diversity, in the true sense !