9,500 Kg, 6.5 Metres High: 100 Artisans Took 6 Months To Complete National Emblem Atop Parliament Building

Prime Minister Narendra Modi unveiled the new Parliament building's cast national emblem on Monday, marking the first significant milestone before the building's anticipated opening later this year.

The Prime Minister's Office (PMO) said the 6.5-meter-high emblem is made of bronze and weighs 9,500 kg. It has been cast at the top of the central foyer of the building, and a supporting structure of steel weighing around 6,500 kg has been constructed to support it.

The State Emblem of India is an adaptation of the Sarnath Lion Capital of Emperor Ashoka, which is preserved in the Sarnath Museum. The Lion Capital has four lions mounted back to back on a circular abacus.

Wikipedia

The frieze of the abacus is adorned with sculptures in high relief of an elephant, a galloping horse, a bull, and a lion, separated by intervening Dharma Chakras.

Delhi | PM Narendra Modi unveiled the 6.5m long bronze National Emblem cast on the roof of the New Parliament Building today morning. He also interacted with the workers involved in the work of the new Parliament. pic.twitter.com/sQS9s8aC8o

〞 ANI (@ANI) July 11, 2022

"This morning, I had the honor of unveiling the National Emblem cast on the roof of the new Parliament," Modi tweeted.

Authorities have asserted that the Winter Session of Parliament will take place in the new structure.

The prime minister also spoke to those involved in constructing the structure, telling them they should be proud of what they had accomplished. He claimed that they were significantly boosting the pride of the country.

ANI

"I had a wonderful interaction with the 'shramjeevis' who have been involved in the making of Parliament. We are proud of their efforts and will always remember their contribution to our nation," he tweeted.

The concept sketch and process of casting the national emblem on the roof of the new Parliament building have gone through eight stages of preparation, from clay modeling and computer graphics to bronze casting and polishing, the PMO said in a statement.

ANI

The 6.5-meter installation, weighing 16,000 kg, including the supporting structure (9,500 kg 每 national emblem, and 6500 kg 每 supporting structure), entirely handcrafted by Indian artisans, is made of high-purity bronze, said a senior official in the Union Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs.

"There is no other similar depiction of the emblem anywhere else in India from the perspective of material and craftsmanship. Over 100 artisans from various parts of the country tirelessly worked on the emblem's design, crafting, and casting for over nine months to bring out the quality that could be seen in the final installation," he said.

As suggested by the Central Public Works Department (CPWD), the initial concept design was prepared by the HCP of Ahmedabad.

Then the clay and thermocol models were prepared by Sunil Deore of Deore & Associates, Aurangabad, through Tata Projects Limited. They said the remaining processes were done in Jaipur and Delhi through specialized artisans.

Computer graphics, clay modeling, and FPR model from molds" were completed in Aurangabad. In contrast, the remaining components〞"piece molding from FRP statue, wax modeling process, mold baking, and bronze casting (foundry process")"〞were completed by specialized artisans in Jaipur. The last part 〞 "brazing and polishing" was executed and finished at the New Parliament site itself, officials said.

Agencies

They said the wall thickness of the installation is 5 -7 mm.

The new Parliament building's cornerstone was officially laid on December 10, 2020, in front of cabinet ministers, diplomats from several nations, and representatives of numerous political parties.

Modi also performed the ground-breaking ceremony for the new building, constructed near the old Parliament building.

The new building will have an area of 64,500 square meters.

(With PTI inputs)

(For more trending stories, click here.)