The new parliament building will be ‘a symbol of new and self-reliant India’ said Prime Minister Narendra Modi said at groundbreaking ceremony on Thursday.

PM Modi in the ceremony said, “It will be a rich testament to India’s cultural heritage and symbolize the aspirations of a new India,”which was attended by around 200 signatories from home and abroad.

PM Modi said that the current parliament building gave ‘direction to an Independent India’ the new one will be testament for ‘atma-nirbhar Bharat.’

He said, “Today is a historic day. Today is a day that in a way is like the foundation stone of our India. If the current Parliament building is one that gave direction to an Independent India since 1947, then the new Parliament will prove to be a testament to a new and atma-nirbhar Bharat,”

PM Modi remembered ‘bowing down’ on his first visit. He said, “It was an emotional day for me when I had the opportunity to be a part of this temple of democracy. I remember bowing down upon my first visit.”

Modi said that the current parliament building which was built a century ago has ‘served in shaping India’ adding ‘It has undergone several renovations and security and technological upgradations, but it has reached its capacity. It is now seeking rest.”

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday launched the groundbreaking ceremony for new parliament building.

However, the actual construction of the building cannot begin immediately as a petition challenging the construction is pending in the Supreme Court.

At the ceremony, six priests made Sanskrit chants amid which the PM performed the rituals around a holy pyre organized in a flower-decked marquee.

Around 200 dignitaries, including Union Ministers, Ministers of State, MPs, foreign envoys and religious leaders attended the function that was webcast live.

Ratan Tata, whose Tata Projects is a part of the building plan, was also present.

The Supreme Court on Monday allowed the government to go ahead with the foundation laying ceremony for the central vista project underlining that no construction or demolition until it disposes of pleas opposing the project.

The government agreed to the conditions put forth by the apex court and the court said the ‘authorities are free to undertake formal process without altering site in question in any manner’.

The bench headed by Justice AM Khanwilkar had told Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, “You can lay the foundation stone, you can carry on paperwork but no construction or demolition, no cutting down any trees.”

The new parliament building is a part of the Rs 20,000-crore Central Vista project, which aims to build and refurbish the government buildings falling on the 13.4-km Rajpath that stretches from the presidential palace Rashtrapati Bhavan to the iconic war memorial India Gate.

The new Parliament building, the Lok Sabha chamber will have 888 seats and the Rajya Sabha will have 384 seats. The building will be earthquake resistant and will have modern digital technology.

The petitions filed question the project on environment grounds.