Grand puja, Sengol installation, PM’s address: Full schedule of new Parliament building inauguration

New Delhi,UPDATED: May 25, 2023 21:23 IST

By Aishwarya Paliwal, Jitendra Bahadur Singh: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate the new Parliament building on Sunday. The inauguration will include a grand puja, installation of the Sengol, screening of two short films and release of a commemorative coin and stamp.

Twenty opposition parties, including the Congress, Delhi’s ruling Aam Aadmi Party, and Mamata Banerjee-led Trinamool Congress, issued a joint statement on Wednesday announcing a boycott of the event. As per the Opposition statement, the inauguration of the new Parliament building by the prime minister is a “grave insult” and “direct assault” on democracy.

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The programme will be held in two phases. The ceremony will begin with a havan and puja and end with an address by the prime minister.

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DETAILED SCHEDULE OF THE INAUGURATION CEREMONY

• The program will commence at 7.30 am with a havan and puja near the Mahatma Gandhi statue. Dignitaries present during this time will include Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, and Rajya Sabha Deputy Chairman, among others.
• Following the puja, the installation of Sengol inside the Lok Sabha will take place between 8.30 am and 9 am. PM Modi will install the historic sceptre within a glass case next to the Speaker’s seat in the new Parliament building. ‘Adheenams’ (priests from Shaivite mutts in Tamil Nadu), Vummidi Bangaru Jewellers, who were tasked with the making of the historic Sengol, and those who built the new Parliament building will be honoured.
• At 9.30 am, a prayer meeting will be held, attended by Shankaracharya, scholars, pundits, and saints.
• The second phase of the program will begin at 12 pm with the national anthem. Two short films will be screened on this occasion.
• The Deputy Chairman of Rajya Sabha will give a welcoming address. The messages from the Vice President and the President will also be read out.
• The Leader of the Opposition in Rajya Sabha, Mallikarjun Kharge, will address the gathering.
• Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla will also deliver a speech and a commemorative coin and stamp will be released during the event.
• The program will conclude with an address by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, scheduled at around 2.30 pm.

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