Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday unveiled the National Emblem on the roof of the new Parliament building in capital Delhi.
The inauguration of the bronze statue — a three-dimensional figure depicting four lions standing back-to-back on a circular slab — marked a milestone for the new Parliament, which is scheduled opening in winter.
Handcrafted by Indian artisans, the symbol is 6.5 metres tall and weighs 9,500kg. A steel structure weighing 6,500kg has been built to support the emblem.
Mr Modi unveiled the statue after a prayer that was attended by Parliament’s upper house Speaker Om Birla and other central ministers. The prime minister also spoke to some of the labourers involved in the construction work.
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President Sheikh Mohamed receives Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the Presidential Airport in Abu Dhabi. All photos: Ministry of Presidential Affairs -
President Sheikh Mohamed welcomes Mr Modi at the Presidential Airport. -
President Sheikh Mohamed speaks with Mr Modi at the airport. -
President Sheikh Mohamed meets Mr Modi alongside Sheikh Tahnoon bin Zayed, UAE National Security Adviser. -
Sheikh Tahnoon bin Zayed, National Security Adviser, greets Mr Modi. -
Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed, Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Co-operation, greets Mr Modi at the airport. -
Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Presidential Affairs, greets Mr Modi. -
Sheikh Hamed bin Zayed, managing director of Abu Dhabi Investment Authority and member of Abu Dhabi Executive Council, shakes hands with Mr Modi. -
From left to right, Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohamed; Khaldoon Al Mubarak, chairman of the Executive Affairs Authority and managing director and group chief executive of Mubadala Investment Company; Sheikh Mohammed bin Hamad, adviser for special affairs at the Ministry of Presidential Affairs; and Ali Al Shamsi, deputy secretary general of the Supreme National Security Council, attend a meeting with Mr Modi. -
Members of the Indian delegation accompanying Mr Modi. -
Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed, Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Co-operation, and Sheikh Hamed bin Zayed, managing director of the Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, attend the meeting. -
Sheikh Tahnoon bin Zayed, National Security Adviser, and Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Presidential Affairs, attend the meeting. -
Sheikh Hamed bin Zayed, managing director of Abu Dhabi Investment Authority and Abu Dhabi Executive Council member; Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed, Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Co-operation; and Dr Anwar Gargash, diplomatic adviser to the President, attend the meeting.
“I had a wonderful interaction with the Shramjeevis who have been involved in the making of the Parliament,” Mr Modi said. "We are proud of their efforts and will always remember their contribution to our nation."
The Lion Capital of Ashoka is an adaptation of an ancient sculpture of one of the Ashoka Pillars, the monolithic columns created by Maurya Emperor Ashoka during his reign in 250 BC.
More than 100 artisans reportedly worked for six months on the structure, which was divided in 150 segments then assembled on the roof.
“The concept sketch and process of casting of the National Emblem had gone through eight different stages of preparation, from clay modelling and computer graphics to bronze casting and polishing," Mr Modi’s office said in a statement.
The symbol is a part of the new Parliament building, the highlight of Mr Modi’s $2.8 billion Central Vista Project that will repurpose British-era government buildings in the capital.
The four-storey building is spread over 5.2 hectares and is expected to be completed by October.
