Describing the laying of foundation stone of the new Parliament building as a ”milestone in India’s democratic history”, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday said if the old Parliament house gave direction to the country post-independence, the new one would be a witness to making of a self-reliant India.

Addressing the gathering after laying the foundation stone of the new building and performing the ground-breaking ceremony, Modi said many new things were being done in the new Parliament House, which will increase the efficiency of the MPs as modern methods will be incorporated in the work culture.

”It is a very historic day. Today is a milestone in India’s democratic history,” he said. ”We, the people of India, will together build this new building of Parliament. This new building will be an inspiration when India will celebrate its 75 years of independence,” Modi said.

”I can never forget the moment in my life when I had the opportunity to come to Parliament House for the first time in 2014 as an MP. Before stepping in, I bowed and saluted this temple of democracy,” he said. If the old Parliament House gave direction to India post-independence, the new building would be a witness to the creation of a self-reliant India, Modi said.

”If work was done to fulfill the needs of the country in the old Parliament building, then the aspirations of 21st century India will be fulfilled in the new building,” the prime minister said. Priests from the Sringeri Math Karnataka did the rituals for the ’bhoomi pujan’ at the new Parliament building site and it was followed by a ’sarva dharma prarthana’ (inter-faith prayer).

Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi, Urban Development Minister Hardeep Singh Puri and Rajya Sabha Deputy Chairman Harivansh also offered prayers during the ceremony. The new building will have an area of 64,500 square metres.

The existing Parliament House building will be suitably retro-fitted to provide more functional spaces for parliamentary events, to ensure its usage along with the new building.