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Location: on the main Ring Road (Mahatma Gandhi Road), just near the Civil Lines Metro Station
Famous as: The seat of Delhi Assembly
Admission: Closed to public, can be viewed from outside; special permission required to enter the building.
Photography: Not allowed
How to Reach: Tourists can either take local buses from various points within the city to reach this monument, which is located in civil lines, or they can hire auto-rickshaws and taxis or metro rail.
Nearest Railway Station: Old Delhi Railway Station
Nearest Metro Station: Civil Lines
Functional Metro Station: Civil Lines
Nearest International Airport: Indira Gandhi International Airport
Time required for sightseeing: 30 minutes
Located on the main Ring Road (Mahatma Gandhi Road), just near the Civil Lines Metro Station is the Old Secretariat, the present seat of the Delhi Legislative Assembly (Vidhan Sabha). Designed by E. Montague Thomas, the building was constructed in 1912 to house the secretariat after the British capital shifted from Calcutta (Kolkata) to Delhi.
Considered to be a 'handsome building with a long front line and two lateral structures' and about 10 acres of garden, the first sitting of the Legislative Council of the Central Government was held here in the Chamber on 27th January 1913. Thereafter the Council continued to meet here till the Parliament House building was completed and its opening ceremony was performed, on 18th January 1927. Thus the Old Secretariat building has tremendous historic value, as it was here that the foundation of India's future Parliament was laid. Many important bills, legislations, debates, matters of constitutional reforms and procedures were discussed, evolved and were finally adopted here.
The first convocation of Delhi University was also held here in this building on 26th March 1923 and later the building was allotted to the University on a monthly rental. After independence it was used for holding academic and cultural events till the time Delhi got its own Assembly in 1952. The Assembly was soon disbanded and it then served as a place where deliberations of the Metropolitan Council used to take place. Finally it became the seat of the Delhi Vidhan Sabha in 1993 when Delhi again gained an assembly. However, Delhi Assembly will soon shift to the new secretariat building, which is under construction near Rajghat.
Nearby Tourist Attractions
Coronation Durbar Memorial, Majnu ka Tila, Metcalfe House, Flagstaff Tower, Kashmiri Gate and Qudsia Bagh.
Nearby Places to Eat
McDonalds in Kamla Nagar and Model Town, Nirula's, Chacha ke Chole Bature, authentic Tibetan food near Majnu ka Tila served in many dhabas Baskin Robins and Momo's Point in Kamla Nagar, Vikrant Restaurant in Kingsway Camp, Grant Plaza in Model Town and many roadside eating joints.
Nearby Shopping Venues
Kamla Nagar Market, Model Town Market and Mukherji Nagar Market and Ashok Vihar Market
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