Sengol: The first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru received the ceremonial sceptre ‘Sengol’ as a symbol of the transfer of power from the British to India in August 1947. Thereafter, it was kept in the Nehru Gallery of the Allahabad Museum. Now, the golden sceptre will take pride of place in the new Parliament building.
But what happened to the sceptre between 1947 till now?
Udhay Vummidi, son of Vummidi Ethirajulu who played a major part in Sengol’s creation, told reporters, “We didn’t know where it was for a long time. We recovered it after a long time thanks to the media and to PM Modi. The prime minister had reached out and asked about Sengol…It was reviving our own memories.”
“Sengol was not lost. It went down memory lane. So we didn’t know where it was. Thanks to the media, it was revived and then one of our family clans made the effort to backtrack and see it in Allahabad, sending people there, and going through the whole process,” Udhay Vummidi said.
Symbol of transfer of power
The sceptre symbolised the transfer of power from the British to India in 1947. On May 28, it will be installed in the new Parliament building by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
The majestic 5 feet-long sceptre was commissioned by Thiruvavaduthurai Adheenam in Tamil Nadu (then Madras Presidency) on the request of C Rajagopalachari to denote the transfer of power in 1947. The Adheenam’s pontiff had entrusted the family of Vummidi Bangaru Chetty to create it. Amarendran Vummidi, the great-grandson of Vummidi Bangaru Chetty, stated that the sceptre was created in less than 30 days.
“We were entrusted with creating the sceptre as we had experience in creating ornaments for deities which included special poojas and following certain principles. The entire sceptre was covered with a thick sheet of gold weighing 100 sovereigns”, stated Amarendran.
He said that sceptre was chosen as the object denoting ‘transfer of power’ as it was a practice among the Chera, Chola, Pandiyar and Pallava dynasties that ruled Tamil Nadu.
Adheenam handed over Sengol to Mountbatten
Adheenam’s pontiff, Sri La Sri Kumaraswamy Thambiran, was tasked with going to Delhi with the Sengol and conducting the ceremonies. He handed over the Sengol to Lord Mountbatten, who handed it back. The Sengol was then purified by sprinkling holy water on it. It was then taken to Nehru’s residence to conduct the ceremonies and hand over the Sengol to the new ruler.
After that, the sceptre ended in Allahabad Museum, along with other artifacts used by Jawaharlal Nehru. Photos from the Allahabad Museum showed the sceptre , which was mislabeled as the “Golden walking stick gifted to Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru”.
On May 28, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will install Sengol in the new Parliament building next to the Lok Sabha Speaker’s seat in a historic event
Sengol is a golden sceptre adorned with a ‘nandi’ (bull) on top, and it holds immense historical significance as it was presented to Jawaharlal Nehru by Lord Mountbatten on the eve of India’s independence.
Sengol installation on May 28
On May 28, the Sengol will be ceremoniously transported to the new Parliament building in a grand procession. The occasion will be steeped in Tamil tradition, said sources. A group of musicians playing the Nadaswaram will be in the procession.
‘Adheenams’ or priests from Shaivite mutts in Tamil Nadu will be present and will be greeted by PM Modi.The priests will then purify the Sengol with holy water.
The Sengol will then be handed over to PM Modi, who will install the historic sceptre within a glass case next to the Speaker’s seat. The symbolic act will signify the dawning of a new era in India’s democratic history.
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