The historical Sengol, received by first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru, symbolised the transfer of power from the British to India in 1947. Here is all you need to know about it.
In August 1947, Jawaharlal Nehru received the ceremonial sceptre “Sengol” to symbolize India’s independence from Britain. The new Parliament building is the place where the golden sceptre will be placed by PM Modi on May 28.
The British gave Jawaharlal Nehru a Sengol (sceptre) to mark the transfer of power in 1947. The Sengol will grace the new Parliament building 75 years after the historic event.?
Udhay Vummidi, son of Sengol’s creator Vummidi Ethirajulu, said, “We didn’t know where it was for a long time. Media and PM Modi helped us reclaim it. The prime minister inquired about Sengol…It revived our memories.The media brought it back to life, and then one of our family clans made the effort to backtrack and see it in Allahabad by sending people there and going through the entire process.”
The Sengol, which Jawaharlal Nehru received in 1947, represented India’s independence from the British Raj. On May 28th, Narendra Modi will be the one to place it in the brand new Parliament building.
In order to commemorate the transfer of power in 1947, C. Rajagopalachari asked the Thiruvavaduthurai Adheenam in Tamil Nadu (which was at the time part of the Madras Presidency) for a lovely 5-foot Sengol. The Vummidi Bangaru Chetty family was given the responsibility of producing it by the pontiff of the Adheenam. Vummidi Ethirajulu and Sudhakar helped create Sengol.
According to Amarendran Vummidi, great-grandson of Vummidi Bangaru Chetty, the construction of Sengol took fewer than thirty days to complete.
Because we had experience constructing deity decorations, which required specific poojas and adhering to certain laws, we were handed the Sengol. This was the reason for our promotion. According to Amarendran, the Sengol was covered in a thick layer of gold that weighed one hundred sovereigns.
Amarendran explained further when he was standing next to a Sengol replica that the sceptre represents the authority of a “just” king. According to Amarendran, “Thiruvavaduthurai Adheenam” was a Shaivite mathematical system, and the Nandi sitting atop the Sengol was a symbol of righteous authority.
He argued that the dynasties of Chera, Chola, Pandiyar, and Pallava in Tamil Nadu all engaged in “transfer of power” with Sengol.
The pontiff of Adheenam, Sri La Sri Kumaraswamy Thambiran, presided over the celebrations that took place in Delhi alongside the Sengol. The Sengol was handed back over by Lord Mountbatten. The Sengol was purified by the holy water. Nehru’s home served as the venue for both the ceremony and the handover of Sengol.
Artifacts belonging to Jawaharlal Nehru, including the Sengol, have been donated to the Allahabad Museum. In photographs taken at the Allahabad Museum, the Sengol was incorrectly identified as the “Golden walking stick gifted to Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru.”
On May 28, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will install the Sengol in the vicinity of the Lok Sabha Speaker as part of the ceremony to dedicate the new Parliament building.
C Rajagopalachari requested the beautiful 5-foot Sengol from Thiruvavaduthurai Adheenam in Tamil Nadu (then Madras Presidency) to mark the 1947 power transition. The Adheenam’s pontiff entrusted Vummidi Bangaru Chetty’s family to make it. Vummidi Ethirajulu and Sudhakar helped create Sengol.
Amarendran Vummidi, great-grandson of Vummidi Bangaru Chetty, said Sengol was built in less than 30 days. We were given the Sengol because we had experience making deity decorations, which required particular poojas and obeying certain rules. Amarendran said the Sengol was coated in a thick gold covering weighing 100 sovereigns.
Amarendran added, standing next to a Sengol replica, that the sceptre symbolizes a “just” king’s power. “Thiruvavaduthurai Adheenam was a Shaivite math, the Nandi on top of the Sengol signified just rule,” claimed Amarendran. He explained that the Chera, Chola, Pandiyar, and Pallava dynasties of Tamil Nadu practiced “transfer of power” with Sengol.
Sri La Sri Kumaraswamy Thambiran, Adheenam’s pontiff, led the festivities in Delhi with the Sengol. Lord Mountbatten returned the Sengol. Holy water cleansed the Sengol. The ceremony and Sengol handover took place at Nehru’s house.
The Sengol and other Jawaharlal Nehru artifacts sent to Allahabad Museum. The Sengol was mislabeled as the “Golden walking stick gifted to Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru” in Allahabad Museum photos.
On May 28, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will dedicate the new Parliament building and install the Sengol near the Lok Sabha Speaker.
