SENGOL

Sengol

• Prime Minister Narendra Modi will install the ‘Sengol’, a historical sceptre from Tamil Nadu, in the new Parliament building.

NEWS: At new Parliament inauguration, PM to be handed over sceptre given to Nehru on eve of Independence

https://indianexpress.com/article/india/tamil-nadu-sengol-parliament-building-inauguration-amit-shah-8626181/

About

• The ‘Sengol’ was received by Independent India’s first Prime Minister, Jawaharlal Nehru, from Lord Mountbatten 
• to symbolically represent the transfer of power from the British and was later kept in a museum in Allahabad.
• It was freedom fighter Rajaji (C. Rajagopalachari) who suggested to Nehru the ceremonial gesture, a tradition found to have been documented even in the Chola-era as a symbol of the transfer of power to a new king.

What is the “sengol” sceptre?

• The “sengol” sceptre is a long, stick-like item ( 5 feet) made of silver and covered in gold. The sceptre has a carving of a bull, called a Nandi, at the top. This is done to remind everyone about the importance of fair and just leadership in the country.
• ‘Sengol’ is derived from the Tamil word ‘semmai,’ which means ‘full of wealth’, the ‘Sengol’ represents the embodiment of power and authority.
  • The Sengol sceptre was presented to PM Nehru by Thiruvavaduthurai Adheenam (a 500-year-old Saivaite monastery) on August 14, 1947.
• A golden sceptre was crafted by Vummidi Bangaru Chetty, a famous jeweller in Madras (now Chennai).
• After receiving the Sengol sceptre in 1947, Nehru kept it at his residence in Delhi for some time.
• He then decided to donate it to Anand Bhavan Museum in Allahabad (now Prayagraj), his ancestral home.
  • The museum was established by his father Motilal Nehru in 1930 to preserve the history and legacy of India’s freedom movement.
• The Sengol sceptre remained at Anand Bhavan Museum for over seven decades.
• In 2021-22, when the Central Vista redevelopment project was underway, the government decided to revive this historical event and install the Sengol sceptre in the new Parliament building.
  • It will be placed near the Speaker’s seat in the new Parliament building and will be accompanied by a plaque that will explain its history and meaning.

Traditional Chola practice

• It was a traditional Chola practice for Samayacharyas (spiritual leaders) to lead the coronation of kings and sanctify the transfer of power, which is also considered a kind of recognition for the ruler.
• Following the Chola era tradition, the pontiff of the Thiruvavaduthurai Aadeenam presented the Sengol to the first Nehru signifying the transfer of power from the British to Indian hands.

Significance

• The inclusion of the ‘Sengol’ in the Parliament building inauguration seeks to revive this ancient tradition and commemorate India’s independence as the nation enters a new chapter in its democratic journey

Practice Questions for Prelims

Mains Practice Question

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