Sengol : Historical Sceptre
A historical sceptre from Tamil Nadu ‘Sengol’ will be installed at the new Parliament building to be inaugurated by by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on May 28.
- Sengol was used on August 14, 1947, by then Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru when the transfer of power took place from the British.
- It was kept in a museum in Allahabad.
- The word Sengol is derived from the Tamil word ‘Semmai’, meaning ‘righteousness’.
- It is a civilisational practice from the Chola kingdom, which was among the leading kingdoms in the Indian sub-continent for centuries.
- According to Tamil tradition, a high priest presents a sceptre to a newly crowned king as a symbolic gesture of power transition.
- The one accorded the ‘sengol’ is expected to impart a just and impartial rule.
- C Rajagopalachari, the last Governor General of India, suggested that this tradition, observed by the Chola dynasty, could serve as a significant symbol of India’s freedom from British rule.
- The ‘Sengol’ was crafted by a renowned jeweller in Madras Vummidi Bangaru Chetty.
- This impressive sceptre measures five feet in length and features a ‘nandi’ bull at the top, representing the concept of justice.
