What is historic ‘Sengol’ sceptre, set to be placed inside new Parliament building next to Speaker?
A historic sceptre called Sengol is set to be placed near the seat of the Speaker in the new Parliament building, which will be inaugurated by PM Modi this week.
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| Edited By: DNA Web Team |Source: DNA Web Desk |Updated: May 24, 2023, 03:43 PM IST
Prime Minister Narendra Modi is all set to inaugurate the new Parliament building as part of the Central Vista project, which is built with state-of-the-art architecture and new and improved security features. Another unique thing about this parliament is the Sengol.
As part of the inauguration ceremony of the new Parliament building, PM Modi will be placing the Sengol sceptre near the seat of the Speaker of the House, as announced by Union Home Minister Amit Shah during a media briefing.
The Sengol sceptre has its origins in Tamil Nadu and is set to be a historic symbol in the new Parliament building. Amit Shah pointed out the significance of the golden Sengol sceptre, which has its story attached to the Independence era.
Amit Shah, during the press briefing, said that the Sengol is a symbol of Independence for the country, which represents the transfer of power from British to India in 1947. The sceptre was handed over to the country’s first Prime Minister, Jawaharlal Nehru.
Facts and history of Sengol
The word sengol is derived from the Tamil word "semmai", meaning "righteousness". The sengol came into existence after British Viceroy Lord Mountbatten asked PM Jawaharlal Nehru about what would signify the transfer of power from British to India.
The idea of the sengol was pitched by India’s last Governor General C Rajagopalachari, commonly known as Rajaji. Rajaji talked about an old Tamil tradition of the highest priest handing over the sceptre when handing over power to a new king.
Following this tradition used in Tamil Nadu, Rajaji contacted a jeweller in the Madras named Vummidi Bangaru Chetty, who made the golden Sengol sceptre. The five feet tall sceptre was made and it had a Nandi bull carved at the top, which symbolized justice.
The new Parliament building has been constructed as part of the Central Vista project in New Delhi and is set to have an increased capacity of MPs, among other features. The new building will be inaugurated on May 28.