Union Home Minister Amit Shah, on Wednesday, May 24, announced that a ‘sengol’ (sceptre) from 1947 will be installed in the new Parliament building during its inauguration on May 28. The ‘sengol’ was given to the first Prime Minister of India Jawaharlal Nehru by a group of priests from a Saivite monastery in Tamil Nadu, to represent transfer of power from the British on the eve of Indian Independence.
‘Sengol’ or a sceptre is a staff that was held by a ruling monarch in ancient Tamil Nadu to represent his power. Tamil scholar Devaneya Pavanar, in his book Pazhanthamizhaatchi, which talks about ruling in ancient Tamil Nadu, says that Sengol symbolised just rule. The word derives from ‘semmai’, which means just in Tamil, and ‘kol’ which means a sceptre.
The sceptre was made by a jeweller in erstwhile Madras on the instructions of the seer of Thiruvaduthurai Aadheenam, the Saivite mutt in Tamil Nadu. The seer had been contacted by then Governor General of India C Rajagopalachari on behalf of Nehru.
Tejasvi Surya, National President of BJP Yuva Morcha and MP from Bengaluru stated, “Sengol, blessed by Priests from a Saivite Mutt in TN, is about making a commitment towards a more equitable & inclusive India. By adopting it as symbol for Amrit Kaal in New Parliament, Modi Ji has sought to commit those in power to primacy of rule of law at all times.” The ‘sengol’ was kept in Nehru’s collection wing in an Allahabad museum until now.
HM Sri @AmitShah has announced that Sri @NarendraModi Ji will install the Sengol in New Parliament on May 28.
— Tejasvi Surya (@Tejasvi_Surya) May 24, 2023
Marking transfer of power, this Sengol was gifted by a group of Priests from Tamil Nadu on eve of India's independence in 1947.#SengolAtNewParliament
1/2 pic.twitter.com/R3FNNccM5C
Today our Hon Home Minister Thiru @AmitShah avl elaborated in a press meeting on the importance of a Chola dynasty Sengol received from his Holiness Thiruvaduthurai Atheenam from Tamil Nadu during the transition of power to Pandit Nehru post our independence.
— K.Annamalai (@annamalai_k) May 24, 2023
The Sengol,… pic.twitter.com/hKO5REBqzf
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate the new Parliament building, which is a triangular, four-storey building with a built-up area of 64,500 square metres, on May 28. The construction started on January 15, 2021. Built in an area of 64,500 square metres, the new building can house 1,224 MPs. It has a library, multiple committee rooms, and dining rooms. Tata Projects constructed the building at an estimated cost of Rs 970 crore.
(With IANS inputs)