HomeIndia NewsHere’s how Sengol, installed in new Parliament building, came to PM Modi’s notice

Here’s how Sengol, installed in new Parliament building, came to PM Modi’s notice

The lost gem came to PM Modi’s attention after notable classical dancer Dr Padma Subrahmanyam wrote a letter to him.

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By CNBCTV18.com May 28, 2023, 11:51:26 AM IST (Updated)

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Here’s how Sengol, installed in new Parliament building, came to PM Modi’s notice
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday inaugurated the new Parliament Building complex in a special ceremony. The opening ceremony will be held in two phases and during the ceremony, the historic golden sceptre, 'Sengol', will be installed near the chair of the Speaker in Lok Sabha.


The story of the Sengol becoming a part of the special ceremony is interesting as it was brought to PM Modi’s attention after a classical dancer wrote a letter to him.

The credit of bringing this lost gem to the attention of the PM goes to notable classical dancer Dr Padma Subrahmanyam. She wrote a letter to the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) in 2021 highlighting the significance of the historic sceptre.

The Sengol has great significance in Tamil culture, and it was presented by Lord Mountbatten to Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru on August 14, 1947, as a symbol of the transfer of power.

In her letter, Subrahmanyam translated a Tamil article on the sceptre and emphasised that the significance of the Sengol should be widely publicised.

"I am the one who has been writing a history of culture, I didn't know about the Sengol episode in our history because no textbook has any reference to it. I thought Sengol had to be publicised. So I translated the entire Tughlaq article into English and wrote a covering letter to the Prime Minister stating that the Sengol must be brought out. This is how the whole thing started," Subrahmanyam told ANI.

The three objects, the umbrella, the Sengol, and the throne signify the concept of the power of the ruler and it’s historic significance dates back to the Chola dynasty.

The sceptre is also mentioned in the Tamil epic, in regards to Chera kings, Subrahmanyam told in an exclusive interview with India Today.

Talking about how she became interested in the Sengol, she said that she was interested to locate the Sengol as it had not been seen in public since 1947.

According to her, the Sengol was commissioned by Thiruvavaduthurai Adheenam in Tamil Nadu after C Rajagopalachari requested to make it. It was crafted to mark a ceremony, which would denote the transfer of power from the British to Indians.

Thiruvavaduthurai is a village in Mayiladuthurai district, east-central Tamil Nadu, South India. An adheenam is an independent central Hindu institution which has its own structure and authority and which exercises control and supervision over subordinate mutts and other institutions such as temples.

Adheenam’s pontiff Sri Kumaraswamy Thambiran took it to Delhi and handed it over to Lord Mountbatten who presented it to Nehru in a ceremony at his residence. After this, the sceptre was never seen or mentioned in texts.

“When we were celebrating 75 years of Independence, I thought it would be wonderful to reenact the ceremonies,” Padma Subrahmanyam told India Today.

Also read: ‘Sengol’ made by our ancestors, says proud jeweller group Vummudi Bangaru

She said that she was surprised that her letter initiated the events that have now led to the installation of the Sengol in the new Parliament building.

“It is a greater event now as the Sengol will be housed in the new Parliament building. It will inspire our MPs to serve the country,” she said.

During the inauguration ceremony on May 28, PM Modi will also release a coin and stamp to mark the significance of the occasion and the 75 years of India’s independence.
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