Daily Current Affairs for UPSC
Sengol to be installed in new parliament building
(Syllabus- GS Paper 1,History ,Art and culture)
Context– The Prime Minister shall install the ‘Sengol’, a historical sceptre from Tamil Nadu, in the new parliament building which is scheduled to be inaugurated on 28th May.
Key highlights:
- The Sengol received in 1947 by India’s first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru symbolically represented the transfer of power from the British.
- The sceptre was received by India’s Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru from Lord Mountbatten and was later kept in a museum in Allahabad.
History of the Sengol
- The Sengol or sceptre is a long stick measuring around 5 feet made of silver and is gold plated.The Sengol or Tamil,‘Semmai’ symbolizes power and authority.
- The spectre has a beautiful carving of ‘Nandi’ atop the Sengol, signifying the importance of fair and just leadership.
- The golden sceptre was crafted by Vummidi Bangaru Chetty, a famous jeweler in the Madras Presidency.
- The transfer of the sengol was conducted as per Tamil tradition wherein the Adheenams or priests of the Thiruvaduthurai Adheenam (Mutt) a Shaiva monastic organisation in Tamil Nadu presented it to Nehru.
- The ceremony was inspired by the Chola dynasty model of transfer of power suggested by C. Rajagopalachari the last governor- general of India. The ceremony was a sanctified and blessed event of transfer of power from one king to his successor.