Sceptre symbolizes cultural & civilizational unity
Dharmic rule is what Sengol signifies in New Parliament, its many notches above petty political bickering to score brownie points
C.R.Kesavan
On January 18, 1927, when the current Parliament building was inaugurated by Viceroy Lord Irwin, the ceremony was bereft of any vestige of Indian culture or “parampara”. In a stark but welcome contrast, when Prime Minister Narendra Modi inauguration of the new Parliament building it was a festive occasion where our timeless traditions and civilisational heritage will be honoured and celebrated. During this historic occasion of the inauguration of the new building, the sceptre, or “sengol” as it is termed in Tamil, will be installed in the sacred edifice of our democracy by PM Modi.
The sceptre has a history. As the dawn of Independence neared, then Viceroy Louis Mountbatten asked Jawaharlal Nehru how he wished to signify Britain’s transfer of power to India. When Nehru turned to C Rajagopalachari for advice, the latter advised that the historic Indic civilisational tradition in southern kingdoms, where the high priest of the state hands over the ceremonial sengol to the new king signifying transfer of power, could be followed. Rajaji’s suggestion that the power transfer could be denoted by the British viceroy handing over the sceptre to the incoming Prime Minister was welcomed and agreed upon.
Rajaji then requested Sri Ambalavana Desika Swamigal, the then pontiff of Thiruvaduthurai Adheenam (a Shaivite monastery in Tamil Nadu) to take up the responsibility of designing the sceptre. The seer commissioned a lapidary in Madras to make the sceptre. It was made of silver with gold coating adorned by the Nandi on top, symbolising strength and truth.
On August 14, 1947, a delegation comprising Sri Kumaraswamy Thambiran (representative of the seer), Manickam Odhuvaar (the priest who would recite the prayer) and the nadaswaram vidwan, T N Rajarathinam Pillai, went to Delhi.
A few minutes before midnight on the eve of Independence, alongside the dulcet sound of the nadaswaram, the priest chanted “Kolaru pathigam” from “Thevaram”, devotional hymns composed in praise of Lord Shiva about 1,300 years ago by Shaivite saint Thirugnana Sambandar. When the final verses, “Adiyargal vaanil arasalvar aanai namathe” (“We command that His Humbleness shall rule the heavens”) were recited, Sri Kumaraswamy Thambiran received the sceptre from Lord Mountbatten and sprinkled it with ganga jal (holy water) and handed over the sceptre to Nehru, symbolising transfer of power.
While most Indians are familiar with the Tryst with Destiny speech, the momentous occurrence of handing over the sengol has largely gone unnoticed in the annals of our glorious history. After the transfer of power in 1947, this sacred sengol was relegated to sheer oblivion in a museum in Allahabad labelled as “Golden Walking Stick Gifted to Pt Jawaharlal Nehru”.
The “Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav”, ushered in by the government to mark 75 years of Independence, has ensured that unsung heroes and heroines and untold milestones get the respect that they deserve.
The Kashi Tamil Sangamam clearly invoked the unity between the north and the south while the Madhavpur Mela demonstrated the concord between Gujarat in the west to the Mishmi tribes of Arunachal Pradesh in the east. Similarly, this tale of the sengol lucidly illustrates the innate civilisational connect and commonality of our great country from time immemorial.
The Prime Minister has always been an ebullient votary of harnessing technology and modernity while being firmly rooted in drawing inspiration from our rich spiritual and cultural heritage. The new Parliament, equipped with cutting-edge technology along with this sacred sceptre, will bear testimony to the Prime Minister’s inclusive vision of India.
The word sengol in Tamil is derived from the word semmai denoting righteousness. The recipient of the sengol is supposed to have the command to rule fairly and justly. The timeless treasure trove of wisdom, the Thirukkural has an entire chapter — The Right Sceptre — comprising 10 couplets. Couplet 546 says, “Not lance gives kings the victory/ But sceptre swayed with equity”.
It is indeed fitting that our Prime Minister will be installing this sacred sceptre in its rightful place behind the Speaker’s chair in the Lok Sabha. From this position, in the temple of our democracy, this sengol will eternally symbolise the rule of dharma, the civilisational core by which our great nation is governed.
(Author was a former member of Prasar Bharati Board. This article was first published in Indian Express)