Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to inaugurate the new Parliament building on May 28 as part of celebrations of Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav. The historic inauguration will see PM Modi installing a golden sceptre near the Speaker's seat.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah spoke about the historic significance of the golden sceptre, ‘Sengol’, in the new Parliament building at a press conference today.
“This Sengol has huge significance. Around 10:45 pm on August 14, 1947, Pandit Nehru received this Sengol from Tamil Nadu, and in the presence of several senior leaders, he accepted this as a symbol of achieving independence. It is a sign of a shift of power from the British to the people of this country," said Amit Shah.
The Home Minister also noted Sengol’s connection to Tamil culture. He added, “Sengol has been important from the time of the Chola dynasty.”
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Sengol is a Tamil word which essentially means “Justice” or “Righteousness”.
This sceptre or Sengol was handed over to India’s first Prime Minister, Jawaharlal Nehru, to mark the transfer of power from the British. Currently, the Sengol has been kept at a museum in Allahabad.
The Sengol, which symbolises the tradition of transfer of power to the new kings during the Chola dynasty, will be moved to the new Parliament building. The person who is given this Sengol is expected to rule without any partiality and in a just manner.
According to an NDTV report, the Sengol was made by Vummidi Bangaru Chetty, a jeweller in the then Madras under the supervision of the seer of Thiruvaduthurai Atheenam, a prominent mutt in Tamil Nadu.
The five-feet long sceptre has a 'Nandi' bull on top, which symbolises justice.
The new Parliament building is the cornerstone of the Central Vista redevelopment project and is located in a triangular complex. The grand building has been designed to house 1,224 members of Parliament - 888 in the Lok Sabha and 384 in the Rajya Sabha.
Furthermore, the new Parliament boasts a 6.5-metre-tall National Emblem at the top of the building. The impressive emblem is made of bronze and weighs 9,500 kg.
PM Narendra Modi laid the foundation stone of the new Parliament Building on December 10, 2020. Subsequently, the construction of the new Parliament commenced in January 2021.
(Edited by : Sudarsanan Mani)
First Published: May 24, 2023 1:58 PM IST
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