Historic sceptre at heart of India's new Parliament opening

As a major cultural symbol of India's independence, a historic sceptre, 'Sengol', which marked the transfer of power from the Britishers in 1947, will be placed in the new Parliament building, Indian Home Minister Amit Shah said.
'Sengol' is a symbol of historic legacy, which was used by former Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru on August 14, 1947, when the transfer of power took place from the British.
"On the occasion of Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav, PM Modi will dedicate the new Parliament to the nation. In a way, it shows his far-sightedness. This is a beautiful attempt to merge our cultural legacy, tradition and civilisation with modernity. Around 60,000 people worked on the construction of this building in record time. The PM will also honour them," said Shah.
Recalling the historic event, the Home Minister said that 'Sengol' was chosen as the symbol of the transfer of power after intensive research.
"When the time for transfer of power came, Lord Mountbatten who was the Viceroy asked former PM Nehru about what should be the symbol of transfer of power to the country as per the Indian traditions. Nehru discussed the issue with freedom fighter and avid historic scholar C Rajagopalachari. He (Rajagopalachari) after doing an intensive historic research said that as per the Indian traditions, 'Sengol' has been marked as the symbol of historic transfer," Shah said.
According to historical accounts, C Rajagopalachari had approached the Dharmic Mutt in the Tanjore district of Tamil Nadu - the Thiruvavaduthurai Adheenam. The leader of the Adheenam immediately commissioned the preparation of the 'Sengol'.
The word Sengol is derived from the Tamil word 'Semmai', meaning 'Righteousness'. It is an Indic civilizational practice from the Chola kingdom, which was among the leading kingdoms in the Indian sub-continent for centuries.

(ANI)