As the Modi government is set to revive a long-forgotten tradition by installing the historic sceptre ‘Sengol‘ near the Lok Sabha speaker’s chair in the new parliament building on May 28, renowned dancer Dr. Padma Subrahmanyan told India Today how an article she translated from Tamil to English and sent it to the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) in 2021, triggered a chain of events that led to the historic development. In the letter, she requested to locate the Sengol explaining its significance, and also laid emphasis on the need to widely publicize it.
Dr. Padma Subrahmanyam spoke about a Tamil article published in Thuglak magazine, written by its editor S. Gurumurthy, that drew her attention toward the story of Sengol.
“It was an article in Tamil that came in Thuglak magazine and I was very attracted to the content of the article, which was about the Sengol. It was about how Kanchi Maha Swami (Chandrasekharendra Saraswati) told his disciple Mettu Swamigal about the Sengol and the whole tale has been retold in a book by Dr Subramaniam.”
Dr. Padma Subrahmanyam also talked about the significance of the golden sceptre in Tamil culture which also finds mention in a Tamil epic.
“The Sengol, in the Tamil culture has great significance. The umbrella, the Sengol, and the throne are the three objects that give you the concept of the reigning power of the king. The Sengol is not only a symbol of power but also of justice,” Dr. Padma Subramanyam said.
“The Sengol is just not something which came to us from thousand years from the later Cholas but Sengol is also mentioned in the Tamil epic Silappathikaram (also spelled Cilappatikaram). It is mentioned with regard to the Chera king (Nedunchezhiyan) who by mistake gave the order to behead the hero (Kovalan) and it was a wrong judgment as Kannagi (Kovalan’s wife) proves that he was wrong, he says my Sengol has bent with that he also dies. So the Sengol is a symbol of justice,” Dr Subramanyam added.
Dr. Padma Subrahmanyam further revealed how she became interested in locating the golden sceptre as she said, “I was interested to know where this Sengol was.” According to the magazine article, the Sengol that was presented to the first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru had been kept in Anand Bhavan, Panditji’s birthplace. How did it go there, and what the relationship between Nehru and Sengol was is also very interesting.”
When the British handed over power to Indians in 1947, the occasion was marked by the presentation of a Sengol (sceptre) to first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru. Dr Padma Subrahmanyam detailed that when it was decided that the British will hand over power to the Indians, Lord Mountbatten asked Pandit Nehru about the cultural symbol that should be used as a representation of the transfer of power.
However, Nehru had no answer. He discussed the matter with Rajaji (C Rajagopalachari). Rajagopalachari then sought guidance from Chandrashekhendra Saraswati who advised him to go to the Thiruvavaduthurai Adheenam in Madurai who have been the Raja Gurus of the Cholas. The Raja Guru used to hand over the Sengol to the king during the coronation and that marked the transformation of power.
Then the Thiruvavaduthurai Adheenam in Madras commissioned the beautiful 5-feet-long Sengol at the request of C Rajagopalachari to mark the transfer of power in 1947. The Adheenam’s pontiff had entrusted the family of Vummidi Bangaru Chetty to craft the golden sceptre.
Following that Dr Subrahmanyam says that the head of the Thiruvaduthurai Mutt Sri La Sri Ambalavana Desika Swamigal sent the Sengol to Nehru, who accepted it to use as a symbol of power. The seer had sent a delegation carrying the sceptre in a special aircraft arranged by the government.
The sceptre was then handed over to Lord Mountbatten by Sri La Sri Kumaraswamy Thambiran. The British Viceroy then handed it back to the seer. After that, a purification ceremony of the Sengol was carried out by Sri La Sri Kumaraswamy Thambiran by pouring the holy Gangajal on it amidst the recitation of the Kolaru Patham Thevaram. It comprises 11 stanzas and the last stanza says: it is by order of god you will rule perfectly.
Dr Padma Subrahmanyam lamented that following the transfer of power ceremony, the Sengol was out of sight and the despite being an extraordinary historic event, not much was known to the public. She added that as the country is celebrating 75 years of independence, that historic event should be re-enacted.
An overjoyed dancer said that her dream has come true as the Sengol will be installed in the new temple of democracy. She further asserted that “the Sengol will stand unbent at the new parliament, inspiring the parliament to be really serving the country.”
Despite being the driving force of the historic resurrection of the forgotten tradition, Dr Padma Subrahmanyam said that she is a nationalist and like the squirrel mentioned in the Ramayana she has done her “little might”.
