The Sengol: India's Historic Sceptre of Power and Justice

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Key takeaways

The National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) has officially added the Sengol into the Class 9 Social Science syllabus starting in 2024.
The five-foot sceptre was crafted by Vummidi Bangaru Chetty in 1947 and was kept in the Allahabad Museum before its modern installation.
In May 2023, the Indian government installed the Sengol in the new Parliament building right next to the Lok Sabha Speaker's seat.
The Sengol represents the ancient Chola Dynasty tradition of transferring power with a focus on moral duty and justice.

The National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) added the Sengol into its new Class 9 Social Science textbook.
The textbook describes the Sengol as a historic symbol that marked the transfer of power to Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru on the eve of Independence in 1947.

The Sengol is a ceremonial gold-plated silver sceptre with deep roots in ancient Tamil statecraft.
Historically, priests presented this sceptre during the coronation of kings to symbolize righteous rule, fair justice, and moral duty.

This tradition started more than a thousand years ago under the Chola Dynasty.
During Chola rule, the high priest handed the sceptre to the new king to show that ruling power must always follow moral laws.
The Thiruvaduthurai Adheenam, a famous Saivite monastery in Tamil Nadu, ordered the creation of this five-foot sceptre in 1947.
Famous jewelers named Vummidi Bangaru Chetty in Madras hand-crafted the sceptre, which was then presented to India's first Prime Minister, Jawaharlal Nehru, in August 1947.
The sceptre was kept in the Allahabad Museum for many decades.
In May 2023, Tamil Nadu priests blessed the Sengol, and the government installed it next to the Lok Sabha Speaker's chair in the new Parliament building.

The name Sengol comes from the classical Tamil word Semmai, which means moral goodness, fairness, truth, and right conduct in governance.
A small figure of Nandi, the sacred bull of Lord Shiva, sits on top of the sceptre to represent strong justice and truth.
The five-foot-long sceptre is made of solid silver and covered with a layer of gold leaf, decorated with beautiful flower patterns.
Priests blessed the sceptre using ancient chants and sang hymns from the 7th-century Tamil holy book Thevaram, written by saint Tirugnanasambandar.
Unlike symbols of absolute power, the Sengol reminds leaders that their power must serve the people with justice and moral duty.